Section I · The Ranked Twelve
From best to twelfth.
Sorted by what each area does well at its price point. The number-one pick is the one we would book first given a free pick from all twelve.
No. I
The Pevero / Golfo del Pevero six-bedroom.
Typical: 6 BR, sleeps 12. Area: Pevero. Peak rate: $200,000 to $400,000+ / week. Bay: the Pevero golf and the two Pevero beaches, sheltered. Usually included: full staff, housekeeping, cook, gardener, pool. Usually not: evening chef, boat, driver.
Why it ranks here: Pevero, the headland around the Pevero golf course and the Grande and Piccolo Pevero beaches, holds the highest concentration of trophy estates on the coast, with the granite-and-turquoise views and the calmest sheltered swimming. It clears the rest because it combines the best villa stock, the prime beaches, and the wind protection in one address.
What we would change: it is the most expensive pocket on the coast, and the August premium is brutal. For the same coast at a saner number, the Capriccioli side at No. VI steps back from the peak.
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No. II
The Romazzino headland six-bedroom.
Typical: 6 BR, sleeps 12. Area: Romazzino. Peak rate: $180,000 to $360,000 / week. Bay: the Romazzino beach and the offshore islets, sheltered. Usually included: full staff, housekeeping, cook, gardener, pool. Usually not: evening chef, boat.
Why it ranks here: the Romazzino headland, anchored by the famous beach and hotel, has the trophy estates with direct or near-direct beach access and the view to the Li Nibani islets. A six-bedroom here gives a group the prime beach proximity and the granite-cove scenery at the heart of the Costa Smeralda.
What we would change: the trophy beach proximity comes at a price barely below Pevero, and August is crowded on the sand. Confirm whether beach access is private or a walk to a public stretch.
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No. III
The Cala di Volpe bay six-bedroom.
Typical: 6 BR, sleeps 12. Area: Cala di Volpe. Peak rate: $160,000 to $340,000 / week. Bay: the sheltered Cala di Volpe inlet, calm water. Usually included: full staff, housekeeping, cook, gardener, pool. Usually not: evening chef, boat.
Why it ranks here: Cala di Volpe, the sheltered inlet anchored by the landmark hotel, has the calmest water on the coast and a cluster of estates around the bay, the pick for a group that wants flat swimming and the marina-and-hotel scene close by. A six-bedroom here is the social trophy choice.
What we would change: the bay can be busy with tenders and day boats in August, and the estates vary in how much of the view they actually command. Verify the outlook and the privacy.
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No. IV
The Liscia di Vacca five-bedroom.
Typical: 5 BR, sleeps 10. Area: Liscia di Vacca. Peak rate: $130,000 to $280,000 / week. Bay: the bay just north of Porto Cervo, walk or short drive to the marina. Usually included: full staff, housekeeping, cook, gardener, pool. Usually not: evening chef, boat.
Why it ranks here: Liscia di Vacca, the residential bay immediately north of Porto Cervo, gives a group estate-grade villas a short hop from the marina and the village, the pick for those who want the Porto Cervo scene on the doorstep without paying the absolute Pevero ceiling.
What we would change: the beaches here are smaller and rockier than the trophy strands to the south. Pick it for marina access, and drive to Pevero or Romazzino for the best sand.
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No. V
The Cala Granu / Porto Cervo marina five-bedroom.
Typical: 5 BR, sleeps 10. Area: Cala Granu. Peak rate: $120,000 to $260,000 / week. Bay: the cove beside the marina, walk to the Promenade. Usually included: full staff, housekeeping, cook, gardener, pool. Usually not: evening chef, boat.
Why it ranks here: Cala Granu, the cove just beside the Porto Cervo marina, puts a group within walking distance of the Old Port, the Promenade shops, and the nightlife, with a small beach below. A five-bedroom here is the pick for those whose trip is the Porto Cervo scene itself.
What we would change: the walkable-village convenience comes with the village noise and crowds in August. For quiet, the southern beaches are the better base.
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No. VI
The Capriccioli / Le Piscine five-bedroom.
Typical: 5 BR, sleeps 10. Area: Capriccioli. Peak rate: $110,000 to $240,000 / week. Bay: the Capriccioli beaches facing the islands, sheltered coves. Usually included: full staff, housekeeping, cook, gardener, pool. Usually not: evening chef, boat.
Why it ranks here: Capriccioli, on the southern edge of the Costa Smeralda facing the offshore islands, has the sheltered double beach and the granite-cove scenery at a rate below the trophy headlands. A five-bedroom here is the value-within-luxury pick for a group that wants the prime coast without the Pevero ceiling.
