Discovering southern Sardinia by yacht

The Costa Smeralda has a distinctive aesthetic. Aside from the jewel-like waters advertised by the name itself – the Aga Khan’s inspired two-word marketing coup – it evokes smooth granite outcrops that enfold secret thumbnails of white sand, low-rise, whitewashed hotels peopled by fashionable Milanese (and 007), lobster on the terrace at Da Giovannino, film stars reposing in T secluded hillside villas, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda and, of course, lots and lots of very big boats.

Most of those yachts will never venture beyond this manicured sliver at the north-eastern corner of Sardinia. But a few seaborne pioneers are beginning to discover the island’s other charms. It is vast – about the same size as Sicily but with a third of the population – and offers an enthralling variety of landscapes and local customs.

The centre is comparable to Tuscany, with pretty villages and wild hills that attract visitors for hiking and food. The wild west coast has a strong Spanish influence, with a dialect closer to Catalan than Italian.

The south, meanwhile, has begun to draw yachts for several good reasons: a lack of crowds fosters a sense of exclusivity, backed up by a growing luxury scene; its warmer climate extends the season (it’s closer to Africa than mainland Italy); while for children – and their parents – the sheltered, white-sand, gently sloping beaches and gin-clear waters add to the appeal.

“The south is more multi-generational, has a more authentic nature – people live here all year round,” says Paolo Mancuso, group director of Projects and Business Development at Forte Village, the resort established in 1970 that pioneered luxury tourism in the south.

“It is less yacht-driven, there are no huge marinas. We get several bigger yachts at Forte Village – 130, 150 metres – but maybe you get just four or five.”

A newcomer to the growing scene is luxury villa specialist The Thinking Traveller, which has just added four new ultra-private Sardinian properties to its portfolio – two near the soft sands of Santa Margherita di Pula beach in the south.

Villa Lia features a pared-back, airy and curving aesthetic by Milanese architect Mario Dal Molin. A sweeping terrace flanks the house, shaded by long white drapes that waft in the breeze to reveal the circular pool and neatly kept gardens beyond.

It’s 450 metres from the beach, so when our four-year-old daughter, Holly, isn’t in the pool, she’s in the Med, or enjoying local delicacies left by The Thinking Traveller team. A highlight is a dinner cooked on-site by chef Simone Floris.

His procession of exquisite dishes – internationally inspired yet rooted in local ingredients – includes a Japanese omelette with prawns marinated in local wine, potato mochi with smoked Sardinian cheese and pork cheek with a spicy cream.

There is plenty of scope for further epicurean adventures in southern Sardinia. The Isola di San Pietro, to the south-west, “we consider the Capri of Sardinia”, says Mancuso. Its main town, Carloforte, certainly has the laid-back spirit of Sorrento’s most famous island a few decades back, with handsome pastel facades.

But an unusual attraction here is the annual bluefin tuna mattanza (in May or June), a complex local fishing technique that can be traced back to the Phoenicians. Strong (and rather brave) fishers guide schools of massive tuna through a system of net chambers into a concentrated mass from which they are hauled aboard boats using grappling hooks.

It’s sustainable, although less responsible fishing practices elsewhere have affected the catch. Cuisine here is, unsurprisingly, tuna-focused, and peaks with an annual tuna festival that coincides with mattanza.

Here, guests can try every imaginable preparation, from Bottarga over fresh pasta to tender crudo dressed with only local salt and olive oil. After dining (or picking up some fresh bluefin for your chef to prepare on board), a cruise by yacht around the islet will reveal sea caves, volcanic cliffs and remote coves.

For young visitors, however, the most important hunt on Sardinia’s south coast is likely to be for flamingos. Perhaps the prettiest location to see them is in the shallow salt lagoon of Stagno di Notteri, behind Porto Giunco beach near Villasimius on Sardinia’s south-eastern tip.

Here, a narrow ribbon of pale sand separates the lagoon from the turquoise sea, and you can combine some light flamingo spotting with a day at the beach – dine on spiny lobster at Delfino Club, with your feet in the pink-white sand, metres from the crystalline shallows. If seeing a flamingo is a non-negotiable, Molentargius-Saline National Park farther west is more dependable, if less picturesque.

To settle in on the south coast for a few weeks, Forte Village offers an excellent base, spanning 50 hectares of bougainvillea-draped gardens and a pristine slice of Santa Margherita di Pula beach.

