It is afternoon and the temperature is pleasant: 25 degrees. I’m in Bioaquam, the outdoor restaurant in the Conrad hotel of the Chia Laguna Resort, and I’ve just been poured a fresh glass of Vermentino – a light white color made from a grape that is widely grown here in Sardinia.
‘Greeting!’ I thank the waiter and raise my glass. He answers with a phrase I’ve never heard before: “A kent’annos!”
He sees my confusion and translates: “May you live to be a hundred!”
What a wonderful feeling, I think, before I realize that it is actually not unlikely on this island. Sardinia, just south of Corsica, is an original ‘Blue Zone’ (the others are too). Japan‘s Okinawa Prefecture, the Greek island of Ikaria and Nicoya, Costa Rica).
It was identified as such in 1999 after research revealed an unusually high concentration of centenarians. So what’s the secret to longevity here, I ask Giuseppe Fornillo, the hotel’s affable 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 be 100
Sardinia, just south of Corsica, is an original ‘Blue Zone’ (the others are the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa, the Greek island of Ikaria and Nicoya, Costa Rica)
Chia Laguna guests can dine at one of the resort’s 13 restaurants, where almost every restaurant has a selection of dishes marked with a Blue Zone symbol
The specific Blue Zone area in Sardinia is located in the central province of Nuoro, which was difficult to reach due to poor roads until about 20 years ago. The people who lived there had only their immediate community to rely on, remained active by working the land, and ate only what they could grow.
That included grapes, so wine was a legitimate part of their regimen. “The polyphenols contributed to their good health,” Fornillo adds.
The Chia Laguna Resort is located in a lush and untamed landscape known as the macchia mediterranea. This dense thicket is home to evergreens whose scents mingle with the salty sea breeze.
I had been to Sardinia before, where I stayed on the Costa Smeralda, the beautiful northern coastline known for its powder-soft beaches, turquoise waters and marinas full of yachts.
The south coast is rougher. To get here from Cagliari airport I drive through modest villages where children play in dusty squares and past lakes dotted with herons, warblers and dark pink flamingos.
By the time I get to the Conrad, I feel myself loosening up a bit. The décor is a feast for the eyes with stone walls, colorful ceramics and contemporary art hanging everywhere.
The Chia Laguna Resort is located 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 mounds of sand that lie in undulating mounds, while the golden sands of Monte Cogoni stretch up to the 16th-century Chia Tower, high atop a small hill.
After a heavenly sunrise one morning, I walk to the top where it stands. I may not be working in the fields, but my muscles certainly got a workout.
Special mention goes to the food. Guests can dine at one of the resort’s 13 restaurants and almost every restaurant has a selection of dishes marked with a Blue Zone symbol, indicating the use of long-lasting ingredients.
Consider, for example, farro, an ancient grain served with zucchini, tomatoes and capers. Or grilled shrimp, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and chili. In addition to all this, a glass of wine (or three) is of course crucial.
And thanks to the way of life in Sardinia, I look forward to a telegram in honor of King William’s centenary one day…
● Flights from London to Cagliari from around £170 return (ba.com). Rooms at Conrad, Chia Laguna start from £232 per night, including breakfast (chialagunaresort.com).