What we would change: it is at the southern end, a slightly longer drive to the Porto Cervo marina and nightlife. The trade for the lower rate and the calmer beaches is a few extra minutes by car.
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No. VII
The Abbiadori ridge six-bedroom.
Typical: 6 BR, sleeps 12. Area: Abbiadori. Peak rate: $100,000 to $220,000 / week. Bay: the ridge above Cala di Volpe, panoramic views. Usually included: full staff, housekeeping, cook, gardener, pool. Usually not: evening chef, boat, beach at the door.
Why it ranks here: Abbiadori, the ridge above Cala di Volpe and the golf, holds large hillside estates with sweeping panoramas over the coast and the islands, more space and view for the money than the beachfront. A six-bedroom here is the pick for a large group that wants the panorama and the pool over a beach at the door.
What we would change: the sea is a drive down, so it is a view-and-pool estate, not a beach base. Budget a car and accept that swims mean driving to the bays.
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No. VIII
The Petra Bianca / Pantogia five-bedroom.
Typical: 5 BR, sleeps 10. Area: Pantogia. Peak rate: $95,000 to $200,000 / week. Bay: the slopes south of Porto Cervo toward Cala di Volpe. Usually included: full staff, housekeeping, cook, gardener, pool. Usually not: evening chef, boat.
Why it ranks here: Pantogia and the Petra Bianca slopes, between Porto Cervo and Cala di Volpe, hold villas with good sea views and a central position on the coast, a workable balance of village access and beach proximity. A five-bedroom here is the well-located middle choice.
What we would change: the views and access vary widely villa to villa on these slopes. Confirm exactly what the villa overlooks and how far the nearest beach is.
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No. IX
The Liscia Ruja five-bedroom.
Typical: 5 BR, sleeps 10. Area: Liscia Ruja. Peak rate: $95,000 to $190,000 / week. Bay: the long Liscia Ruja beach, the coast’s biggest strand. Usually included: full staff, housekeeping, cook, gardener, pool. Usually not: evening chef, boat.
Why it ranks here: Liscia Ruja, the longest beach on the Costa Smeralda at the southern end, gives a group the most generous sand on the coast and a more relaxed feel than the trophy coves. A five-bedroom here is the pick for a family that wants a proper big beach over a fashionable small one.
What we would change: it is at the southern edge, the furthest of the prime pockets from the Porto Cervo marina. The trade for the big beach is the drive to the village.
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No. X
The Porto Rotondo five-bedroom.
Typical: 5 BR, sleeps 10. Area: Porto Rotondo. Peak rate: $85,000 to $180,000 / week. Bay: the planned marina town south of the Costa Smeralda. Usually included: full staff, housekeeping, cook, gardener, pool. Usually not: evening chef, boat.
Why it ranks here: Porto Rotondo, the rival planned marina town just south of the Costa Smeralda proper, offers a similar yacht-and-piazza scene and estate villas at a rate a notch below Porto Cervo. A five-bedroom here is the pick for a group that wants the marina life closer to the Olbia airport and a lower entry.
What we would change: it is outside the Costa Smeralda postcode and lacks the absolute cachet of Porto Cervo. The trade for the saving is the address.
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No. XI
The Cannigione / Golfo di Arzachena five-bedroom.
Typical: 5 BR, sleeps 10. Area: Cannigione. Peak rate: $80,000 to $160,000 / week. Bay: the sheltered gulf west of Porto Cervo. Usually included: housekeeping, cook, gardener, pool. Usually not: evening chef, boat.
Why it ranks here: Cannigione, on the sheltered Golfo di Arzachena west of the Costa Smeralda, is the value coastal pocket, a working town with calm gulf water and easy access to the Maddalena archipelago by boat. A five-bedroom here is the pick for a group that wants the Sardinian coast and the islands without the Porto Cervo premium.
What we would change: it lacks the granite-cove drama and the scene of the Costa Smeralda proper. Pick it for the price, the calm gulf, and the Maddalena boat days.
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No. XII
The Baja Sardinia four-bedroom.
Typical: 4 BR, sleeps 8. Area: Baja Sardinia. Peak rate: $80,000 to $150,000 / week. Bay: the resort village north of the Costa Smeralda. Usually included: housekeeping, cook, gardener, pool. Usually not: evening chef, boat.
Why it ranks here: Baja Sardinia, the lively resort village just north of the Costa Smeralda, offers a good beach, restaurants, and the Maddalena boats at the lowest entry rate on the list. A small-group four-bedroom here is the value pick for those who want the coast and the islands without the trophy address.
What we would change: it is more resort and less exclusivity than Porto Cervo, busier and more package-holiday in feel. Right for value and the islands, wrong for the trophy scene.
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