Clear skies and crisp sea air, driven by a 30-40 horsepower engine otherwise known as the mistral wind, something not everyone loves thanks to flying sand, doors slamming shut and general huffing and puffing. But just go with the flow and make the most the blustery day with our five top tips for enjoying it anyway.
Surfer in Porto Pollo, Sardinia’s world known wind – and kite surfing paradise.
1. Go to Porto Pollo, not the isthmus but near the mouth. Shelter amongst the downwind dunes, trying not to tread on the carpet of helichrysum plants, and listen to the whistle and crack of kites flying through the air as the kitesurfers get to work. You should have, or pretend to have with you: someone you love | a picnic basket and rug | an “arancino” stuffed rice ball | a “babà” from Palau’s Neopolitan bakery | orange juice with a dash of tequila.
2. Find the most sheltered beach and work on your tan. Zero crowds mean you can explore spots off the beaten track. Find info on all of the most sheltered beaches, like the bays of Portisco and Porto Rafael, on Coast App: download is free and fast and the coast is just a click away!
3. Realise that you love the wind and head for Capo Testa in Santa Teresa di Gallura: when the going gets tough, the tough go here! This headland affords spectacular views over the raging seas coursing through the narrow straits between Sardinia and Corsica – like a scene from the Tokyo metro.
4. Go for a drive: Make sure the car is kitted out with the essentials, including decent music – rock goes well with the windswept scenery, with guitar solos pushing you onward in time with the gusts. The brave will venture as far west as Cala Pischina, below Santa Teresa, where modern day windsurfing heroes ride the furious waves.
5. Give in to gluttony. Ruin weeks of spring training, throw new year’s resolutions to the wind and book every last free tables left on the Costa Smeralda. Try Basara’s sushi at Porto Cervo’s Promenade du Port for example, they’ll even bring you authentic sushi in style at the beach. Or there’s Prince Café and Spinnaker, or Aruanà, a Brasilian churrascheria in Poltu Quatu. In San Pantaleo try chef Luigi Bergeretto’s gourmet restaurant at the Petra Segreta resort, Il Fuoco Sacro, and Giagoni in the Piazza, both are renowned in Costa Smeralda for their culinary excellence. Breakfast at Lu Pasticciu or Sa Conca, for pizza go to Terrazza above Delfino in Arzachena and try MATT’S great pizza in Portisco. Enjoy fresh seafood in Golfo Aranci and Porto Pozzo, at the great SINTONIA. To name but a few.
