In September 2016, I was invited to join the Swan regatta in Sardinia. Jennifer joined me and apart from some nice sailing aboard a couple of Swan 115 “footers”, one in cruising and one in racing mode, we also had the opportunity to travel around for a few days.
We were based in Porto Cervo, the sailing capital of Sardinia – and maybe of Italy too. From there we ventured north to Isla Maddalena between Sardinia and Corsica and then south along the east coast. In the mountains along the east coast we stayed at a spectacular place, Hotel Su Gologone.
Inland from the east coast the stunning but inhospitable landscape offers an interesting history from prehistoric settlements to modern time independent bandit villages in the mountains.
Leaving Porto Cervo harbour
Market in Palau, north Sardinia
Jennifer looking at the market stalls
Approaching Maddalena Island
Local boats on Maddalena Island
Polto Quatu, a protected cala, where we had dinner one night
The cala was built up with nice holiday homes
The second day of sailing.
Irvine Lairdlaw at the helm
Some of the pools at our resort with stormy weather nearby.
Villaggio Nuragico di Serra Orrios, one of the prehistoric villages in Sardinia, inland but near the east coast
Another view of the partially reconstructed village
Evening view of the gorge at Su Gologone
The restaurant at Hotel Su Gologone, where Jen and I stayed while we explored the mountain scenery of Eastern Sardinia
Our open air bathroom at Hotel Su Gologone
Driving along the mountain ridge separating the inland bandit landscape from the eastern coast of Sardinia
An impressive rock standing guard over the gorge
Mountain landscape
Wild pigs were our only company in this hilly landscape
On the other side of the mountain ridge we caught our first glimpse of the sea
Mountain scenery
Urzulei town at the foot of a granite mountain ridge
One of the many hand painted drawings on a house wall in Urzulei. For the scale, see the balconies to the left