The Costa Smeralda, stretching over some fifty-five kilometers of coastline in the Northeast of Sardinia, is a small paradise of lush vegetation and crystal-clear coves. Its name, in fact, comes as much from the greenery of the coastal landscape as from the transparent waters that shift in hue between blue and green.
This hotspot of luxury tourism is, however, a relatively recent creation. Once a wild land inhabited by shepherds, the area strikes a deep chord in the heart of Prince Karim Aga Khan, who, in 1961, decides to transform it into a playground for the rich and powerful.
At the time, he is just twenty-four years old – half English, half Portuguese, raised in Geneva, and a Harvard graduate. A true citizen of the world, he is part of an elite that he wants to welcome to a still-untouched and, therefore, exclusive coastline. He acquires 3,000 hectares of land to develop the area.
At a time when other coasts are being disfigured by the rapid rise of mass tourism, the Costa Smeralda is conceived as an enclave for a privileged few, where beauty would be preserved as the most precious asset.
Life here unfolds out of sight, both on land and at sea. Yachts are scattered across the coves of crystal-clear water, accessible only by boat, and the villas are peaceful, intimate havens, hidden by dense vegetation.
Porto Cervo, created ex nihilo, becomes the epicenter of this new playground, and the Costa Smeralda quickly becomes the favored destination of the rich and famous of the era – Jackie Kennedy, Princess Margaret of England, Grace Kelly, and Brigitte Bardot, to name but a few.
One might eventually lament the artificial nature of Porto Cervo, but what remains is a stunning coastline, still wild, vibrant in color, and dotted with islands.
July 31, 2026
