The Blue Zone: Sardinia - 27 giugno, 2014

Many of the Italians we know have told us that Sardegna is their favorite place to vacation so we decided to check it out for ourselves.  Our friend Lauren was visiting us so she joined Dave and me as we caught a Friday evening flight on a discount airline (Ryanair) for the hour and half trip. Sardinia (as it is known in English) is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and is roughly the size of the state of Minnisota. We landed at the airport in Cagliari in the southeast corner of the island and since relaxation was the goal of this three day weekend trip, we didn't see much of the island beyond a 30 km radius of our hotel.  We found out quickly that the beautiful coastline, beaches and turquoise waters are what people love about this place and we couldn't agree more.

We stayed at a hotel that once was a monastery (Il Monastero in Geremeas) located in the hills a few kilometers from the beach. It was rustic and simple; meals were served under a pergola pool-side. The chaise lounges and hammocks tempted us to hang out there all day but the true reward was found when we went in search of the beaches.  In the region of Sardinia where we were, it appears that almost all of the coastline is wild and natural except for the occasional beach every mile or so that is reached by walking down trails from roadside parking spots. There are areas closer to resort areas that have concessions that rent umbrellas and beach chairs and have a snack bar but still we saw very little commercial development at the water's edge.

This area also has a protected marine environment and the water is startlingly clear. The colors of azure, green, blue, and turquoise are mesmerizing as you can see fish swimming by your feet in shoulder deep water. The coast line is rocky and several beach areas had a narrow isthmus that we could cross to climb up on small offshore islands. We took a sailboat trip along the coast and the captain told us the nearest landmass to us at that point was Tunisia in Northern Africa.

                                               

Sardinia has been identified as a primary "Blue Zone" in a book by Dan Buettner. He wrote about research that was done there by Gianni Pes and Michel Poulain that discovered a high concentration of males over the age of 100. Five regions including Sardinia,  Okinawa, Japan,  Nicoya Penisula in Costa Rica, Icaria, Greece, and (Seventh-day Adventists in) Loma Linda, California were found to be areas of extreme longevity.  The shared characteristics of people in these cultures include having family life as a priority, constant moderate physical activity,  a healthy diet, a low smoking rate and positive social engagement.  

Just staring at the water made me feel like my stress level was decreasing and that I was going to live longer. Unfortunately, Monday afternoon arrived and we had to head back to the airport for the trip home. But now I know that Sardinia truly is a magical, beautiful place to which I definitely hope to return.