Homes in Sardinia

Enjoying a splendid position in the centre of the western Mediterranean, just south of Corsica and a few splashes northwest of Sicily, Sardinia is the Med’s second largest island. And some say it’s the loveliest place in the whole sea. It’s hard to argue with that when you behold the island’s gorgeous landscapes – many as pristine as if they’ve just been newly washed for your benefit. Salt-white and amber-gold beaches are lapped by crystalline water of turquoise, cobalt or pale emerald. Moving back from the sand, wind-sculpted rock formations cede to dainty cork forests and pretty pinewoods. Further inland, vineyards and olive groves meet sun-blonde fields while dreamy round hills and low mountains appear in the distance. Underfoot, the island’s characteristic macchia (an underbrush of myrtle, juniper, rosemary and lavender) perfumes the air as you crunch across it.

Sardinia’s unspoilt natural environment owes a lot to the island’s low population density and to its laudably sensible approach to touristic development – in essence, ‘let’s only build small and nice so we don’t spoil the