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A catwalk by the sea. Naomi Campbell walks past with gazelle-like strides in a flash of emerald green light. It's not really a catwalk, but almost. It's the town of Porto Cervo on Sardinia's Emerald Coast.
In 1962, Ismaili prince Karin Aga Khan fell in love with this Italian location and decided to build a series of lush hotels. Ever since, the likes of Naomi Campbell and Flavio Briatore, Renault's Formula One number one, have docked their luxury yachts here.
Set in Gallura province in Sardinia's north-west, Porto Cervo gets its name from the shape of her natural harbour, similar to that of a deer, "cervo", and the town is a favourite with VIPs and tourists alike.
Porto Cervo is an exclusive window onto the Arzachena Gulf and has excellent tourist facilities. The old port has kept its traditional flavour and the modern port, with the capacity to dock 700 yachts, is amongst the most chic of the Mediterranean.
Whether arriving by sea or passing a few nights on shore, checking out the luxury boats and enormous cruisers of the Emerald Coast is a spectacle. From merely the bench seats one can picture the elegance of the boats' interior furnishings and every now and then, shaded by cumbersome sunglasses, famous personalities surface to show off their private yachts.
Staying at Porto Cervo is a gala event, especially at sunset, when the sun's rays give way to the sparkle of Paillettes and Swarovski that adorn the outfits of snazzy guests to this part of the Emerald Coast.
The Yacht club of Porto Cervo is famous for organising boat races, competing yachts challenging the force of the currents, and the club also holds regular parades of historical-style boats.
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