“There’s a reason why wealthy people have colonized the Northeast of Sardinia and not another area, and called it the Emerald Coast” tells me a Sardinian friend. The reason lies a few miles north, a scattering of islands in a frenzy of green and blue.

“They spend their holidays on their boats and yachts; they come ashore on the Costa Smeralda only to dine in luxury restaurants in Olbia and Porto Rotondo, and during the day they move to La Maddalena”. And occupy all the best spots. The good news is that you don’t need a yacht to visit this magical archipelago on the top northeastern corner of Sardinia.