A few kilometers from Olbia, there is San Pantaleo , a small enchanted village, similar to a gem in the heart of the Costa Smeralda. San Pantaleo known as the town of artists, who for a long time have chosen to stay away from the chaos of the cities, immersed in the calm of the town and the beauty of the surrounding nature, between granite rocks and Mediterranean scrub, where enchanting beaches overlook. The granite peaks of the mountains, Sant’Andrea, Pelchia Manna, Pelchia Minori and Balbacana frame the village. The ancient Stazzi "typical rural houses" of the place populate this area rich in water and cork forests, giving a special charm to the locality.
The village of San Pantaleo is located at about 176 meters above sea level, on a plateau, overlooking the valley where Monte Moro stands out, connected by the panoramic road that connects Olbia to Arzachena, "Monti di Mola" (the current Costa Smeralda), and Baia Sardinia. The village was born thanks to the initiative of the inhabitants of the Stazzi, who asked the bishop of Tempio back in 1894, to create a religious and social point of reference, thus the church was born, which was built in 1903, where it still stands today. Starting from the seventies, a few years after the birth of the Costa Smeralda, a group of artists and painters, coming from all over, populate the village, attracted by its timeless and absolutely informal atmosphere, far from the worldliness of the developing world. on the coast.
Painters, decorators and sculptors from all over Europe have transformed the small reality of the village of San Pantaleo into a sort of bohemian air that can still be breathed today. A group of Gallura artisans, highly sought after for their artefacts, made of essential materials such as wrought iron, wood, terracotta and ceramics, also joined the artists who came to populate the town. In today's reality, San Pantaleo tells the story of the locality, connected to that of the charm of the Costa Smeralda, which gave life to all this.
The Costa Smeralda born with an international glamor, thanks to Prince Karim Aga khan, who was impressed by the location, with its emerald sea, by its white beaches where, in addition to the scent of the Mediterranean scrub, junipers, mastic trees, , myrtles, olive trees, etc ..., which create that charm that still attracts the international jet set. Other well-known localities near the Borgo di San Pantaleo are Portisco, with its well-equipped port, Rena Bianca, an equipped beach of very fine sand, where the inhabitants of the ancient Stazzi and Razza di Juncu once went.
San Pantaleo in some respects still remembers its history today, which speaks of Stazzi Galluresi, today combined with that of the birth of the renowned Costa Smeralda, modernity from beach holidays, the charm of art, luxurious boutiques, to restaurants decorated with art with ancient flavors. This Borgo, the only town in Gallura where the union between past and present is evident, between history and innovation, between the territory and the coast and where culture and worldliness interact while respecting each other.
The stay in the Borgo is pleasant all year round, the winter period of tranquility, with a mild and pleasant climate, the village prepares to wait for the summer season, in the spring the traditional country festivals attract the holidaymakers who arrive numerous at this time of the year, while in summer the town is full of cultural and gastronomic events.
Events not to be missed in San Pantaleo are: Magnendi in Carrera, and Housewives in the Kitchen: two well-known events frequented by tourists, the first in mid-July and the other in August. Tasting evenings in the streets of the town, of typical traditional dishes.
Another very popular and well-attended event is the Folklore Festival.
Even San Pantaleo has its Folk group, which at the beginning of September organizes an appointment with the participation of folk groups from different locations on the island, with the presence of great artists from all over, who perform in the evenings .
Great international attraction, is the appointment with classical dance, which attracts an increasing audience from the Coast. National and international Etoiles tread the scenes used for the occasion.
For the occasion there is no shortage of craft markets, which display their wares.
San Pantaleo, can be defined ... .. the mountain is a stone's throw from the sea: a few minutes by car separate us from the most beautiful beaches of the Costa Smeralda such as Romazzino, La Celvia, Capriccioli, Il Pevero, and from renowned locations such as Porto Cervo and Porto Rotondo, Baia Sardinia, La Maddalena etc. etc. Today the tourist finds the suitable location for a stay, or a holiday period, for those who need to travel, a few kilometers away is the port and airport of Olbia.
All this, are some of the many reasons that explain why the village has been, in recent years, at the center of an unexpected and significant tourist boom. The quality of life, the traditions, the strategic position help to understand the success of the locality.