Words seem inadequate to describe the actual divinity of Sardinia’s natural landscapes. Sweeping, rugged, crystalline – while accurate, barely begin to describe all that this prehistoric island possesses in spades. A departure from the sterilized, resort-like destinations glowing from your television screens, Sardinia is real, raw and quite simply put, paradise because it is organic.

Where dramatic rock-lined cliffs meet placid, emerald waters and almost other-worldly flora blankets mountainsides and river beds, Sardinia is one of few places in Europe that remains untouched and sheltered from the looming influence of calculated marketing. While more well known parts of the isle, such as the Costa Smeralda, serve as commercialized playgrounds for the rich and the bronzed, the unapologetic beauty of the north-east corner of the island cannot be diminished no matter how many yachts, chic boutiques and summer villas dot its bays. But upon visiting the north-end, one almost gets the sense that Sardinia intentionally loaned this swath of land to the politicians and futbol stars as a means of preserving the remainder of the island for the native and the adventurous. Where Costa Smeralda is plush and luxe, the rest of Sardinia is rich with history and local flavor, and rife with vineyards, charming stone towns and unspoiled beaches.

The Sardinian people have defiantly preserved their island culture despite centuries of foreign influence and political struggle, carefully balancing modernity with a resilient sense of tradition. Where many seaside destinations fall victim to the capricious whims of tourism, Sardinia maintains an intense sense of self. Its roads and bridges are well maintained, its landscapes are kept beautifully wild, its Megalithic stone structures respected by time and civilization, its aquamarine waters are pure and pristine, and its infrastructure impeccably well thought out. Now you may be asking yourself why? Because this is the Sardinian way. The dedicated effort to preserve and celebrate the island’s environment and culture, by Sardinians and for Sardinians, is a pillar of their philosophy. And not because they are concerned with speaking to any outside audience, but because they believe it is their cultural imperative to take care of what they’ve been given. Sardinians welcome travelers with open arms because they are happy to share their Eden with anyone that maintains the same appreciation and enthusiasm for their Mediterranean pearl of an island. Now, if you as a visitor happen to like what you see, eat and experience while there, well then, all the better.