Romazzino, A Belmond Hotel, Costa Smeralda

Set directly on Romazzino Bay, the hotel keeps its own stretch of white sand below the main building, reached by a short path down from the terrace. The mood dates to the 1960s and the hotel leans into it: retro-modern furniture in the main restaurant, a cigar area and live music at the Ginepro Bar, striped loungers and cabanas on the beach. Rooms range from standard doubles to suites and villas, several with direct sea views over the bay. Restaurant La Terrasse serves Sardinian and Italian cooking under a panoramic view of the water, while Éntu e Mari puts grilled seafood a few steps from the waves. There are two pools, one quieter and saltwater facing the sea, the other livelier and given over to families and homemade ice cream. A tennis court runs lessons from May to October. You can walk the Pevero trail from the hotel gate, a 13 km route through Mediterranean scrub to smaller, quieter bays. Boats leave from the coast for La Maddalena archipelago, and bikes, e-bikes, and a Fiat 500 are all on offer for exploring Gallura inland, where a Neolithic archaeological park sits near Arzachena. It is a compact, self-contained stay, built around its own bay rather than the wider coast.