Along the northeast coast of the island of Sardinia is the famous Costa Smeralda, or Emerald Coast. This stretch of beachfront land has become famous for hosting the rich and famous, but in recent years it has become a popular destination for those who don’t have six or seven figure incomes. While you may run across Silvio Berlusconi or Roman Abramovich, who both own estates here, you are also now able to enjoy the rugged coastline for reasonable prices.
The Costa Smeralda has been opening up to more visitors and property seekers due in part to the recent expansion of the local airport, Olbia-Costa Smeralda Airport (OLB) in the town of Olbia on the southern edge of the region. With a new, modern terminal the airport now has many low cost airlines serving it from all over Europe. For example, RyanAir just added twice weekly service from Birmingham while EasyJet launched service to Bristol earlier in the year.
With the influx of visitors has come an increasing number of resorts and properties. The original destination of Porto Cervo is still the prime location for the well-to-do, but there are other places to see and visit. The magnificent coastline is one of the main attractions, with many secluded coves and inlets for adventurous travelers and residents. This is an ideal location for those who like the water and it is said to have the highest concentration of marinas in Europe. One particularly gorgeous area is the archipelago of Maddalena, a protected national park with many beaches and natural sights.
The town of Baia Sardinia is a popular place for visitors and property seekers who want to avoid the prices of Porto Cervo, which is located to the east of this resort town. There are a number of resorts here that are located on some very nice beaches for those who want to visit. There are also some reasonably priced apartments, condominiums and villas along this part of the coast that are available and won’t run as much as what Porto Cervo will. Of course, if you want to do some star searching, Porto Cervo is the place to be in the summer.
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