
Costa Smeralda Guide: Where To Stay, Eat And What To Do
Tasked by Prince Karim Aga Khan IV in the 1960s to design and develop Porto Cervo and the Costa Smeralda, Jacques Couelle and Michele Busiri Vici are among the architects credited with the transformation of Porto Cervo as it is known and loved today. Here, luxury whispers, rather than shouts — it's seamlessly woven into the natural contours of the rugged coastline and lush pine forests, ensuring every sun-dappled terrace and hidden cove feels like your own secret vista.
Oliver Fly
Walking through its streets, you sense the refined legacy of its founders: spaces crafted with elegance and restraint, setting the stage for a style that's effortlessly chic. No wonder the world's most discerning jet-setters flock here each summer to bask in its exclusive vibe and impeccable taste.
Hotel Pitrizza
If Porto Cervo is a treasure chest, then Hotel Pitrizza is its rarest gem. Nestled within secluded Mediterranean gardens just steps from the crystalline sea, this 66-room hotel embodies Sardinia's timeless elegance. With a reputation for being the most luxurious hideaway on Costa Smeralda, it offers guests refined privacy — think handwoven furnishings, terrace views that spill into the shimmering bay, and suites infused with Sardinian warmth and light.
Hotel Pitrizza
Hotels are in the business of perfectly the finer details, and there are some that excel in their practice, and others that don't. Pitrizza belongs to the former; it is a slither of heaven. Celebrity whispers hint at regular visits from A-listers like George Clooney and Kate Middleton, drawn not just by Pitrizza's exquisite service but its discreet exclusivity that's impossible to replicate elsewhere. The hotel's private beach, framed by granite cliffs, is the perfect backdrop for impromptu brunches or evening aperitivos under a canvas of stars. It's not hard to see why there are families who have holidayed at Pitrizza for 40 years, every year requesting the same villa, only to be warmly welcomed by the 200 staff that work at the resort. The m aître d' at the hotel's restaurant, a dinner jacket-wearing Naples native named Peppino, has worked at the hotel for over 40 years. He is one of the most charming men you could ever hope to be served by, let alone meet.
For anybody lucky enough to call Pitrizza home, whether for 40 years or just a matter of nights, you will not struggle to see for yourself how the hotel is the very embodiment in every possible way of la dolce vita , Sardinian style.
FIND OUT MORE HERE Where to eat
Matsuhisa at Cala di Volpe
For those in the know, Porto Cervo's culinary scene hit a new apex when Chef Nobuyuki 'Nobu' Matsuhisa launched his seasonal residency at Cala di Volpe. This is not just Nobu as you know it — it's Matsuhisa at Cala di Volpe , perched over Porto Cervo's most glamorous bay, where yachts glint in the dusk and sunset toasts are a given. Housed in the hotel's iconic Bar Pontile and designed for maximum Mediterranean drama, it's a scene that attracts everyone from megawatt celebrities to discerning global tastemakers.
Marriott
Chef Nobu's groundbreaking culinary style — a seamless blend of Japanese precision and bold Peruvian influences — is unsurprisingly perfectly at home at Cala di Volpe. Expect delicate sashimi, the legendary black cod with miso (a must-order), and playful 'Matsuhisa Bites' like padron peppers with miso and lobster tacos, all plated with artistic bravado as the sea shimmers below. The open-air setting makes every meal feel like a private event, and if you have any idea what's good for you, wash whatever you order down with a Peach Bellini (which is made using fresh white peach purée made in-house every single day).
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Ristorante Gianni Pedrinelli
Tucked just 500 metres from the sea in the Piccolo Pevero area, Ristorante Gianni Pedrinelli is a Porto Cervo institution — one that has been drawing the Costa Smeralda's effortlessly chic crowd for nearly two decades. Housed in what was once a private home, the restaurant channels a neo-classical ease with its airy interiors, checkerboard stone floors, antiques, and sweeping views: think white-draped tables beneath raftered ceilings, or sunset-lit dinners on the elegant terrace.