Among the uniformly high-quality accommodation are 13 spectacular villas and 40 lavish suites, catered to by more than 20 restaurants (some overseen by Michelin-starred chefs). And it is clear that children’s priorities are considered as carefully as adults’.

The south has begun to draw yachts for several good reasons: a lack of crowds fosters a sense of exclusivity, backed by a growing luxury scene

In the bathroom of our waterfront suite, with its sweeping panorama of the Mediterranean, Barbie-branded toiletries sit alongside the Acqua di Parma alternatives, and our daughter’s Barbie bedding contrasts with the crisp white cotton of our enormous bed.

Holly heads almost directly to the Children’s Wonderland for kids up to age 12, and the Barbie Fashion Academy (in a little pink house) where today they make cupcakes. Adjacent is the child-sized Mario’s Village, for role play in miniature fire stations, markets and cinemas.

Elsewhere in the resort – all of which is walkable in an hour – there is a seven-slide aqua park, go-kart track and even a nature park (with a new zip line) where children can pet native animals. Here, Holly uses carrots to befriend a baby donkey and an enormous rabbit.

For teens, there are more than 20 sports academies from fencing to pickleball – headlined by the tennis academy led by Pat Cash and Emilio Sánchez and the Real Madrid Foundation Clinic, with UEFAlicensed coaches (with the occasional star turn by players like Iker Casillas and Álvaro Arbeloa).

But due to the property’s size and the judicious use of hedges, you would never know about the whizzing go-karts, football finishing school or gigantic fauna unless you sought them out.

What remains visible is a luxurious take on a Mediterranean village. The most extravagant accommodation option is perhaps the low-profile, ultra-private Villa Azzurra, whose two separate buildings appear to sink into its undulating lawn, centred by a curvaceous pool.

You could accommodate a multigenerational family here, with areas of secluded calm and spaces for socialising. The most exclusive dining experience is Heinz Beck, where we dine overlooking the sand, while our daughter is taken care of by a babysitter (available by prior arrangement 24/7).

Delicately presented dishes include vitello tonnato, black cod with clams and crisp vegetables and turbot with vichyssoise and kaffir lime. Also elevated – metaphorically and physically, on a terrace overlooking the pines – is Belvedere. Here we feast on a fire-inspired menu of sea bass with raspberry gazpacho and black lemon, and beef fillet coated in allium ash with parmesan fondue – while Holly spoons strawberry ice cream from a silver goblet.

To recover, I visit the spa, which is part of a vast thalassotherapy complex, with a maze of wooden paths leading through tropical foliage to glass treatment rooms that feel as if they are secluded in the jungle. The signature salt and honey massage uses local ingredients to exfoliate and moisturise over a waterbed, leaving even sunburned skin smooth and soothed.

Despite the indulgence, life here feels energising. Perhaps it’s the wine. The local variety of Grenache, or Cannonau, contains three times as many flavonoids as comparable bottles, a characteristic linked to longevity (try a powerful 2021 Turriga from the Argiolas family vineyard).

Sardinia has more than one Blue Zone, and the latest, identified in 2023, is the village of Teulada (Forte Village’s new Centenarian Rituals comprises a three-day exploration of the local lifestyle, crafts and produce).

An interesting addition to a southern Sardinian itinerary is the city of Cagliari (home to Italy’s America’s Cup team, Luna Rossa). Explore the Castello in early evening, entering via the monumental Bastione di Saint Remy, then wander the narrow streets to the cathedral.

There is a warren of underground crypts, caves and Roman streets to explore, or visitors can pick up local delicacies at San Benedetto market. Forte Village’s sister hotel, Palazzo Doglio, lies in the heart of town and offers a clutch of excellent restaurants, including Osteria del Forte. Rooms are palatial and bathrooms glamorously marble, while the Doglio Club features a pool that can be hired privately and an impressively extensive gym for a city hotel.

Here in the spa, therapist Silvia uses Natura Bissé products and aloeinfused oil for the powerfully relaxing Athletic Massage, while a warm, fennel-scented eye mask lulls me into drowsiness.

Sardinia’s emerald coast will undoubtedly retain its pre-eminent position in the superyacht cruising calendar, but for those who venture beyond, Sardinia’s southern shores offer plenty of their own hidden gems.

Unforgettable Travel offers seven nights at Forte Village in a Waterfront Beachcomber Suite on a B&B basis, with private transfers and two private tours, from £21,561 per person as part of a tailormade Sardinia itinerary.

First published in the October 2026 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.