San Pantaleo Market

Today is Thursday and market day in the small and gracious village of San Pantaleo. This tiny outpost in the mountains of Gallura is a little more  than one  hour drive from the Costa Smeralda  and was recently declared as one of Italy’s 19 most beautiful villages by the British  Daily Telegraph. If you desire to experience the best of authentic Italy, I assure you that this is the spot!

My wonderful husband this morning is deprived from his beloved Sardinian breakfast, because I want to arrive as early as 7.30. I want to reach the San Pantaleo Market before the Milanese and other style-savvy  shoppers from Rome and Porto Cervo invade the crafts stalls and local typical boutiques. They can keep the  Sardinian Pecorino cheese, torroni and a few myrtle liquori, if they wish to,  but not my hand embroidered Hmong-Berber-Ragusa-Tibetan-Colombian Muchila bags, belts, hats, sandals or cut work laced bed cover sets from Jaipur!

We park the car near via Zara, in front of a small art gallery at the cobbled piazza's entrance and agree to meet  in front of the  church in one hour after his usual cappuccino, spremuta and croissant at the Cafe Nina bar meeting point from the four corners of Sardinian's eclectic mix of painters, sculptors,  bohemians, vendors and yachts beaux monde.

The bustling  colorful marketplace is filled with delicious aromas of rosemary, lavender and honey. Massive wheels of cheese pile up next to inviting fruits (The green figs are my favorites), local art, pure cashmere fine clothing, linen home accessories, Sardinian embroidered rugs and baskets.

Live music takes place in Piazza della Chiesa ( church place)  as tanned women wearing  greek sandals, vintage laced shorts and tops in  pristine white fill spacious straw beach bags with an ethnic twist  with pure cashmere clothing for fall, Indonesian sarongs  for the upcoming December cruise and Brazilian bikinis carefully inspected through their latest Armani's sunnies.

The market will close at 1. There is no time to be wasted. After all husband and kids are waiting at the beach while the sun is still striking high.

My shopping :

• 3  Hand woven African Zulu baskets 85 Euros each,
•  1 white cotton laced beach dress,
• 25 euros ( bargained )
• 1 suede embellished Moroccan purse,
• 1 pound of fresh green figs,

Shopping Guide:

• Yashu and Prem
• Foresta G
• AnnaIndia: Via Torres, 8, 07026 San Pantaleo OT, Italy
• Market: Thursdays from 8.30 to 1 PM
• Nicola Filia Art Gallery 
• Aracataca Art Gallery
• Petra Sarda

Take a Break:

• Il buon Gelato
• Cafe Nina
• Ristorante Giagoni