SARDEGNA, ITALY

When you think of Sardegna, it's likely that an image of idyllic beaches and crystal clear waters comes to mind - and you'd be spot on. But when I visited the east coast of the island two years ago for, I was astounded at just how raw, untouched, and mountainous the island truly is. Driving through the interior felt like travelling back in time and witnessing the ancient origins of the island, with tiny villages few and far between and local shepherds walking the rugged hillsides with their herds of cattle or sheep. 

Sardegna is home to the first identified Blue Zone, as coined by Dan Buettner and his National Geographic team, leading the search for extreme longevity. More specifically, the region is called Barbagia, located in the mountainous highlands of the island. 

There are now five identified Blue Zones in the world - Sardegna (Italy), Okinawa (Japan), Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica), Ikaria (Greece), and Loma Linda (California), all with the highest concentration of centenarians in the world.

My decision to bring Serenità to Sardegna was an easy one - my passion for holistic health, whole foods, traditional recipes, and being in touch with our ancestry and the land, was reignited during my stay there. This western Mediterranean island and its people have been culturally isolated throughout history, and for the most part do not consider themselves to be Italian, rather “Sardo", making their culture quite unique from mainland Italy. It's a place where everything you eat is grown locally, the pace of living is slow, and connection with friends, family, and community is paramount - some of the key ingredients to their impressive longevity. 

It will be an honour to bring our community of women here, to the place where “getting back to the basics” is more than a nice idea, it's their way of life and the foundation upon which the Sardi build long and happy lives.