HEART OF SARDINIA

countryside living - Sardinian style

Are you familiar with

countryside living in Sardinia?

There's waking up

to sunny days

Terraces and balconies open up to the lovely sound of nature

having breakfast

on patios in the garden

tasting delicious

traditional food

exploring

the surroundings

walking, bicycling, kayaking, or riding on land rovers

or relaxing

and sunbathing

then summer

outdoor dining

Dine open air in an ancient courtyard nestled between olive trees and the aromatic herbs garden

and romantic nights

with candles and scented baths

MYSTICAL SPRING

A stone throw away from the hotel you can explore Italy's biggest karstic spring. The water gushes up after hollowing its way out through the rock between rough walls reflected in a deep pool.

Video: Fonte di Su Gologone – Sardegna by Paolo Terraneo | Pictures: Su Gologone Experience Hotel

COUNTRYSIDE LIVING IN SARDINIA

Ever since Madonna and Guy Ritchie lived at this enchanting retreat while filming Swept Away (2002), celebrities, fashion models and discerning tourists have been flocking to Su Gologone.

Why? Because it’s the only place where you can live and breathe the authentic Sardinian life. You can use the hotel as your camp base to plan your exploration of the island. Or you can simply take it easy and move by foot taking in the art and colours of this microcosm of aromatic perfumes and revitalising energy. Indeed, the hotel itself is worth exploring.

THE HOTEL

Imagine high white rocky mountains and green hills covered in vineyards and orchards. Right there in between the two you’ll find Su Gologone.

SARDINIAN SOUL

Shepherds’ cabins have been carefully upgraded and expanded to host comfortable rooms and colourful suites. All of them have kept their original Sardinian flair.

Hand-woven tapestries, plaids, and curtains in each room are paired with vases, paintings, and other decorations coming from the expert hands of local artisans. Other pieces are collectors’ items and antiques coming from small villages nearby.

GARDEN

The gardens are as much part of the hotel as the rooms. You’ll find beautiful geranium gardens, patios under centenarian olive trees, herb gardens, fruit orchards, tall pine trees, and lounge bars amid blue and pink hydrangeas.

In fact, you can relax in a different kind of garden every day of the week. Every time feeling like you are in a completely different place.

HEART OF SARDINIA

At Su Gologone you can bathe in the sun on one of the private terraces, lie peacefully in a hammock, have a drink in one of the lounge bars, or read a book in the flower garden. However, should you feel inclined to explore the region, there are a few half-day trips you might enjoy.

Small villages like Oliena resound to the lively and poetic sounds of the Sardinian language – very different from Italian and similar in many ways to ancient Latin. You can hear it spoken by its inhabitants exactly as 1.000 years ago. Here and there you might even see old women wearing the artistic costumes of the local ancestral tradition.

Strolling down the streets of Orgosolo is another great way of exploring. The town is surrounded by one of the most spectacular landscapes of Sardegna and its mountains of pure granite stones remind the Dolomites.

Prepare to be fascinated by more than 150 giant colourful paintings adorning the houses of centre town and recalling many historical vicissitudes of the Sardinian population.

SARDINIAN FOOD

Sardinian cuisine expresses a simple approach to life. You can taste it imbued in its cheeses, spit-roasted meats, pane carasau, handmade pasta, olive oil and distinctive wines.

At Su Gologone, mealtimes are saturated with the fragrances and flavours of Barbagia. Breakfast is a delectable offering of Oliena honey, conserves, cheeses and charcuterie, as well as homemade breads and pastries.

Lunch and dinner are laced with the local character too. Savour maccarones de busa (handmade bucatini) and culurgiones (ravioli filled with local ricotta), porcetto allo spiedo (spit-roasted suckling piglet), and seadas al miele (honey fritters).

A-LA-CARTE RESTAURANT

Su Gologone’s restaurant is spread across a terrace with stunning views and rooms decorated with original and rare Sardinian art and crafts. The scent of meat slowly roasting over an open fire is bound to entice you in.

Choose one of classic Sardinian dishes from a comprehensive a-la-carte menu. Every item is locally sourced, much of the produce coming directly from the hotel’s farm and vegetable garden.

NIDO DEL PANE

Su Gologone’s Nido del Pane (‘bread nest’) is where you can learn how Sardinian women, dressed in typical Oliena fashion, have been making bread for centuries. They’ll prepare different local specialities including pane carasau (a crisp, wafer-thin flatbread). When it’s ready, keep in mind it’s for sharing among everyone.

Glass displays across the Nido del Pane illustrate Sardinia’s breads: those made for special occasions, those dedicated to the saints, and even play breads that were baked for children to play with.

CORTE DE SU RE

In the Corte De Su Re (King’s Court), time really has stood still. The bricks used for the floor and the stone columns date from the 17th century; the wooden tables are adorned with typical Sardinian panniers; and the vibrantly coloured plates are made of enamelled iron.

Between June and September, two evenings a week (or on request for parties), guests are invited to immerse themselves in Sardinia’s culinary traditions: the ancient rustic techniques used to bake bread and spit-roast meat. You’ll be welcomed by candlelight, walking on a carpet of wild herbs that imparts an intense perfume.

