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Sardinia’s Emerald Coast may be superyacht central, but away from

the hotspots you’ll find peace, quiet and some property bargains, says

Mia Aimaro Ogden

The advert could have

written itself. “Bargain for

quick sale at €500m: 68-

room Sardinian holiday home,

complete with six swimming

pools, an amphitheatre and

artificial volcano. Bunga-

bunga girls not included.”

When the Italian former

prime minister Silvio

Berlusconi had the heir to the

Saudi throne over to his Porto

Rotondo villa this summer,

the rumour mill went into

overdrive. Was Muhammad

bin Nayef, who landed on the

Costa Smeralda with a

90-strong entourage in three

70-metre superyachts, about

to succeed where various

Russian oligarchs and an Abu

Dhabi statesman had

previously failed, and buy the

Villa Certosa?

It would appear not: the

168-acre estate, where

Berlusconi has entertained

Tony and Cherie Blair,

George W Bush and Vladimir

Putin (as well as many

scantily clad women, no

doubt), remains unsold. But

it nevertheless serves to

illustrate the point that buying

on the Italian island of

Sardinia — and particularly

in the super-bling hotspot of

Porto Cervo, where Mariah

Carey, Robbie Williams,

Michael Douglas, Catherine

Zeta-Jones and Leonardo

DiCaprio have all holidayed

this year — can be a pricy

business. Or so the British

have always thought.

“The Costa Smeralda was

developed for the

international jet set by the

Aga Khan in the 1960s. His

idea was to conserve

a corner of paradise, with

Porto Cervo at the centre,”

says Robert Green, general

manager of Abercrombie &

Kent International Estates.

“The grandest waterfront

properties are now quietly

being made available to

those with deep pockets,

with some being sold off-

market at prices as high

as €80m.”

So who’s buying? “The

majority come from mainland

Italy, France and Russia,”

Green says. “We’re only now

beginning to see an increase

in British inquiries and sales.

It’s a beautiful island, with a

great deal going for it.”

It’s a wonder it has taken so

long for British buyers to

wake up to Sardinia’s myriad

charms — though the crisis in

Greece has certainly helped,

as purchasers give the

economy there a wide berth.

Sardinia has an average of

300 days of sunshine a year,

shining on 1,149 miles of

coast, clear turquoise seas and

white sandy beaches regularly

voted the best in Italy. The

island is not only hugely

popular as a holiday

Sardinia’s Emerald Coast may be

g

S di i ’ E ld C t b

The coast is clear

COSTA SMERALDAThe international jet set should feel right at home in this glam five-bedroom villa in the hills of Liscia di Vacca, above the Costa Smeralda. And they can get here in less than three minutes from the local helipad. If the 6,450 sq ft of crisp styling aren’t enough — Villa Cassedda comes fully furnished — there’s also a guest house, swimming pool, boules court and landscaped garden. 020 3667 7016, akinternational estates.com

€ 8 . 5 m

€ 5 0 0 , 0 0 0

(sardinia-house.com).

“Though the money we get

might sound a lot, you have

to take into account the

costs of cleaning, laundry

and minor repairs, as well

as electricity and air

conditioning,” Paul says. “And

then there’s tax. For the

moment, we are happy if we

break even.” (Purchase taxes

for second-home ownership

are calculated at 9% of the

“cadastral value” of the

property — often much lower

than the purchase price.)

Further east, in the

countryside behind the Costa

Smeralda, prices start to creep

up — but there’s some

exceptional style on offer.

“Now is the right moment to

buy,” says Roberta Paterlini,

owner of the Porto Cervo

agency Immobiliare Brunati.

“Prices have been high for

Costa livingSuperyachts line up atPorto Cervo. Opposite,

Bosa, on the west coast

Cagliari

Bosa

Chiaramonti

Costa Paradiso PortoRotondo

Costa Smeralda

Porto Cervo

Alghero

Olbia

SettimoSan Pietro

SARDINIA

Monticanaglia

25 miles

Michael Krakowiak/Getty; Travelstock 44/Alamy

market, as well as negotiating

in a language that neither of

them spoke? “In Italy, the

estate agent has much more

authority than they do here,”

Paul says. “We trusted her

with the process and it all

worked amazingly well.”