Still operated by the Pedrinelli siblings — Gianni and Renato helming the floor with Clara as head chef — the focus is firmly on authentic Northern Italian and Sardinian cuisine, with a proud commitment to local produce.
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Il Pescatore
The soul of Porto Cervo's waterfront dining, Il Pescatore (now known as Quattro Passi al Pescatore) is an icon that has defined Costa Smeralda's social scene since the 1960s. Just inches above the azure water, its sun-drenched stone terrace delivers the Porto Cervo panorama: moored super yachts glinting in the background, and a gentle Mediterranean breeze that makes every meal feel cinematic.
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What to do
Spiaggia Rosa
Located on the tiny Budelli Island in the La Maddalena Archipelago, just off the northern coast, Spiaggia Rosa a beach like no other: the sand glows with ethereal pink hues thanks to crushed shells, coral fragments, and microscopic marine organisms that live in the calcareous shells of tiny marine creatures.
San Pantaleo
This artsy village is famed for its bohemian spirit, lively markets, and stazzi (traditional Sardinian farmhouses). Browse local crafts, then hike the granite hills for panoramic sea views and a sun-bleached, cinematic serenity.
Liscia Ruja
The longest beach on the Costa Smeralda, Liscia Ruja boasts the kind of sugar-white sand and crystal-clear water that dreams are made of. It's the picture-perfect spot for a sunset dip.
ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE . The Best Amalfi Coast Hotels For Summer 2025
Naomi May is a seasoned culture journalist and editor with over ten years' worth of experience in shaping stories and building digital communities. After graduating with a First Class Honours from City University's prestigious Journalism course, Naomi joined the Evening Standard, where she worked across both the newspaper and website. She is now the Digital Editor at ELLE Magazine and has written features for the likes of The Guardian, Vogue, Vice and Refinery29, among many others. Naomi is also the host of the ELLE Collective book club.
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National Geographic
28 minutes ago
- National Geographic
Why you should visit these 5 European lakes
This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK). As the summer heat rises along the coast of the Med, turn your gaze instead to Europe's dazzlingly diverse array of lakes. Beyond swimming, kayaking and standup paddleboarding in crystal-clear waters, there's plenty to explore — think medieval castles and vineyards, prehistoric pile dwellings and Byzantine monasteries, regal gardens, cathedrals and Orthodox churches. From Portugal's Great Lake of Alqueva to Croatia's Lake Peruča, here are five European lakes that should be firmly on your radar. 1. Lake Constance, Germany Fancy breakfast in Germany, lunch in Austria and dinner in Switzerland? With uplifting views of the not-too-distant Alps, Lake Constance dips prettily into three countries and delivers an extraordinary hit of beauty, history and culture. Central Europe's third largest lake is a knockout, whether you want to breeze across its waters by ferry or canoe, or jump onto a bicycle to pedal a stretch of its 160-mile circular cycle path. And with temperatures hovering around 25C, it's pleasantly warm, but not too hot for exploring. This lake is like Europe in microcosm, knitting together beaches, orchards, vineyards, bird-rich wetlands, wooded gorges, gardens, historic towns and art galleries. You won't forget the likes of stone-walled Meersburg, with its fairytale looks, wine taverns and turreted medieval castle; the prehistoric pile dwellings of Unteruhldingen; Roman-rooted Konstanz with its magnificent minster; or the fantasy Mediterranean gardens on the islet of Mainau in a hurry. For southern flair, head over to prettily pastel-painted Lindau for gelato on cafe terraces and glittering lake views from the harbour guarded by a lighthouse and Bavarian lion. Lake Constance is like Europe in microcosm, knitting together beaches, orchards, vineyards, bird-rich wetlands, wooded gorges, gardens, historic towns and art galleries. Photograph by bluejayphoto, Getty Images 2. Great Lake of Alqueva, Portugal Skip southern Portugal's wave-smashed Atlantic coast in summer and head to the Alentejo, where its vast hinterland is ripe for discovery. A mighty splash of green blue, the fjord-like 95sq-mile Great Lake of Alqueva is a beauty. Nudging the Spanish border, Europe's biggest reservoir is a fretwork of flooded valleys, narrow inlets and islands. Come in summer to standup paddleboard and kayak across placid waters in quiet