Get away from it all in North Sardinia

Ahh, Costa Smeralda – the glitzy millionaires’ playground in north Sardinia where the jetset have gone to kick up their heels since the 1960s. It was brought into the international spotlight when the Aga Khan decided to make it his own development project – and, as word spread, it became a bolthole for the rich and famous. A-listers from Audrey Hepburn to Madonna have soaked up the sun here, and it is still a destination for the glitterati.

But what was it about the crystal blue waters, white sands and Mediterranean climate that attracted the Aga Khan here in the first place? Pretty much the same reasons I am making my first trip here too… Yes, faux fishing village Porto Cervo 1 is a curious construct, looking for all the world like a terracotta Portmeirion with meticulously tended flower beds and designer couture shops wherever you turn. And let’s not forget the immaculate harbour where super yachts jostle for space along the state-of-the-art quay.

But away from all the high-end material