The Alexanders’ traditional,

three-storey, two-bedroom

village house has exposed-

brick ceilings, open fires

and a roof terrace with a

fabulous view out to the

mountains. It’s also kitted out

with a high-end modern

kitchen and the latest Italian

designer furniture.

The property, which

sleeps up to six, is available

to rent for £600 a week

It’s a wonder it has taken British buyers so long to wake up to Sardinia’s charms

destination — with flight

times from London from 2½

hours — it also has a vibrant

cultural life, some excellent

regional cuisine, great wines

and endless opportunities

for sailing, windsurfing,

scuba-diving, golf, tennis

and climbing.

And there’s more good

news: you don’t have to pay

Costa Smeralda prices to get

your own little slice of the

island’s dolce vita — doer-

uppers can be had for as little

as €40,000 (£29,000).

Paul and Philip Alexander,

from Clapham, southwest

London, bought Casa Grazia,

in Chiaramonti, about 30

minutes from the beaches of

northwest Sardinia, for

€125,000 in 2011.

“It was quite impulsive,”

says Paul, 43, a civil servant.

“We were staying at a friend’s

house and she set us up with

the estate agent in the village.

The agent showed us all the

ruined houses she had in need

of renovation, but she kept

taking us back to her own

house, as a kind of template of

what we would do. And

finally we just said, ‘We want

the show home.’”

Did they have any qualms

about buying in an unfamiliar

COSTA PARADISOPiedi nel mare — feetin the sea — they callit, and you can pretty

much jump straight infrom this detached

four-bedroom villa onthe Costa Paradiso.This is a traditional

Sardinian build withan outdoor kitchen/

diner — throw anotherpizza on the barbie.

01322 660988,casatravella.com

TIMES+Win a meal for two at Francesco Mazzei’s Sartoria, in Savile Rowmytimesplus.co.uk

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01.11.2015 THE SUNDAY TIMES thesundaytimes.co.uk 41

A D E L A I D E , A U S T R A L I A

What’s the pull? The rest of the country may look down on it as staid and provincial, but Australia’s fifth-largest city is enjoying a wave of redevelopment. The disused factories and tanneries of the historic laneways have been turned into funky eateries. Cheap business rents keep prices low, earning Adelaide a reputation as an affordable foodie hotspot. It’s good for gourmets too — Penfolds Magill Estate restaurant is one of the country’s finest.

What’s the downside? It has the highest unemployment and lowest average wage of Australia’s big cities.

LET’S MOVE TO …

Where to live? Seafront districts such as Glenelg or Henley Beach are popular. The eastern suburbs, such as Magill or Burnside, have a country feel — ideal if you want to be close to kangaroos.

The cost of living Adelaide is the cheapest of Australia’s big cities. You can buy a two-bedroom house in a good suburb for Aus$500,000 (£236,000); $3m-$4m gets you the full stately with plenty of land. A third of the population rents, paying $500 a week for a house in the suburbs.

What the locals say Red or white? The nearby Barossa Valley produces some of the world’s best wines.

Who to call Savills (00 61 8 8237 5000, savills.com.au), LJ Hooker (00 61 8 8431 6088, ljhooker.com).

Tim Palmer

Casa & Country’s Sardinia

area manager, “but it’s so

quiet, and even in high

season you have the beaches

to yourself.”

The Villa Bosa Paradiso

(pictured below left), built in

traditional style in 2006, is on

sale here with Casa &

Country. For €950,000 you

get three bedrooms, two

bathrooms, a granny flat, a

restored stone shepherd’s

lodge, stables, a barn, a huge

terrace, three acres and an

olive grove. The villa itself

stretches over 1,500 sq ft, with

views of mountains and sea.

“The west and south of the

island offer more affordable

properties, and for those

willing to renovate or

refurbish, there are some real

bargains,” says Green. “For

really adventurous buyers,

derelict homes can be picked

up from as little as €40,000.”

