Your first encounter with your dream lady could be a guaranteed success if the rendezvous takes place in one of the most romantic and breathtaking places in the world - Emerald Coast, Pearl of Sardinia (Italy).

You may schedule your first meeting with your lady. However, if you've already met, take our advice and book your honeymoon or vacation in this dream land. Go ahead and visit this part of paradise and, no doubt, it will steal your heart!

Officially being a part of Italy, Sardinia is unique in its nature, history and culture, and also ranks first for ecological purity.
The island of Sardinia has an original story behind its name. Ancient Greeks called it Sanladiotis which means "sandals". Indeed the Island follows the shape of gigantic sandals. Just like ancient Greeks, the locals still believe that God himself left a holy footprint here when he first stepped down on Earth, into the newly created ocean. One may not take this legend seriously but everyone who has visited Sardinia agrees that this is a piece of paradise.
As soon as you step off the plane at the Fiumicino Airport in Rome, you notice numerous posters which proclaim that "Sardinia is an industry dating back thousand years. The name of it is Nature!"
Amazing corals spread out in the waters around the Island which is a sure sign that the sea is incredibly pure. Flamingos are nesting on the salt-lake banks. Poppies in blossom paint the fields in crimson red. A high plateau hosting herds of wild horses stretches all the way to the horizon
And the sea! The most picturesque beaches in the world are here! Coastal rocks remind you of the intricate gigantic sculptures as they sit gracefully on a sparkling gold sandy pedestal of a cost line that graciously zigzags along the sea. An intense blend of colors spills over a polished surface of the rocks creating a fabulous palette. Sun rays are flirting with the waves and, taken by this joyful play, the sea sparkles and glares, exhibiting all shades of blue. Romance and bliss are in the air. This is a dreamland for scuba-diving fans: the sea washing the Island is warm and caressing, and considered to be a model of clarity; underwater fauna is a cross between Europe and Africa. Swimming is terrific on Sardinia from June through October.

The history of the Island is long and mysterious. So many tried to conquer this paradise land over time! The Romans and the Phoenicians, the Barbarians and the Arabs, the Genoas and the Pizanians, the Austrians and the Spanish, the French and the Savoyans: Victories, defeats, tragedies, dramas, conspiracies, mysteries, intrigues, betrayals, rises and falls: This land has seen it all! And it keeps memory about the events.


Deserted plateaus lie at the foot of strangely shaped rocks and Nuraghi - man-made conical towers dating 3-4 thousand years back. Not much is known about the original inhabitants of Sardinia, the ones who created the monumental constructions out of huge basalt blocks, not even the name of those people. For the lack of a better word they are called the "Nurag people".
Although deceivingly simple at first glance, the Nuraghi interiors are sophisticated and complex which makes them comparable to medieval cathedrals. The most intricate of them are located here, in the Northern part of Sardinia, on Costa Smeralda.


The times filled with drama are not only reflected in the majestic monuments - customs and traditions, as well as celebrations will also speak of the lavish past.
Sardinians take food and drinks rather seriously, also adamantly following the traditions. The most favorite meal is a suckling pig - "Su porcheddu a sa Sarda". An ancient recipe calls for the pig to be wrapped in herbs and buried underground; the fire is made atop of it then. This recipe was preserved for us thanks to shepherds who used to be the only inhabitants of the central part of the Island for many years.
As a matter of fact, in the Eastern mountainous part of the Island - Barbadga - pigs are believed to be able to speak. For a "Spuntino" - a late night supper for male guests only - the guests are invited in the following manner: "I got it all set with a pig for Saturday night. Will you come?" This means that the host has ordered a suckling pig from the farmer. Therefore, not only will you be able to enjoy a few rounds of drinks in Sardinia, but also a chat with a pig.

By all means it would be unfair to overlook the local obsession of myrtle. The word goes that nowhere in the world it is found in such abundance as here. Even some local breads are made with myrtle. But the cr?me-de-la-cr?me, however, is myrtle-flavored digestive called "Mirto di mirto" which is served after the meal as it is good for digestive tract and generally relaxes both body and mind. Its popularity is mostly due to its tradition rather than superb taste. The same goes for another local specialty - lamb cheese "pecorino" famous across the whole Italy. It's stamped with "made in Sardinia" (not in Italy if you may notice).

