CALA DI VOLPE

SARDINIA - SEPTEMBER 2009

The north-eastern Sardinian coastline known as the Costa Smeralda, or «The Emerald Coast», was largely undiscovered until the early 1960s when the Aga Kahn, looking to escape the crowds of the Côte d’Azur, bought some twenty square kilometres (five thousand acres) of white sand beaches and coves. Sensitive to the granite coastline and to the eucalyptus, juniper, and myrtle that surrounded the area, the Aga Kahn chose the French architect Jacques Couelle (1902-1996) to develop a resort offering the most luxurious accommodations and amenities conceivable.

Couëlle, a self-taught architect, nicknamed «the architect of billionaires» and a friend of Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali, built some exceptional homes and the Hotel Cala di Volpe. His design of the «home-landscape» Hotel, completed in 1963, stands as a masterpiece that irrevocably shaped the coastline. The renovations of the Hotel in 2001 and 2008 were overseen by Jacques Couelle’s son Savin.


"ROOM WITH A VIEW - Another one..."


"ROOM SERVICE"


"VIEWS FROM THE BALCONY"


"INSIDE - Each of the one hundred and twenty four rooms and suites celebrates Sardinia's natural beauty and artistry. White washed walls are decorated with trompe l'oeil paintings, unique to each room. Handcrafted furniture is painted to match each room's singular theme, complemented further by ceramic tile work. Curved walls lead down angled passageways and up winding staircases"



"IN THE MORNING - The hotel’s exterior was conceived to look like an ancient Mediterranean fishing village, with interconnecting terracotta rooftops, turrets, porticoes, and terraces..."


"PRIVATE BEACH with a view to the fleet of real yachts floating in the emerald sea. Wonder what the fake Vuitton is doing there... :-)"


"SWIMMING POOL - Huge..."


"PASTEL PATCHWORK"



"SUNSET COLOURS"


"EVENING"