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Romazzino: Sardinia’s Latest Unknown Gem

Romazzino: Sardinia’s Latest Unknown Gem

Travel
November 1, 2024
Written By
Laurie Melchionne
Photography
Romazzino, A Belmond Hotel
The villa is such a defining image of Italian living that the language has its own word: villeggiare. Reminiscent of viaggiare, to travel, villeggiare means “to holiday in a country villa.” Slow mornings in the countryside. A terracotta patio overlooking the sea. Vacationing in the slow, Italian way that values nature’s simplicity and the appreciation of simply existing. This vacation category has its own term in Italian tourism: “villeggiatura.”

This is what you’ll find at Romazzino, Belmond’s all-new villa resort in Porto Cervo, Sardinia’s stunning island town. With a grand opening this past May, Romazzino redefines slow living on Sardinia’s Costa Smeralda (Emerald Coast). 

Your Sardinian Move-in Day

While a range of luxurious suites and rooms are offered, Romazzino’s undeniable stars are its signature villas.

Villa Liscia Ruja, named after Costa Smeralda’s longest stretch of turquoise coast, is a mansion for the luxury-loving escapist. Furnished with handcrafted Sardinian wood pieces and bright, coastal palettes synonymous with the island’s natural beauty, Liscia Ruja has five bedrooms, each with private verandas and bathrooms. Plush king-sized beds fill three of the bedrooms, while the fourth offers a twin bed and the fifth features an elegant French bed. Replete with private sea views from every window, guests revel in a bespoke paradise as they spend their days at the villa’s private pools, lush tropical gardens, and quiet, secluded spaces. 

The rest of the villas, named after Sardinia’s most beloved beaches—Capriccioli, Marinella, Granu, Pevero, and Petra Ruja—feature three bedrooms, private pools framed by fragrant greenery, and curving, organic stucco walls synonymous with the Romazzino summer-white curb appeal. 

The Romazzino and Smeralda Suites, a serene oasis facing Porto Cervo’s glittering bay, showcases Sardinian wood furnishings, a spacious, sun-worshiping terrace, and a cheery interior that shimmers with the natural turquoise, teals, and sands of Sardinia’s iconic shores. 

Sardinian Savoring

Sardinian cuisine is typically overlooked on the Italian culinary itinerary. That’s why Romazzino embraces the unique taste buds of its home, with three on-site dining experiences to choose from. 

La Terrasse: For chic dining, head to the main hotel’s building and book a reservation at La Terrasse. Decorated with a contemporary interior, La Terrasse offers a menu of Sardinian sophistication. Delicate starters scavenge Porto Cervo’s natural foodstuffs, like the Signature Violet Prawn with peach, fermented radish, pickled shallot, watermelon, and strawberry gazpacho. For il primo piatto, the menu’s pasta and rice category offers unique Mediterranean flavors like Malloreddus with Courgettes, yellow datterino tomato marinade with rosemary and burrata, and Fusilloni with Tumeric, marinated red prawns, and avocado. Entrees include elevated dishes like Tomato Couscous, roasted aubergine, pumpkin flower with tofu and almond cream; Pavè Sea Bass, tomato crust, friggitello sweet peppers, sage broth; and Turbot Fillet, burnt rosemary, pompia lemon, Salina capers, olives, courgette scapece. 

Éntu E Mari: Nothing says Italian summer like a beach grill. Located right on Romazzino’s private beach, Éntu E Mari’s diverse culinary offerings include Lunch, Dinner, and Dessert menus. 

Beach Bar: Skirt the crowds at the Beach Bar, a secluded cocktail bar for drinks, aperitifs, and sandy feet. Start your day with a cappuccino at the bay’s glittering shore, or welcome sunset with a fruity glass like Capaccia, vodka, peach tree, bitter pompia, and orange juice. Savor curated snacks like the chicken poke, Sardinian provola cheeseburger with Tropea onion, or prosciutto and mozzerella rocket-stuffed schiacciata flatbread. 

The Ginepro Bar: Sip Romazzino’s nostalgic 60s glamor. The Ginepro Bar pulses with live music and hums amidst the seductive smoke of its cigar lounge. Crafted specialty cocktails reflect the colors, tastes, and aromas of Sardinia’s sunrise, with Sardinian botanicals, island-produced gin, and the compatible sweets and sours of fruits and citrus. This flavor palette manifests in the menu’s star cocktail: Romazzino’s Pink Sunrise with Gin Macchia, Aperol, Cointreau, grapefruit juice, and strawberry syrup. Each drink is carefully paired with delicacies like Golfo Aranci Amberjack Tartare with mixed salad and green apple. Gourmet bites like the Romazzino Club Sandwich, with Sardinian suckling pig bacon and Camoni tomatoes, and the Signature Mezzi Paccheri Pasta, with cherry tomatoes with rosemary and mozzarella, arrange a plate of natural ingredients straight from local gardens. Finish off aperitivo with a sweet treat like the Strawberry Tart with lemon cream and almond ice cream, or the Creamy Tiramisu. 

The Pool Bar: This poolside hub is an oasis of tranquility, offering sips and snacks between swims. Housemade gelato, pizza, seafood, and from-the-land starters pair perfectly with signature and traditional cocktails, wines, and beers that melt under the Sardinian sun. 

Island Time Wellness

At the spa, regenerative rituals of Vitamin C, Natura Bissé, and 3D collagen Shock, heal the skin, body, and mind after a long day of swimming, hiking, and exploration. Personal fitness trainers are available at the open-air, oceanfront gym, assisting your fitness goals for full-circle wellness in Sardinia. 

Sardinian Adventure

While Romazzino is a haven of slow-living, Costa Smeralda is meant to be explored. The dedicated concierge does the work for you, cultivating bespoke itineraries that let you discover the island’s natural beauty—the side tourists usually forget. Don’t know where to start? Flip through the activities brochure for complimentary excursions. 

A weekly schedule of activities includes private tennis matches, mixology masterclasses, morning water sports in the sea, hiking along the majestic Pevero Health Trail, and garden yoga. Private boat trips allow guests to island hop like ancient seafarers, taking a day to marvel at the Island of Maddalena and the La Maddalena Archipelago National Park. Plunge into the crystal clear bays of Spargi, Budelli, Caprera, and Cala Coticcio. The voyage reveals a secret whispered only among seafarers: a secluded restaurant accessible only by boat. 

The activities only flourish from here. Tour 6,000 year-old Neolithic ruins with the guides of Gallura’s Archaeological Park of Arzachena. Wine tastings, helicopter tours, bike tours, and Fiat 500 drives around the island keep guests busy, entertained, and pampered for any vacation style. 

Romazzino officially opened its doors on May 27 and closed for the season on September 29. It will reopen on May 30, 2025. Rooms start at 703 € per night, breakfast included. 

To learn more, visit belmond.com/hotels/europe/italy/costa-smeralda/belmond-romazzino/

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