Sardinia is an island that can be misleading. It may be small on the map but it is enormous when you visit it. Distances are not measured in kilometres but in countryside and experiences. When I accompany you on a tour of discovery of the island and I say that I do not know how much time a trip will take. Travellers are often surprised by this, but as soon as we set off everybody dives into the landscape and they understand what I mean. The distance between Pula and Portu Tramatzu, for example, is a little less than fifty kilometres and on paper could be travelled in about an hour. However, in practice it is a long succession of unforgettable panoramas that are very different from each other.

It is a real journey that begins with a natural garden of reeds, oleanders, eucalyptus and Aleppo pines that skirt the road, alternating with cultivated fields, orchards and prickly pears. We reach the Chia ponds where the pink flamingos are just a few metres from us. It is impossible not to stop to watch them and to be tempted by a walk to the long golden beach not far away. As we continue the climb up the rocky hills covered with Mediterranean scrub, the sea appears on the horizon. From here, the road runs along the coast and the succession of small beaches invites us to stop for a swim or a walk amongst rocks, sand and cliffs that are very different from one beach to another. There is no lack of paths amongst the vegetation to observe interesting volcanic rocks and ancient Aragonese towers that dominate the most suggestive points on the coast. Meanwhile time passes slowly, punctuated by the panorama that each one of us chooses to experience by swimming or walking, taking photos and observing according to our personal desires because every experience must be lived freely and unhurriedly.

Such a trip can only end with the most romantic and colourful daily show imaginable, the sunset over the sea. The wait will be paid off with powerful colours painted across the sky until everything turns golden as the sun sinks slowly behind the mountains of Capo Teulada. At the end of the day it is clear to everyone that how far we go does not matter, the only thing that matters are the emotions that we take the time to experience.