MAGICO TABLAO LOUNGE BAR

Guests and locals – everyone loves to meet here. Designed by artist Giovanna Palimodde, it’s an enchanting place to sip an aperitif and try some Sardinian artichoke and wild cardoon antipasti while looking over the rocky mountains.

Another great time to come here is after dinner for a digestif. You can choose among 15 different grappas (Sardinian alcoholic drink) and several local liqueurs made from herbs and berries.

Once a week (usually Friday or Saturday), you’ll be treated to canti a tenores, the polyphonic Sardinian folk singing recognised by Unesco as an important aspect of the world’s cultural heritage.

WINE TASTING

The wines are so good that even Gabriele D’Annunzio – one of Italy’s most renowned poets – lauded them as a reason to never want to drink anything else.

Get inspired too by trying for yourself the dense savoury red wines like the Nepente of Oliena. Let Sardinian meat, cheese and vegetables accompany your tasting sessions.

CLASSIC AND DELUXE ROOMS

All of the rooms feature Sardinian furnishings, with bright colours that stand out against the characteristic white Sardinian wall paint and the dark terracotta tiles. If you have ever heard of colour therapy, here you have the chance of experiencing its soothing and regenerating effects.

Some rooms feature a four-poster bed, made from iron or wood, as was customary at one time in the local homes. You’ll just need to light a few candles and you’ll feel miles away from the rest of the world.

SHEPHERD’S ROOMS

That’s how they call the two suites and two bedrooms that have built-in beds, white-resin floors and juniper-wood beams that run along the ceiling.

All of the fabrics used are those of the shepherding tradition: orbace (a woollen fabric produced through an age-old process), as well as hide and Sardinian wool. The wooden furnishings have been hand carved by local cabinet-makers.

The garden features artistic cut-outs depicting shepherds returning from grazing their flocks. They were handmade by Liliana Cano – one of the greatest Sardinian artists of the 20th century.

Shepherds would have loved these rooms. You might do too.

JUNIOR AND ART SUITES

At Su Gologone you’ll find 11 suites and 12 junior suites, each dedicated to a great 20th-century Sardinian artist, including Francesco Ciusa (considered the island’s finest sculptor), Federico Melis, Giuseppe Biasi and Edina Altara.

The rooms feature traditional (often period) furnishings, authentic designer pieces, art books and precious embroidery created by the skilled hands of the women of Oliena. You will be surrounded by Sardinian art for your whole stay.

The bigger suites all have a garden terrace with an outdoor bathtub. The whirlpool has been left out so that you can fully immerse yourself in the sounds of nature with no whirl detracting from it.

Many gardens also offer a large relaxation area with table games of the past. Feeling like a Sardinian checkers game while breathing the scents of herbs?

ART STUDIO SUITE

This room was originally the atelier of Giovanna Palimodde, owner of Su Gologone and talented painter.

Because of the beauty and the energy of the space, which has its own private rose garden, she felt she couldn’t keep this special corner of peace and tranquility, just steps from the swimming pool, to herself and so she has decided to share her atelier with guests who would like to paint or do something creative while on holiday at Su Gologone.

You can find paintings, sculptures and other works of art in rooms, common areas and, of course, in the Botteghe d’Arte (The Art and Craft Studio) but the Atelier offers a new way to experience art at the hotel.

Its explosion of colours is perfectly complemented by the assortment of brushes, canvas, coloured pencils and paper and easel, placed at the disposal of guests. This is the perfect place for you to indulge in your artistic vein.

The Atelier is a private house inside the hotel’s gardens. The en-suite bedroom can be shut off behind sliding doors and comes with all modern comforts such as a 40” TV, CD player, iPad and free wifi. Additional amenities include a Nespresso coffee maker, an ironing kit and a beach bag containing sunscreen, towels and a straw hat. After all, the swimming pool is just a stone throw away.

Ever felt like bathing under the stars in total privacy? You can do that in the outdoor bathtub.

Round-the-clock butler service, private dinners in the rose garden and a 24 hours a day babysitter can be arranged upon request.

EXPERIENCES

What kind of experiences can you expect at Su Gologone? Well, let see:

Reading a book in one of the private gardens, perhaps hanging comfortably from a hammock overlooking the green hills;

Go swimming in the pool filled with the water coming from the Su Gologone spring, Italy’s biggest karstic spring and National Monument;

Enjoy relaxing massages at the Spa;

Learn how to make pasta and bread;

Sip local wines and taste the local cuisine;

Listen to Sardinian live singing – it’s not pop songs but rather traditional singing following an ancient tradition recognised by Unesco as a precious world heritage;

Choose any of the dozen herbs in the garden and have the cuisine prepare an infusion for you;

Stargaze at night;

Play minigolf;

Go wandering, or trekking, or mountain biking, or climbing;

Go kayaking on the nearby Cedrino river;

Relax in the cactus garden;

Sunbath in one of the private terraces;

Shop for local art in the hotel’s boutiques;

Enjoy morning yoga or reiki;

Explore the beaches close by – the nearest is in Cala Gonone just 25 km from the hotel;

Explore some of the most interesting archaeological sites of Sardinia – just a short distance away;

Try to read books in Sardinian language at the hotel’s Sardinian library;