“In the post-pandemic world, the ultimate luxury is living as if the virus never existed,” say Flavia Rotondi and Alberto Brambilla on Bloomberg. Forte Village (from €890, fortevillageresort.com), a “sprawling” resort on the island of Sardinia, has gone all out to achieve that vision.
On arrival at the resort, guests will be given rapid-response antibody tests and Covid-19 swabs. “Those with favourable test results can enjoy the resort’s expansive grounds and activities – which include basketball, tennis, water slides, and a thalassotherapy spa with expansive saltwater pools – without having to wear face masks or observe any social distancing rules whatsoever.”
If the tests are positive, however, the guests will be isolated with 24-hour medical assistance “in their own private villa in a tucked-away section of the 50-hectare natural park that contains the resort”.
MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Conviviality on the Algarve
The Algarve has had very few cases of Covid-19; testing, tracking and tracing are up and running; and Algarvians have been pretty much sticking to the letter of the law, says Mary Lussiana in The Sunday Times. The safety measures taken at the Praia Verde Boutique Hotel (from £135, praiaverderesort.com) are also reassuring.
“My arrival began at a disinfectant tower just inside the main door.” Then, at the check-in desk, the receptionist “reached for a gun to measure my temperature – 36.1, and I was in”. Passport and key card were disinfected, and “I was asked to break the [door] seal confirming that my room had been cleaned (using ozone)”. Hotel information was available for download via smartphone. “Hurrah to the death of the room tour!”
The nearby Praia Verde beach has been reopened, although distancing rules remain in force. And despite restrictions in the hotel’s mainly al-fresco restaurant, À Terra, a “convivial atmosphere” has nevertheless been created.
The Basque country holds out
France has rapidly been getting back to normal, says Anthony Peregrine in The Daily Telegraph. Gatherings of more than ten people are still not allowed, masks should be worn in shops and on public transport, tables must be kept apart and Paris is best avoided for now. Instead, head for the Basque country. It’s “no surprise that coronavirus didn’t make much headway… [here]; not much has since the stone age”. The Romans “found it hard going in these Pyrenean parts, as did follow-up barbarians and Charlemagne. And, these days, the Basque identity still lies strong upon the land”.
Guéthary is a good choice for a village by the seaside, as is Saint-Jean-de-Luz, “with its storybook bay”. Further inland, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is “where mountain folk gather for the Monday market”.
-
Is it time to ride the recovery in emerging markets?Interview What's the outlook for emerging markets? Gustavo Medeiros, head of research at Ashmore Group, gives his analysis and reviews progress in developing economies
-
Could the Enterprise Investment Scheme cut your tax bill?The Enterprise Investment Scheme is tax-efficient and potentially lucrative. Taking a chance on the scheme could trim your family’s IHT bill, says David Prosser
-
The alcohol industry is suffering as consumers sober up – is it still worth investing in the sector?Changing consumer tastes are rocking the alcohol industry, but the best players are adapting their strategies. Buy them while their shares are still cheap
-
Giorgio Armani: the irreplaceable Il SignoreGiorgio Armani started his fashion business in 1975 and built it into the world’s largest private luxury brand. Where can it go without him?
-
8 of the best properties for sale with mountain viewsThe best properties for sale with mountain views – from an Arts & Crafts house with holiday lets in the Carding Mill Valley in Shropshire to a highland lodge with wood-burning stoves near the Rogie Falls in the Scottish Highlands
-
Review: Puerto Rico – embrace the spirit of BoricuaTravel Natasha Langan discovers why the indigenous name for Puerto Rico has come to define this Caribbean island’s vibrant culture
-
8 of the best beachside properties for saleThe best beachside properties for sale – from an Arts & Crafts house in Hampshire with 128 metres of beach frontage, to a 16th-century house in Norfolk, just 300 metres from a Blue Flag beach
-
A voyage of discovery through the Baltic countriesTravel Max King explores the rich history, culture and cuisine of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
-
Are wealthy whisky enthusiasts leaving Britain?Collectables Wealthy whisky enthusiasts are heading to tax-friendly countries such as Dubai, where there is more disposable income to spend on collectable luxuries like rare whisky.
-
8 of the best properties for sale with kitchen gardensThe best properties for sale with kitchen gardens – from a 17th-century timber-framed hall house in Norfolk, to an Arts & Crafts house in West Sussex designed by Charles Voysey with a garden by Gertrude Jekyll