exhilaration and roll along its shores by bike or e-bike. When temperatures reach 35C in summer, you'll be itching to dive into its refreshing waters from lakeside beaches. Top billing goes to Praia Fluvial de Monsaraz, with its powdery sands, floating pool and Centro Naútico ramping up the watersports action. Spilling photogenically down a granite boulder-strewn hillside, Monsaraz itself is right up there with Portugal's prettiest villages. A medieval vision in white, it's crowned by a castle built by King Dinis in the 14th century and laced with cobbled alleys once trodden by the Knights Templar. Snag a table on the terrace of Taverna Os Templários for front-row views of the lake and specialities like codfish salad and Alentejo roast pork. By night, keep your eyes on starry skies. The Alqueva Dark Sky Reserve is the world's first starlight tourism destination, with activities ranging from stargazing sessions to night tours by canoe and astrophotography workshops. Lake Bohinj is a half-hour skip from Lake Bled, just as crazily beautiful but not nearly as crowded. Photograph by Micolino, Getty Images 3. Lake Bohinj, Slovenia Lake Bled gets all the love in northwest Slovenia, but Lake Bohinj, a half-hour skip south, is just as crazily beautiful and not nearly as crowded. You'll draw breath when you first glimpse the ragged limestone peaks of the Julian Alps punching high above this piercing blue, glass-clear lake in Triglav National Park. Temperatures can rise to 30C in summer, when the lake's mountain stream-fed waters warm up to 24C, and days fizzle into fiery pink-gold sunsets. On the lake's western shore, the peaceful village of Ukanc has a pebble beach for cooling swims. Pitch a tent at eco-conscious Camp Bohinj, where you can head out onto the water by kayak, stand-up paddleboard or canoe. They also arrange activities from caving, canyoning and rock climbing to cheese tours and schnapps tastings. Ukanc's surrounds are wild, mountainous and thickly wooded. A cable glides up to nearby Vogel for on-high views of the lake and hikes in Alpine meadows and virgin forests. Shooting 255ft over the cliffs of Komarča into a pool of pure emerald green, Savica Waterfall is equally unmissable. 4. Lake Peruča, Croatia Framed by a ripple of limestone mountains, Lake Peruča is a treasure tucked away in the Dalmatian Hinterland. Just a stone's skim from Croatia's Adriatic coast, this long slither of a lake is a proper back-to-nature escape. Here you can easily tiptoe away from the crowds in the heat of summer, when temperatures soar up to 35C, to leap gleefully into waters of stained-glass blue. Shaped by a dam on the River Cetina, Croatia's largest artificial lake is a great one for cycling, hiking, kayaking or boating to quiet beaches and coves. On the northern shores, the sleepy stone-built hamlet of Garjak makes a fine base, with arresting views of the rugged Dinara and Svilaja mountains and lake — never lovelier than in the hush of early morning when its turquoise waters are as still as a mill pond. Fringed by forest and pale-sand beaches, Camping Peruca gets you out, under and around the lake, with activities from rowing, kayaking, standup paddleboarding and diving to horse-riding and mountain biking. Stray slightly north to see the natural wonder that is the Eye of the Earth (Izvor Cetine), a jewel-like, circular karst spring that is the source of the River Cetina. Snuggled between the mountains of North Macedonia and eastern Albania, the green-blue Lake Ohrid is among Europe's oldest and deepest. Photograph by Plamen Mihaylov, Getty Images 5. Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia If you haven't heard of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Lake Ohrid, you're not alone, but you are missing a trick. Snuggled between the mountains of North Macedonia and eastern Albania, this green-blue lake is among Europe's oldest and deepest. Summer tempts with dips in translucent waters, picnics on east-shore pebble beaches like Potpesh and Labino, and the kind of pink-purple sunsets that stir the soul. On the north shore, Ohrid is an enticing place to kick off a spin of the lake, with a cliff-hugging boardwalk unfurling to rocky beaches and a steep, warm-stone old town where cobbled alleys lead to Orthodox churches and a ruined medieval fort. Seafront restaurants pair local specialities like fish soup prepared with lake trout, lemon and garlic with Macedonian wines. Beyond Ohrid, you'll be seduced by cultural big-hitters like domed, Byzantine-style, fresco-filled Sveti Naum monastery, high atop a cliff, and the reconstructed Bronze and Iron Age pile dwellings of the Bay of Bones. To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).


