These two locations, San Pantaleo and Porto Rotondo, are both inside the municipality of Olbia and they have been characterized in the last 30 years by an intense artistic activity: Porto Rotondo hosting the works of some of the most famous Italian artists and San Pantaleo having, during the summer, EVERY THURSDAY MORNING, one of the most interesting artistic markets of North Sardinia.
at your hotel / residence
Twelve Kilometers from the glamour and luxury of Costa Smeralda, there is another world, the picturesque village of SAN PANTALEO. Set between peaks of granite, this little old town still retains the typical style of the villages of Gallura. In 1894 the shepherd inhabitants asked the bishop of Tempio Pausania for a religious and social centre and the pretty church, dedicated to SAN PANTALEO, was constructed. Since the seventies, a large group of artists have lived in the village, attracted by its timeless atmosphere and informality, far from the worldliness of the Costa Smeralda. Painters, potters and sculptors from all over Europe have created a bohemian community in SAN PANTALEO, working alongside an active group of Galluran artisans, skilled in handicrafts using wood, wrought iron, terracotta and ceramic. Every Thursday morning, there is a craft and food market, an unmissable opportunity to buy interesting pieces of art and fine local produce.
PORTO ROTONDO, south of Porto Cervo, is one of the most important tourist destinations for the Italian and international elite. Situated around an almost circular natural bay, called by the locals "Poltu Ritundu", it was founded by the Venetian counts Nicolò and Luigi Donà delle Rose in 1964. The vision of the two brothers was that PORTOROTONDO would become a "milieu" of artists and intellectuals, and the first to respond to the invitation were the sculptors Andrea Cascella and Giancarlo Sangregorio, then came Mario Ceroli, Renato Guttuso, Emanuel Chapalain and many others. All have helped make PORTO ROTONDO one of the most elegant and picturesque vacation villages in the Mediterranean.
at your hotel / residence
guide fee, hotel pick-up and transportation to all sites mentioned for this excursion, water
Only available from 10th of May to 10th of October
We can’t recommend Matteo enough. He’s a very knowledgeable local with a wonderful energy. He picked us up in the north of the island and he curated a custom agenda for us based on our interests and our requested final destination in the south of the island. He was also flexible- helping us add and modify the agenda as ideas come up! We had an incredible day and arrived safely in the south of the island for part two of our trip. What an incredible way to see and learn more of the island, rather than just driving straight from point A to point B!
Thank you very much Kristy for this nice rating, where you describe, in a detailed way, a day which has been very pleasant also for me.