ITALIAN ISLANDS
COSTA SMERALDA: SARDINIA’S MILLIONAIRES’ ROW
€170,000 (£134,000), and a four-bedroom villa on the beach close to Pachino for €295,000 (£233,000). In Syracuse, in the south-east, Modicasa are selling a four-bedroom villa metres from Fontane Bianche’s beaches for €250,000 (£197,000), and a recently renovated two- bedroom house between Marzamemi and Portopalo for €200,000 (£158,000). While the Mafi a is a concern to most would-
be buyers on Sicily, Gilderdale says that the south-east of the island, where he is based, is free from organised crime. Elsewhere, buyers should take careful advice and ensure they use a registered sales agent. And remember, adds Gilderdale, that Sicilian is a language “all of its own”.
Aeolian Islands The seven Aeolian Islands to the north of
Sicily are varied and charming, an escapist’s dream, spread over 45 miles of the Mediterranean Sea. Access is best through the port of Milazzo in
the north-east – the main gateway to the islands – where hydrofoils take between 45 minutes and three hours, depending on the island. You can also get the boat from Naples, Palermo or Cefalù. The best-known islands include remote Stromboli, Vulcano with its mud baths beloved of Madonna, and the fl ower-fi lled Panarea, with its Greek-inspired whitewashed houses. “It is mainly Italian movie stars, property
tycoons and media types who buy on the Aeolian Islands,” says Jelena Cvjetkovic of Savills (
www.savills.com/international). “It’s a niche property market.” A renovated two-bedroom apartment in a period farmhouse on Lipari Island is for sale for €140,000 (£111,000); while on Salina a small house needing refurbishment is available for €250,000 (£197,000), both through
www.Eolie.org.
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aplaceinthesun.com
Francoforte, Sicily, €480,000 (£378,500) A two-bedroom country villa over 135m2 with terraces, citrus grove and a pool on half an acre. Contact: Casa Travella,
www.casatravella.com
Southern Sicily, €595,000 (£470,000) Spacious three-bedroom restored stone farmhouse, with land, between Modica and San Giacomo. Contact: Modicasa,
www.modicasa.com
FOR MORE PROPERTIES ON THE ITALIAN ISLANDS, GO TO
www.aplaceinthesun.com/italy
In the 1960s, the Aga Khan moored his yacht on the pristine Costa Smeralda, where the white sands and emerald seas caught his imagination to such an extent that he decided to develop this coastline into a playground for the rich and famous.
Today it is still a millionaire’s paradise, with some of Italy’s most expensive properties scattered on the hillside overlooking the water. The small town of Porto Cervo, with its designer shops and yacht club, is a jet-set meeting place, a rival to St Tropez for celebrities ranging from Gwyneth Paltrow, Bruce Willis and Rihanna to Frank Lampard.
“The Costa Smeralda is where it all started on Sardinia,” says Jelena Cvjetkovic of Savills. “It remains a model of development, done in an exceptionally environmentally sound way, with a distinct architectural style.
“Houses have soft, round shapes that echo the local granite boulders.” Exclusive homes stretch to the multi- millions on this coast. A penthouse apartment in Porto Cervo is for sale for €1,580,000 (£1,247,000), and a two- bedroom villa, with good sea views, is available for €880,000 (£694,000), both through Savills.
But you only have to go a couple of miles south and prices tumble.
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