The little Sardinian town of San Pantaleo is in the north east of the island, lying on the Gulf of Cugnana, itself part of the lovely Costa Smeralda, or Emerald Coast. Nearby you have superb beaches such as Porto Rotondo and Portisco, with white sands and plenty of watersports including sailing and windsurfing. A few miles north you come to Porto Cervo, the 'capital' of this recently developed coastline, and with plenty of shops and restaurants. There are countless little beaches to discover, with dirt tracks leading down to some delightful coves. Check out the beach at Capriccioli, just south of Romazzino. And from Palau, a little further north, you can take a ferry out to the Maddalena Islands, quite beautiful and protected as a national park.
The Costa Smeralda is, of course, a construct, having been developed for tourism over the last 50 years, but it's a delight for all that, with unspoiled scenery and some fascinating archaeological sites, including the Tomba dei Giganti. Each September it hosts the Sardinia Cup sailing regatta. The nearest town of any size to San Pantaleo is Arzachena, with shops and a tourist office. Head south around the Golfo Cugnana and you come to the town of Porto Rotondo, with the provincial capital of Olbia a little further south still. You'll find the Olbia-Costa Smeralda airport here, a passenger port and the rail link to Cagliari, as well as the start of the highway network.
To the left you'll find a selection of hotels, to get you in the mood
- see also our full listings of San Pantaleo hotels.
