CondeNast writes about travel, and so shall I

SAR-DIN- EA. Sardegna to Italians, Sardinia to the rest of world, was one of the most beautiful places I'd ever been. Just west of Italy, South of France & Corsica, and North of Sicily, this isola is gentle mountains in the middle and Caribbean-esque beaches all around. It's highly recommended to anyone searching for under the radar, anti-Magaluf and has to be said rowdy Germans (is that racist?) holiday. Rich Italians flock to the Costa Smeralda with their grandiose yachts and the rest partake in the humble cities and towns that dot around.

Mr. Hewitt and I headed to Santa Teresa di Gallura, a fishing village located on the Northern coast. We flew into Olbia (£90 return with EasyJet) and rented a car to get to Santa Teresa (£210 for a week with Eurorent). Right off the bat, all roads are easily marked and Sardegnans drive at normal speed unlike their mainland counterparts. We arrived to Santa Teresa in about an hour. We drove down the only main road via Nazionale, where you can find your bancomat and a million grocers, and hit the main church which indicates the center of town.

La Contessa provided a surprisingly spacious, clean, flat decorated in classic, homey Italian furniture with a wrap around balcony. We had views of the hills & town, the bay with Torre Spagnola and a distant view of Corsica. We headed to Palm 2 for a decent meal and I devoured a massive cheesy calzone. Yes, that's right I shoved it right in. Well 3/4 of it. I spent the better half of May starving myself in preparation for this holiday and like Cameron Diaz in The Holiday I was here to eat carbs without wanting to kill myself.

Pizza from Pape Satan. Drooling thinking about this

Spiagga Rena Bianca, the main beach of Santa Teresa di Gallura, is a stunning bay where crystal clear, turquoise waters marry white sand.

The water is warm and still and grounded pink coral sand settles in the rivets down below which also waves through the shoreline. Pools of white fish swim about and you can snorkel anywhere and everywhere. You might catch site of blue baby swordfish or scarier, a red jellyfish.

Sardegna and it's coastlines are made for exploring and that's exactly what Mr. Hewitt and I did every other day. The highlight were hidden coves and private beaches waiting to be discovered.

We went to one of the most beautiful beaches in Italy La Pelosa, a two hour drive west. Known for its powdery white sand, La Pelosa is marked by an ancient tower and harboring islands. The best bit was that it's shallow, shallow, shallow, shallow and then bang your in a 30-50ft coral reef drop. Pretty cool and really scary to find yourself suddenly in open water.

All in all, it was absolutely amazing. I couldn't get reception on my crackberry & no internet cafe's in site. The perfect place to totally disconnect, admire Italian men in their speedos and bake yourself on the beach.

Before...

After

LJ