Sardinia is an Italian island feted for its fabulous Mediterranean beaches. How, then, did my visit there involve not one grain of sand between my toes, nor a single seaside sunset?
Blame Su Gologone.
The decades-old property, nestled in the rustic mountains of Sardinian’s Barbagia region, lured me into a fairy tale-like world that proved nothing short of magical—then trapped me there, bewitched. Was it the ancient olive trees and vineyards hanging off the limestone cliffs of the Supramonte Mountains, so magnificent they seem to have lives of their own? The geraniums, hydrangeas, bougainvillea and prickly pears at every turn? The sheer whimsy of the eclectic décor, creating a setting that feels like a Salvador Dali painting? It was all the above—but the main ingredient was Sardinia itself, perfectly encapsulated in a boutique hotel that is now one of my all-time local-meets-luxury favorites. Here’s why.
ROOMS In the 1960s, eccentric art collector Peppeddu Palimodde began serving local cuisine in a house beside the Su Gologone spring. This became Oliena’s first restaurant, so popular it morphed into a small hotel—so popular it organically grew into an ever-evolving 70-room property for those seeking a more off-the-beaten-path, authentic experience of Sardinia. His effervescent daughter Giovanna, also an artist, put her mark on the place, transforming the hotel into an Alice in Wonderland-style experience, where delightful design surprises lie at at every turn. Room furnishings and materials—juniper wood, terracotta and inlaid plaster—are all local. There are myriad room styles and themed special suites: Country Suites have a view of the Herb Garden and an outside lounge with a private tub; the brand-new Wild Suite features a telescope for star gazing, an open-air bed warmed by a firepit, a sink nestled in a fig tree and an open-air Jacuzzi; the Art Studio Suite, where I stayed, pays homage to what was once Giovanna’s studio by devoting an entire room to canvas and brushes, which I was actually inspired to make creative use of.
GROUNDS I clocked in morning hours at the refreshing spring-water pool, then made my way up the hill to luxuriate in Su Gologne’s many mini-worlds, all of which host an array of guest experiences, from cooking classes to stargazing and outdoor cinema. There’s an American Southwest-flavored Tex Willer Garden dedicated to Aurelio Galleppini, the Sardinian-born creator of the Italian comic strip Tex. A vegetable and herb garden beckons with scents of rosemary and thyme. At the Nido del Pane (Bread Nest), a group of guests was being schooled in the art of Sardinian bread making, while the fabulously funky Botteghe D'Arte (Art and Craft Studio) was buzzing with craft lovers and visitors learning jewelry making and embroidery. I found my bliss, though, on the property’s two terraces. The purple Terrance of Dreams became my sunrise yoga locale and daytime meditation zone, delivering a glorious mountain view and the most delectable silence I’ve ever heard. In time for sunset, I settled into the green cushions of the Terrace of Wishes, where I wrote my wish on a piece of paper and stuffed it into the jars provided. As if all of that weren’t relaxing enough, a small spa features two massage rooms and various treatment options.
EAT Like so much of Italy, Su Gologne seduces with scent. As I made my way to breakfast my first morning, I stopped in my tracks: What. Is. That. Smell? It was, I discovered as I turned the corner and spied the open fire pit beside the kitchen, spit-roasted suckling piglet; I instantly began counting the hours until I could put this divine scent in my mouth—and declare it the most flavorful, fresh, succulent piece of pork I’d ever met. Everything I ate at Su Gologone, in fact, was perfect—and perfectly local, including the lovely Nepente di Oliena red wine that accompanied my every meal. There was handmade ravioli with local ricotta, more spit-roasted meats, pane carasau (homemade local crackers), maccarones de busa (handmade bucatini) and a breakfast spread with a dazzling variety of homemade cheeses and jams.
DRINK Magico Tablao, the hotel’s mountainside grotto-like bar, beckons with 15 grappas, most of which are Sardinian, as well as local liqueur made from herbs and berries and once-a-week Sardinian folk concerts. But the real magic at work here is nature’s doing: During sunset the limestone mountains turn a surreal shade of pink and the whole place feels bathed in fairy dust. Sugologone.it