However, there are some

issues to consider if you’re

hoping for a steal. “I’d

recommend buyers stay

within a few kilometres of

the sea as, inland, it’s very

rural, and you will not find

the infrastructure that

you require,” says Linda

Travella, the founder of

Casa Travella, an Italian

property specialist.

Lack of services may not be

the only issue. Christiane

Levy, 49, a British graphic

designer who lives in Turin,

highlights the difficulties of

purchasing a run-down

stazzu, or traditional

farmstead, near Villasimius,

on the southeast coast.

“It was only €60,000, but

pretty much falling down, and

it was owned by about 20

different cousins — getting

them all to sign it off was a

nightmare. Organising the

restoration from a distance

has been hard, but we’ve

found a local guy whose work

we love. It’s ultimately been a

positive experience — and

once a Sardinian is your

friend, they will die for you.”

The favourable exchange

rate is also giving a boost to

this new market, Bruce adds.

“Buyers are being

considerably more forthright,

as they fear the euro

strengthening again. And the

Greek crisis has certainly

moved buyers our way —

we’ve dealt with several UK

clients who have moved their

search to Sardinia.”

So is Berlusconi likely to

find a British purchaser

hurrying to slap down a

deposit on the Villa Certosa

any time soon? Perhaps, but I

wouldn’t bet the ranch.

The western coast is pretty wild and so quiet — even in high season you have the beaches to yourself

€ 4 0 0 , 0 0 0

BOSAIf it’s barnstorming scenery you’re after, look no further than the Villa Bosa Paradiso, with views out to the medieval castle of Bosa, the river valley, the historic town centre and the sea. The rustic-chic villa has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a panoramic terrace and a separate flat. The owners have a small mooring on the river that can be included in the sale.020 7993 2967, casaandcountry.com

a couple of years. Now

they are levelling out.”

She’s keen for buyers to

understand why this

coastline is unique. “Buyers

must realise they’re not only

investing in a house, but

also in a territory that’s

protected, with strict

controls on development.”

This means there’s little

chance of the ugly high-rise

blocks that have scarred the

coasts of Spain.

Five miles from Porto

Cervo, in Monticanaglia, deep

in the Galluran countryside, is

Villa Ross, a five-bedroom

holiday house designed by

the local architect Cecilia

Olivieri, on the market for

€2.1m with A&K International

Estates (020 3667 7016,

akinternationalestates.com).

It’s a mountain retreat from

the Smeralda razzle-dazzle,

with white-painted timbers,

terracotta tiles, granite

facades and a low-key

Mediterranean feel — though

it has servants’ quarters, a

well-manicured garden and a

pool sunk into the rocks.

The property, which is a

30-minute drive from the

airport in Olbia, was rented

out this summer to a

blockbusting British author

for €12,200 a week, but the

agents won’t give me his

name. They’re nothing if not

discreet round here.

“The initial reason our

British clients are attracted to

buying on the island is the

short flights to white-sand

beaches with turquoise

waters,” says Gemma Bruce,

managing director of Casa &

Country. “But they quickly

become impressed by the

investment potential. Rental

income can be 30% more per

week than you’d make on a

similar-sized property in

rural Tuscany.”

If the Porto Cervo vibe is

not for you, consider Bosa, in

the west, 35 miles from

Alghero airport. “The western

coast is pretty wild,” says

Rebecca Lewis Lalatta,

SETTIMO SAN PIETROThis noble 1910

townhouse, five milesinland from Cagliari, is

a project and a half,but its 500 sq metres,with courtyard garden,

granary, stables andservants’ kitchen,

could make a splendidretreat — or two.

Lovely frescoes adornevery room: a greatexample of Liberty

style, but in desperateneed of restoration.

020 7993 2967,casaandcountry.com

Emerald isle Turquoise waters, lush green hills and white sands at Porto Cervo, above. Right, al fresco eating in Bosa

€ 9 5 0 , 0 0 0

Gabrielle Maltini/Rocco Fasano/Getty