Fantastic Family Sardinia – Delphina Does it Again with Park Hotel & SPA Cala di Lepre

We’ve just returned from another blissful week in Sardinia. Staying at Delphina’s Park Hotel & SPA Cala di Lepre, one of their best offerings for families. I have a real love for Sardinia, it’s Italy but also part tropical island.

With 2000km of coastline and beaches like you only see in the Caribbean but it’s only a 2 hour flight from London. It’s also natural and rugged, rural and unspoilt, yet you can get your helping of designer shops and sophistication just a stones-throw away in the star studded Porto Cervo or spotting superyachts from your sun lounger.

The Park Hotel & SPA Cala di Lepre is in the north-east of the island, five minutes away by hotel navette to the pretty port of Palau with its night market, shops and gelaterias but still truly in the countryside. The hotel itself is set in a huge natural park. Single storey accommodation, set within narrow pathways flanked by bougainvillea and fragrant herbs, the balmy air transports you far from home.

Delphina as a group prides itself on their green credentials and having won prestigious awards, it’s obvious why. Electric buggies ferry guests from the main building to the pool or the beautiful private beach, between restaurants and the destination spa, d’Ea Marina, they cook zero kilometre food, use green energy and recycled paper.

A consciousness for the environment even filters down to Leprottoland, the fantastic kid’s club, where children can go on outings to learn about biodiversity and where they even put on a show in the hotel’s outdoor amphitheatre with a ‘Save Our Planet’! theme.

The facilities at Park Hotel & SPA Cala di Lepre are wide-ranging. Offering enough to keep the very young, to the old happy.

Something that sets them apart from others is their nursery; 24 hour free of charge access to fridges full of freshly prepared purees and stocks, yogurts, baby food and milk as well as feeding, changing and sterilising stations. This is a true lifesaver for families traveling with babies – no need for any of the paraphernalia and a true holiday for parents.

For older children, Leprottoland is staffed by a huge, dedicated team of animators, keen and responsible, energetic and fun. The kid’s club is open from 9.30 -11pm, free of charge, for ages 3-14 and offers plenty of age appropriate play and a daily changing timetable of activities.

From learning tightrope, to horse riding in the hotel’s stable to football with the resident coach or volleyball and ping-pong.

Lunches and dinners can also be taken with kid’s club if they so desire. Each afternoon, out of the heat of the  midday sun, there’s lunch then some much-needed relaxation and cartoons before returning to the clubhouse by the beach and the main pool to go supervised swimming, biscuit baking or any number of exciting activities. Frazzled parents might get more rest than bargained as the evening activities, in the cooler temperatures draw lots of children!

Our family suite for the week was high up the hill, views out to the impossibly blue sea and fantastically fuchsia flowers around us. Two brand-newly refurbished double rooms, in cool whitewashed colours, two modern bathrooms with huge walk-in showers.

Our sitting room opened out on to a sizeable veranda, complete with table and chairs and lounge chairs. A real family retreat. The buildings all blend in perfectly with their natural surroundings and you have the feeling of being almost alone with nature. Keen enthusiasts will delight in spotting little wild animals from red grouse to turtle doves, tortoises and hares.

For foodies, the hotel has much to offer. They take food extremely seriously here. Sardinia as a whole has lots to offer too, forget pasta and pizza, of course it’s here but Sardinian cuisine is unique and centred more on inland cooking. Provenance and quality of produce is key here. Pride in every plate is obvious. The main restaurant, l’Arcipelago, is a buffet restaurant. Don’t be put off because there is no compromise on the quality and the choice is mind-boggling. There’s also a massive gluten-free section too. Sardinians are very forward thinking when it comes to diet.

Breakfasts offer meats and cheeses, dozens of types of breads, pastries and cakes, hot food and and egg station. You couldn’t want for anything. Lunch and dinner is also offered here, looking out to the Golfo delle Saline .

The focus is on Mediterranean food. Mouthwatering displays of delicious, antipasti, salads, fruits cheeses, pastas, vegetables, fresh fish and meat each day. Chefs stand by, proud of their offerings. Dish after dish of tasty food, not once was I disappointed. Kids will love the dedicated pizza chef and pizza oven, churning out fantastically authentic pizzas, some simple, others boasting top quality toppings.

For a change of scene there’s also the much more intimate and exclusive table service restaurant, Le Terrazze. Situated high on the hill, surrounded by gardens, the food is sublime as is the view. Low key breakfasts can also be taken here. If you aren’t tempted by the brilliant value full board option – it’s a lot of food – then head , as we did almost daily, to the pool bar and grill. White tablecloths, service with a smile and fresh grilled catch of the day, simple salads, flavoursome parma ham and the sweetest melon and a big favourite in our family, the frozen drinks made to order of almost any flavour.

Days were spent relaxing by the pool, there are 5 all together; a kid’s pool, the main pool, two thalassotherapy pools in the spa and a fabulous smaller pool up in the hills, or by the beach watching the world go by. Kids at kid’s club or ‘catching fish’, snorkelling in the calm, clear sea, we truly relaxed.

For the ultimate in relaxation though, head to the spa. A real haven and natural retreat, flanked by fragrant juniper trees with many treatments based on the sea or with a natural element, I was massaged into a blissful sleep here!

Time passes quickly when you’re having fun. The Park Hotel & SPA Cala di Lepre is a true family paradise. Once there, you’ll never want to leave!

Pregnantcitygirl’s shopping tips

Pack the best sunscreen you can get. Being very fair-skinned, I have lots of experience! P20 or Ultrasun once a day sunscreens are a gamechanger. Apply before going out in the morning and top up with an SPF50 after swimming. I love Malibu as it has a continuous spray, is clear and easy to spray on fast moving targets!

Stay chic on this glam island with resortwear for all the family from Heidi Klein and Melissa Odabash. Their bikinis are the best. For footwear, Havaianas have to brilliant and glitzy new styles and nobody will have better dressed feet than your family if you head to Ancient Greek Sandals – handmade leather sandals, the ultimate luxury and lots of classic and modern styles, you will be spolit for choice. For glowing holiday skin both face and body check out Charlotte Tilbury. I adore Supermodel Body for lengthening limbs and the iconic Wonderglow for the most radiant skin!

We traveled Easyjet from London Luton, transfers with the highly professional Just Sardinia. A week half board for a family of 4 starting from €1995. Get booking for next year!

Share: