The Costa Smeralda was invented in 1962 by the Aga Khan. The water is genuinely emerald. The prices are genuinely insane. But beaches 20 min away are equally beautiful and free.
Build this itinerary →Olbia is functional — get out fast. Drive north to Baja Sardinia (25 min): turquoise water, zero entry. Porto Cervo: browse the marina (free to look at yachts). Spiaggia del Principe (15 min + 10 min walk): arguably Sardinia's most beautiful beach — free, no facilities, just perfection. Day 2: Cannigione coast, Porto Pollo (windsurfing capital).
Ferry from Palau: 15 min, €12 return with car. National park, clearest water in the Mediterranean. Spiaggia Rosa on Budelli (viewable by boat, landing prohibited). Boat tours €30–50/half day. Day 4: inland Gallura — cork oak forests, granite formations. Stazzo agriturismi: €25–30 for four courses with local wine.
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