Porto Cervo (; ) is an Italian seaside resort in northern

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...

. It is a ''

frazione A ''frazione'' (plural: ) is a type of subdivision of a ''comune'' (municipality) in Italy, often a small village or hamlet outside the main town. Most ''frazioni'' were created during the Fascist era (1922–1943) as a way to consolidate territ ...

'' of the ''

comune The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...

'' of

Arzachena Arzachena (; sdn, Alzachèna; sc, Altzaghèna) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Sassari, northern Sardinia, the second largest island off the coast of Italy. Arzachena lies half way between the original Costa Smeralda resort and Port ...

, in the

province of Sassari The province of Sassari ( it, provincia di Sassari, sc, provìntzia de Tàtari, sdc, prubìnzia di Sàssari, ca, província de Sàsser, french: province de Sassari, co, pruvincia di Sassari) is a province in the autonomous island region of Sa ...

. Created by Prince

Karim Aga Khan Shāh Karim al-Husayni (born 13 December 1936), known by the religious title Mawlānā Hazar Imam by his Ismaili followers and elsewhere as Aga Khan IV, is the 49th and current Imam of Nizari Ismailis, a denomination within Shia Islam. He h ...

and various other investors, Porto Cervo is the main centre of

Costa Smeralda The Costa Smeralda (, ; sdn, Monti di Mola; sc, Montes de Mola) is a coastal area and tourist destination in northern Sardinia, Italy, with a length of some 20 km, although the term originally designated only a small stretch in the comm ...

. It has a resident population of 421 inhabitants. Porto Cervo has been named one of the most expensive resorts in the world, along as being a

luxury yacht A superyacht or megayacht is a large and luxurious pleasure vessel. There are no official or agreed upon definitions for such yachts, but these terms are regularly used to describe professionally crewed motor or sailing yachts, ranging from to ...

magnet and billionaires' playground.

History

The village itself was designed in the 1950–1960s by architects and landscape designers such as

Jacques Couelle Ancient and noble French family names, Jacques, Jacq, or James are believed to originate from the Middle Ages in the historic northwest Brittany region in France, and have since spread around the world over the centuries. To date, there are over ...

, Luigi Vietti and

Michele Busiri Vici Michele Busiri Vici (2 May 1894 – 4 February 1981) was an Italian architect and urban planner, belonging to the Busiri Vici (pronounced Booseeree Veechee) family of architects who have been active since the seventeenth century. A winner of the P ...

Geography

Porto Cervo lies in the northeastern corner of

, by the Tyrrhenian Coast, some km south of

La Maddalena La Maddalena (Gallurese: ''Madalena'' or ''La Madalena'', sc, Sa Madalena) is a town and ''comune'' located on the islands of the Maddalena archipelago in the province of Sassari, northern Sardinia, Italy. The main town of the same name is locat ...

island. It is from

, from

Olbia Olbia (, ; sc, Terranoa; sdn, Tarranoa) is a city and commune of 60,346 inhabitants (May 2018) in the Italian insular province of Sassari in northeastern Sardinia, Italy, in the historical region of Gallura. Called ''Olbia'' in the Roman age, ...

and from

Palau Palau,, officially the Republic of Palau and historically ''Belau'', ''Palaos'' or ''Pelew'', is an island country and microstate in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caro ...

The Port

Porto Cervo has a well-equipped marina consisting of two ports: The Old Port (Porto Vecchio) and the Modern Marina. The Porto Vecchio (old port) in the village of Porto Cervo and it was built in the 1960s as a fishing port. The modern marina lies to the west surrounded by the facilities of the marina village. Porto Cervo Marina has 700 berths, with 100 slips reserved for megayachts, and accepts reservations.

Tourism

Three luxury yachts - Lady Anne, Lady Moura and Pelorus

The village is located at the southern and eastern shore of the natural port, where there are shops, a newsagent, bars, restaurants and supermarkets. The other shores of the bay boast the old and the new marina. At the later is the club house of the exclusive

Yacht Club Costa Smeralda Yacht Club Costa Smeralda was established by the Aga Khan in 1967. It is situated at Porto Cervo in Costa Smeralda, northern Sardinia and provides services for recreational sailors. The club challenged for the 1983 America's Cup with ''Azzurra'' ...

. The end of the new marina holds a shipyard capable of repairing large luxury

yachts A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

. In a study released by the European luxury real estate brokerage, Romazzino Bay in Porto Cervo is the most expensive location in Europe. House prices reach up to 300,000 euros per square meter. In 2011 Costa Smeralda had the second, the 4th and the 6th most expensive hotels in the world, the Pitrizza, the Romazzino and the Cala di Volpe Hotel.The New Most Expensive Hotels In The World
/ref> In 2012 the Hotel Cala di Volpe, which is featured in the 1977

James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

film '' The Spy Who Loved Me'' is listed at number 7 on World's 15 most expensive hotel suites compiled by CNN Go in 2012. The presidential suite of the hotel billed at per night.

References

External links

Official website of the Consorzio Costa Smeralda

Official website of the Marina di Porto Cervo

{{Authority control Frazioni of the Province of Sassari Seaside resorts in Italy 1962 establishments in Italy Populated places established in 1962