Sardinia: our beloved land

If the call of the beautiful Sardinian sea is irresistible, go to Arbatax in Ogliastra, in the heart of Sardinia, aland rich in traditions, history, ancient olive trees and vineyards located on the slopes of Gennargentu mountains, where the air smells of myrtle and rosemary, a wild and uncontaminated landscape, where you can find the fine sand and clear blue sea of Orrì and Cea.  This explains why it is considered to be one of the most fascinating areas in the world and has been chosen as the set of many films.

Villagrande Strisaili is located just 3 km from  Hotel Orlando and is one of the four places in the world along with Japan, Greece and Costa Rica, with the Guinness World Record of centenarians. What do Villagrande Strisaili and Hasegawa have in common? They share a record: the Sardinian village has got the Guinness World Record in male longevity while the Japanese center has got the female one. The causes are to be found without doubt in food quality, physical activity, outdoor life, water, genetics, healthy lifestyle, ability to cope with stress, facing life with optimism, spirituality and quality of social interactions. Obviously all this is present in Villagrande Strisaili; you will easily meet older women in the village who daily wear “sa hunnedda”,  the traditional costume.

Tortolì is situated about 19 km from the Hotel where in addition to the white sand and the magical colors of the sea of Orrì, Cea and Porto Frailis, you can visit the picturesque Red Rocks of Arbatax, big cliffs of red porphyry that draw a landscape of incomparable beauty. Its coastline, one of the most magic places of the Tyrrhenian Coast, is a marine protected area with diving sites of extraordinary interest. Walking through the historical centre of Tortolì, you can go shopping in the elegant shops of the main road.

Lanusei is a charming village 8 km from the Hotel and 16 km from the sea of Cea, white sandy beach with Mediterranean scrub and red granite cliffs. Here you can visit the astronomical observatory of Monte Armidda, the giants’ tombs in the archaeological park of Selene forest and Mario Delitala’s paintings exposed in Santa Maria Maddalena’s Cathedral.

A must-visit is the Tacchi of Ulassai, limestone plateaus with steep sides that resemble upturned heels (tacco means heel in Italian) also present in the territories of Osini, Jerzu, Ussassai, Gairo and Tertenia (25 km from the Hotel). The town of Ulassai which hosts the famous and unique “Su Marmuri” caves, is known and appreciated for the ancient work at the loom and also for its “pane pintau” or “pane e coia”, the so-called expertly decorated white bread used for weddings. It has also become famous for being Maria Lai’s birthplace, renowned artist and author of special paintings that adorn and enrich the walls of the houses, a real attraction for visitors.

At 20 minutes from the Hotel Orlando, placed in a hilly and mountainous area, there is  Baunei which has a splendid combination of sea and impressive limestone mountains. The village has a mountainous background but actually it is not far from the beautiful coastline such as Pedra Longa, Capo Montesanto, Portu Petrosu, Cala Biriola, Cala Goloritze, Cala Mariolu and Cala Sisine, reachable on foot or by boats that depart from the beautiful village of Santa Maria Navarrese that has as background not only the Supramonte mountains, but also a crystal clear sea, in whose waters it is located the Isolotto d’ Ogliastra (a splendid mass of granite porphyry 47 meters high)

 
Check prices and availability
Arrival
Departure