The 5-star in Santa Teresa Gallura ranks among the jewels of hospitality in Europe, offering a holiday that’s unforgettable. This is according to readers of the prestigious American magazine, Condé Nast Traveler.
It’s the Readers’ Choice Awards 2023 that marks the latest accolade for the Valle dell’Erica Resort, the “Dream” of the Delphina hotels & resorts collection.
Selected among the top 25 Resorts in Europe, the award from Condé Nast Traveler is the result of meticulous selection by the American magazine, which over twelve months identified the hotels and resorts that made its readers’ travels unforgettable. It’s one of the most coveted recognitions in the travel sector, the result of an analysis of numerous criteria including service quality, food, and the atmosphere experienced within the resort.
Nestled in a 28-hectare mediterranean park and overlooking the International Park of the Strait of Bonifacio, Valle dell’Erica Resort is a true oasis of peace and natural beauty, with a 180-degree view of the La Maddalena and south Corsica Archipelagos. The Resort is not just an exceptional place to stay but also a perfect destination for special moments like honeymoons or weddings, thanks to its enchanting location and exclusive services such as the “Le Thermae” Thalasso Centre & SPA.
A place where nature, comfort, sustainability, and hospitality merge to create a 360-degree wellness experience among vast green spaces, beaches, and secluded coves with fine white sand, prestigious rooms, and suites furnished with local materials.
The Condé Nast Traveller award adds to a long list of accolades obtained by the Valle dell’Erica Resort. The typical mediterranean hospitality, love for Gallura and nature, together with a commitment to environmental sustainability through the We Are Green® protocol, are at the heart of Delphina’s philosophy and have allowed the Valle dell’Erica Resort to be elected the “Best Green Resort in Europe” at the World Travel Awards for five consecutive years.
It has smashed box offices worldwide and made children of all ages dream: The Little Mermaid has long left Andersen’s fairy tale world to come alive in the crystal-clear waters of Northern Sardinia.
“The water is the bluest I’ve ever seen, and the rock formations are the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. We discovered Sardinia in our dreams before going there,” declared John Myhre, the set designer of Disney’s new live-action film “The Little Mermaid.”
A landscape of wild beauty that, after enchanting the Hollywood cast and crew of Walt Disney’s live-action film, has left the whole world breathless: Mermaid Rock, Ariel’s beach, the castle. All locations to discover along the coast between Santa Teresa Gallura and Castelsardo, close to the Valle dell’Erica Resort.
Visiting the Mini Club at the Valle dell’Erica Resort also means being amazed by a mermaid who emerges from the sea right in front of the children’s eyes, waving her tail. And for the sweetest moments, tail-shaped cookies that they can decorate with colored icing. To conclude the day, songs and dances together with Triton and the Little Mermaid. And still, costumes, braided hair, and marine-themed nail polish to make them feel like mermaids for a night.
Queen Soraya fell in love with it, pirates have made it their lair, an ancient wreck lies in its depths. Uninhabited, facing the Resort Valle dell’Erica, Spargi looks like the enchanted island dreamt of by children of all ages.
A natural paradise rich in history and stories that have made it famous over the centuries, offering delightful little sandy coves and rugged wild coasts, underwater worlds to explore and rare animal species that have chosen it as their home. Spargi, with its approximately four square kilometres is the third largest island of the La Maddalena Archipelago, a pearl of rare beauty with its Spargiotto island and its Spargiottello rock.
In short, there is lots to discover on Spargi: to reach it, choose one of the excursions that leave from the resort and spend unforgettable days relaxing among the most beautiful bays on the island, looking out over views that you will find it hard to forget.
Now you know what to look for, we’ll tell you a few curious facts about some of the people who loved and lived on the island.
As well as the Romans, pirates crossed the waters to Spargi. It is certainly no coincidence that Cala Corsara is so called, in fact it seems that its name is due to the den of pirates who frequented the cove and its four “Caribbean” beaches.
At the end of the 19th century, a supposed bandit named Nino Berretta hid out in the midst of the wild and inaccessible natural vegetation of the interior and brought his whole family to stay there when his innocence was proven.
If the queen of Persia, the beautiful Soraya, fell in love with the colours of Cala Soraya, a slightly less credible noble decided to find accommodation on the island. In fact, Giovanni Catogno, known as Rampazzo, settled in the military fort of Cala Corsara. A character straight out of folklore, he proclaimed himself Count of Spargi.
The Northern coast of Sardinia is one of the most beautiful on the island and this historical-naturalistic tour around Santa Teresa Gallura should not be missed.
If the beaches (especially in the Santa Teresa Gallura area) boast numerous awards and blue flags, then the historical and natural resources and the places of interest in Northern Sardinia that will enhance your holidays on the island are no less fascinating.
If you want to spend a day doing something different, or have a change from the beaches and relaxing in the hotel by taking gentle strolls through the wonderful natural setting, here are some ideas on things to do and excursions to enjoy in order to live Sardinia to the full:
If instead you want to immerse yourself in nature and go trekking in Northern Sardinia, you are in the right place! 2 kms from the city centre is the SCI (site of community importance ) of Capo Testa, which due to its special characteristics is one of the places in Santa Teresa Gallura not to be missed.
Starting from the “Parco di Punta Cuntessa” you are immersed in the Mediterranean landscape where a well-tended network of paths frequented by turtles and hares and bathed in the scents of lentisk and juniper will lead you to the old military batteries that date back to World War II.
Crossing the isthmus of the Levante and Ponente beaches at Capotesta, the Corsican cliffs are the backdrop to the oldest lighthouse in Santa Teresa Gallura which is a good 23 metres high. You go to the west of the small peninsula through the valley of granite rocks more commonly known as Valle della Luna (Valley of the Moon). This is an enchanting place that can only be reached by following difficult tracks that are perfect for trekking along the coast and which are scented by heather and juniper.
A place of silence and peace, occasionally livened up by visitors following the Hippy philosophy and where the wild Sardinian nature can be seen in all its extraordinary beauty.
There is no shortage of remains of the mysterious Nuraghic civilization! For enthusiasts and the simply curious, the nuraghic site of the Giants tomb of Lu Brandali is near Santa Teresa. This is a very important archaeological site in Gallura that dates back to the Bronze Age and in which numerous artifacts and fragments of pottery have been found.
You walk through scented local vegetation, between past and present, between sea and land. A little corner of Paradise in Northern Sardinia able to reward you with priceless experiences and unique encounters, beyond the beach and the sea.
