By lunchtime, the Sardinian sun is warm rather than fierce, with the thermometer hovering at a comfortable 25C. I’m seated at Bioaquam, the open-air restaurant at the Conrad hotel within Chia Laguna Resort, where a waiter has just filled my glass with a chilled Vermentino — the bright, easy-drinking white wine made from a grape that thrives across the island.
‘Salute!’ I say, lifting the glass in thanks. The waiter smiles and answers with words unfamiliar to me: ‘A kent’annos!’
Noticing my puzzled expression, he offers the translation: ‘May you live to 100!’
It is a charming toast — and, in Sardinia, not quite as fanciful as it sounds. The island, lying just south of Corsica, is one of the original so-called Blue Zones, alongside Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture, the Greek island of Ikaria and Nicoya in Costa Rica.
Sardinia earned that distinction in 1999, when researchers identified an unusually large number of residents living beyond 100. Curious about what underpins such remarkable longevity, I put the question to Giuseppe Fornillo, the hotel’s genial manager.
‘There are a number of factors,’ he says, ‘including a more relaxed lifestyle and a lack of stress.’
Laura Millar visits Chia Laguna Resort’s Conrad hotel in Sardinia, Italy, to find out how locals on the island regularly live to 100
Sardinia, which sits just south of Corsica, is an original ‘Blue Zone’ (the others are Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture, the Greek island of Ikaria, and Nicoya, Costa Rica)
Guests at Chia Laguna can dine at any of the 13 restaurants within the resort, where almost every one has a selection of dishes marked with a Blue Zone symbol
The specific Blue Zone area on Sardinia is in the central Nuoro province, which until about 20 years ago was difficult to reach due to poor roads. The people who lived there had only their immediate community to rely on, kept active by working the land and only ate what they could grow.
That included grapes, so wine was a legitimate part of their regime. ‘The polyphenols contributed to their good health,’ adds Fornillo.
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The Chia Laguna Resort sits in a lush and untamed landscape known as the macchia mediterranea. This dense shrubland is home to evergreen plants whose scents mingle with salty sea breezes.
I’d been to Sardinia once before, staying on the Costa Smeralda – the glitzy northern coastline renowned for powder-soft beaches, turquoise waters and yacht-filled marinas.
The southern coast is more rugged. To get here from Cagliari airport, I drive through unassuming villages where children play in dusty squares and past lakes dotted with herons, warblers and dusky-pink flamingos.
By the time I arrive at the Conrad, I feel myself loosen up. The decor is pleasing to the eye with stone walls, colourful ceramics and contemporary art hung throughout.
The Chia Laguna Resort sits in a lush and untamed landscape known as the macchia mediterranea
The real gems, however, are the nearby beaches. Le Dune di Campana is named after the dramatic piles of sand which lie in undulating heaps, while the golden sands of Monte Cogoni stretch to the 16th century Chia Tower, perched above on a small hill.
After a heavenly sunrise one morning, I walk to the peak it sits on. I might not be working the land, but my muscles have certainly had a workout.
Special mention has to go to the food. Guests can dine at any of the 13 restaurants within the resort and almost every one has a selection of dishes marked with a Blue Zone symbol, indicating the use of longevity-approved ingredients.
These could include farro, an ancient grain served with courgette, tomatoes and capers. Or grilled prawns, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and chilli. Alongside all of this, of course, a glass of wine (or three) is crucial.
And thanks to Sardinia’s way of life, I’m looking forward to a 100th birthday telegram one day from King William…
● Flights from London to Cagliari from around £170 return (ba.com). Rooms at the Conrad, Chia Laguna, start from £232 per night, including breakfast (chialagunaresort.com).