Costa Smeralda or Emerald Coast is the most gorgeous place in North Sardinia. It's the empire of granite rocks scattered amidst lavish juniper bushes and wild olive trees; virgin unattended beaches are awash here by brightest of the sea hosting hundreds of miniature islands.

Extending over the north-eastern part of Sardinia, between the Olbia area and Tempio Pausania, is Gallura, a large region the land of which is characterized by granites rocks and extremely indented coastlines covered with luxuriant vegetation made up of cork forests and Mediterranean scrub. The most well-known and famous area of all of Sardinia is found in Gallura: the Emerald Coast.
At one time was an uncontaminated and desolate land, today the Emerald Coast is one of the tourist destinations most popular with VIPs, who love I white beaches and crystal-clear sea full of unique, one-off colors. This marvelous area of Sardinia was "discovered" like in a legend in the early 1960's when Prince Karim Aga Khan IV, a wealth young Ismaili, was enchanted by its sit pendous beaches and surrounding nature as he was passing along the coast on his yacht, and decided to build a holiday centre addressed to luxury Italian and international tourism.

Since then the Emerald Coast became a favorite spot for Arab sheikhs, mega businessmen and heads of the state, Italian and foreign show biz stars such as Celentano and Madonna. Costa Smeralda, Porto Cervo, Porto Rotondo - these are all the resorts which attract top of the world elite: bankers, celebrities and presidents. By the way, Russian president Vladimir Putin owns a property on the Emerald Coast. It is a unique place where luxurious hotels seamlessly blend in with virgin nature.

Costa Smeralda includes 55 km of sandy beaches, cozy bays and rocky formations. It has everything one's heart desires for an outstanding vacation.

And so in 1962 the Emerald Coast Consortium (Consorzio Costa Smeralda) was formed for the purpose of studying city and tourist development in the area white at the same time respecting its naturalistic value. It is almost needless to say that founding fathers chose the name of Emerald Coast because they were thinking of the color of the crystal-clear, unpolluted water of this area, which rangers from green to dark blue. The Emerald Coast district covers a stretch of Cost a little south of the La Maddalena Archipelago. It is bounded on the north-west by the Arzachena
Gulf, on the south by the Cugnana Gulf and it comes to an end in the north at Capo Ferro, where you can enjoy a fantastic view of the most beautiful islands of all of Sardinia, famous for their beautiful sea beds and included in the La Maddalena Archipelago National Park.

Some of them are larger islands of Soffi and Mortorio to the south, the Nibani Island to the east, and Bisce Island and Cappuccini Island to the north. The indented coastline, about fifty kilometers long, is studded with large and small beaches that alternate with granites rocks having highly unusual rosy and yellowish colors, In some points they rise to great heights, but the majority of them are low and take on strange shapes owing to the erosion of water and wind. The hinterland - where cattle and sheep owned by Gallura's shepherds who lived on "stazzi" old farms characteristic of the area, at one time grazed - made extremely verdant by a thick, extraordinarily fragrant Mediterranean scrub made up of lentos, strawberry trees, myrtle and juniper. So as to not excessively damage the virginity of its nature, the Emerald Coast Consortium, decided to draw up a set of rules to be followed when building houses and hotels. Their main features are light-colored walls, terra cotta roofs, arbors, terraces and the use of natural local materials, such as wood and stones, on which the names of the houses and various places are engraved.

To the North of Costa Smeralda lies a small island La Maddalena which is connected by a levee and a bridge to another small island of Caprera. This striking beautiful piece of land served as home for Giuseppe Garibaldi who spent many long years here in exile abandoning the island from time to time to visit his associates and keeping his sea voyages unknown to the authorities who guarded the island zealously. The authorities made everything possible to isolate him having denied his accomplishments in unification of his country. Perhaps, they concluded that this remote and deserted island was the right place for deportation but when Garibaldi in his old age received an acknowledgement and a more loyal treatment, he requested to keep his small house on the Caprera and willed to be buried there. Once you visit this location, it's easy to understand a man who cherished his place of seclusion till the end of his days.

If you are interested in this tour, email us at tour@svetlanas.com