New York Post
16 hours ago
- New York Post
Top travel destination wages weird war against so-called ‘indecent' swimwear — but it's not bikinis they're mad about
Everybody out! A top Mediterranean beach destination is blowing the whistle on an 'indecent' form of swimwear — claiming that the allegedly revealing style favored by tourists 'disturbs the population.' But in the North African resort of Chetaïbi, Algeria, known for turquoise waters, rocky coves and forested hills, it's not women in skimpy bikinis that have local officials crying out for a cover-up. Advertisement 3 Chetaïbi is known for its turquoise waters, rocky coves and forested hills. Billal Bensalem/NurPhoto via Getty Images This time, it's the men who have been found guilty of inflaming the passions of the purportedly prudish populace — with their apparent affinity for Bermuda shorts. The town's mayor issued an order banning male beachgoers from wearing the tempting trunks — mandating a return to the longer, looser style said to be preferred by conservative beachgoers in this part of the world. Advertisement The municipality of 8,000 residents welcomes hordes of visitors every summer — tourism being an important part of the local economy. 'The mood is warm, welcoming, colorful, bustling — no hostility toward bathers, not in words, not in looks. People here have a tradition of hospitality,' Salah Edine Bey, a longtime resident, told the Associated Press. There was never much controversy — until earlier this month, when Mayor Layachi Allaoua had apparently, very literally, seen enough. 3 The town's mayor issued an order that bans beachgoers from wearing Bermuda shorts. AP Advertisement 'These summer outfits disturb the population, they go against our society's moral values and sense of decency,' the hot-and-bothered Hizzoner announced, per AP. 'The population can no longer tolerate seeing foreigners wandering the streets in indecent clothing,' he said. The proclamation immediately sparked considerable local backlash — including in the regional capital Annaba, where lawmakers urged a reversal of the decision. 3 Chetaïbi is on Algeria's Mediterranean coastline. Eric Lafforgue/Art in All of Us/Corbis via Getty Images Advertisement Within just two days, the mayor backtracked — taking to Facebook to insist that the decree was not driven by conservative pressure, but rather a hope to preserve 'peace and tranquility.' Algeria has struggled with Islamism for decades. The country endured a civil war that killed an estimated 200,000 people. In 1991, the army canceled elections that were going to be won by an Islamist party. 'Even though Islamists lost the war in the 1990s, they never gave up on their invasive and intrusive ideological project, which has gained ground in society,' sociologist Redouane Boudjemaâ told the AP. For some people, this order on men's swimwear reminded them of the times when Islamist-run municipalities tried to alter the public life in Algeria with its religious doctrine. While Islamist parties don't do well in elections, they still play a role in Algerian daily life. Said Boukhlifa, a former senior official at the Ministry of Tourism, warned against conservative creep — saying it could ultimately hurt the country's hopes to attract more vacationers to its shores.


The Verge
16 hours ago
- The Verge
Wheel World is the feel-good game of the summer
Momentum is what Wheel World does best. It is the feeling of reaching a downhill section of road, a pristine Sega-blue sea stretching out in the far distance, and letting gravity, the weight of your bicycle, and slope do all the work. Release the right trigger, the button used to peddle, and simply careen down the gently curving asphalt. It's as if you're flying — the wind in your hair and shirt fluttering on your back, coasting to wherever the road takes you. Wheel World is an undeniably feel-good video game. But this wasn't always the case. It started life with the title 'Ghost Bike,' casting you as a deceased cyclist making their way to bicycle Valhalla. One name change later (and probably a lot of behind-the-scenes wrangling), it arrives as a game about the unmitigated joy of riding a bicycle through a Mediterranean island. The roads here are lined with cypress trees, the beaches are white and sandy, and you'll come across many chic cyclists lounging in cafes. The atmosphere is so vividly rendered that I can practically taste the vacation Coca-Cola as I play. Summer itself seems strewn across the screen. You play as Kat, a rider chosen by a cycling spirit named Skully to enact an ancient ritual. This is achieved by accruing parts of a so-called legendary bicycle: frame, wheels, chain, and more, which have fallen into the hands of rival cycling gangs. So you race these teams (which have superbly off-beat names like the 'Nude Dudes' and 'Shimmy Squad'), moving across a mix of dirt and road tracks. You encounter other cycling spirits residing in gigantic sculpted bike bells along the way. Ringing your bell at one of them causes the stonework to crack, thus revealing said spirit. You chat and gain an extra few bars on your boost gauge, before a portion of the map is revealed with tiny little icons indicating where you should pootle to next. That's right: Wheel World, from California-based studio Messhof, maker of the excellent Nidhogg sword-dueling games, is structured like an open-world behemoth from Ubisoft. But expectations should be kept in check. There isn't a blockbuster's worth of content here. Rather, across the roughly seven hours of playtime, you'll take part in races, duke it out with lone cyclists, and meet cute little dudes with boxes on their heads who point you in the direction of new gear. Oh, and there are strange hovering drones which dole out rewards for classic checklist completion stuff (like finding hidden jumps and lost members of cycling crews). You could argue the game is a little slight in its array of things to do. But that's not quite right. Rather, Wheel World requires you to rethink traditional definitions of content — to move beyond markers on a map. Content, for example, is every highway and path whose varying terrains cause your bicycle to handle differently. It is the shaky, unstable feeling that is channeled from screen to hand to brain via the controller when you veer onto the little slip of gravel next to the road. Content is also watching Kat as she strains to surmount a hill with a gradient that would cause a heart attack in most. Our hero remains stoic: I marvel at her thighs of steel! Wheel World is filled with many more beautifully animated details. You're able to hop off your bicycle and push it around on foot. Maneuvering in a tight space, Kat does a kind of swivel trick with her handlebars, essentially spinning the bike frame around in one effortless motion. Another deftly rendered moment: when Kat dismounts, lifting her right leg over the bike, resting it next to her left, and then freewheeling to a gentle stop while standing upright. If you're a cyclist, this move will likely already be familiar to you: it means every journey ends with nonchalant cool (or so you likely imagine). I've never seen it reproduced in a video game before. All this serves to make ambling around the island an exquisitely elegant thing. It's a shame, then, that the racing is a little more chaotic, a little less refined. Showdowns on wide open roads are, for the most part, a joy. Those that take place in tight city streets can be finicky, Kat bouncing awkwardly off AI cyclists, world geometry, and oncoming traffic. The difficulty also feels a touch wonky: races are too easy for much of the game before an unexpected spike arrives in the last hour or so (exacerbated by a chugging frame rate on the PlayStation 5). Still, these moments of frustration only made me pine all the more for the relative serenity of the open (world) road. Upon rolling credits, I dived back in to check off remaining objectives while soaking up the picture-postcard vibe again. This, I think, is the true mark of a game like Wheel World: the extent to which the core mechanics might cajole you back. Galavanting during my post-credits session, I thought about another notable racing title with light open-world design: Mario Kart World. The latest in Nintendo's flagship kart racer is a cascading stream of serotonin hits induced by cotton-candy skies, soaring backflips, and delightful wahoos. It is a pure pleasure machine. Wheel World, on the other hand, doles out joy with a little less machine-like efficiency. It is more languid, massaging your eyeballs, ears, and brain with great blocks of warm, cel-shaded color, nostalgia-tinted electropop, and, of course, beautifully tactile cycling. What mileage there is in simply ebbing and flowing across the gorgeous sun-kissed land, carried along by both cool breeze and smooth tarmac. Freewheeling, it is practically impossible not to break out in a smile. With every descent, those smiles only widen. Wheel World launches July 23rd on PC, PS5, and Xbox. Posts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed. 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