Forte Village does not so much operate as a hotel resort, but as a beautifully choreographed Mediterranean world unto itself. Set across 50 hectares on the southern coast of Sardinia, the legendary estate founded by Lord Charles Forte in the 1970s has evolved into something far more nuanced than its original holiday village beginnings: a collection of interconnected hotels, suites and villas stitched together by tropical gardens, restaurants, academies, wellness spaces and a seemingly endless ribbon of coastline. Families cycle between experiences. Wellness devotees disappear into thalasso pools. Children head to elite sports coaching while parents linger over Sardinian wine. Somehow, despite the scale, it all flows with remarkable ease, as Samantha Ready and the Ready clan found out…

Aside from the sheer scale of its positioning across lush gardens and sweeping coastline, the sheer breadth of accommodation is part of what makes Forte Village function so brilliantly across generations and travel styles. Eight hotels sit within the wider estate, ranging from elegant five-star properties and contemporary suites to ultra-private villas complete with personal pools, butlers and dedicated concierge services. Families can opt for spacious bungalow-style rooms immersed in gardens, while couples or multi-generational groups can opt for larger suites and secluded villa living. Despite the scale, each corner of the resort retains its own identity.

Home for our stay was the newly modernised Hotel Castello Garden Bungalows, positioned brilliantly close to the beach, pools and many of the resort’s key facilities. Spacious and elegant, the bungalow blended contemporary comfort with Mediterranean softness, vaulted beachstyle roofs, calming neutrals, crisp linens, sliding doors to section the master bedroom from the living room (that doubled as the kids’ bedroom) and enough room for family life to unfold without everyone sitting on top of one another. Mornings began on the terrace before drifting towards Cavalieri Restaurant, the five-star buffet reserved for Castello guests.

Now, buffet dining is not usually where one expects culinary revelation. Forte Village, unsurprisingly, approaches things differently. Breakfasts stretched gloriously from fresh fruit, pastries and Sardinian cheeses through to eggs cooked to order, juices, pancakes and enough strong Italian coffee to propel even the sleepiest parent into holiday mode, which was just as well as this is a resort packed with activities, academies and refuelling pitstops.

Days unfolded easily between the resort’s abundant leisure spaces. Pools here are not an afterthought but destinations in themselves, from quieter elegant swimming areas with views of the sea to the sprawling Oasis pool with cabana beds and swim up bar and its own aquapark that quickly became a firm favourite with Lyla and Jaxon. Stretching across the resort, slides, splash zones and unapologetically joyful chaos sat happily alongside calmer corners reserved for sunloungers, books and properly cold Aperol Spritzes.

The beach, meanwhile, is one of Forte Village’s quiet trump cards. A long sweep of pale sand meets crystalline water, beautifully maintained yet blissfully usable for families, whether paddleboarding, swimming or simply settling in for an hour that inevitably stretches into an afternoon of digging, fort building and snoozing to the backdrop of gently lapping waves.

What distinguishes Forte Village so sharply for families, however, is its sporting culture. This is not passive entertainment or token activity scheduling. This is the great and the good of academy coaching gathered in one remarkable place.

Jaxon had the privilege of joining the Real Madrid Foundation Clinic and was utterly enthralled from the outset, receiving his own kit before throwing himself into expert coaching sessions and matches with wholehearted enthusiasm. Across the wider resort, academies span everything from tennis, padel and basketball to fencing, hockey, dance, netball and even magic, while adults can simply prebook a court and reclaim a little wellness time of their own.

Beyond the sporting academies, younger guests are brilliantly catered for through expansive kids’ clubs and activity programmes that feel far removed from token colouring tables and tired craft sessions. From the immersive ‘Mario’ land with play zones and an entire Barbie room complete with dress-up and dolls, there is genuine imagination at work here. The resort’s nature park added another unexpected dimension to the stay too, offering guests the chance to encounter animals from Shetland ponies to the new baby donkey, rabbits and goats, as well as green spaces tucked quietly within the estate, and even its own go kart track (there’s an academy for that too!), reinforcing the feeling that Forte Village operates more like a Mediterranean village ecosystem than a traditional resort.

Bike hire proved a big win and a great way to explore. The resort is wonderfully navigable on two wheels and cycling between beach, spa, restaurants, kids’ activities and the open-air amphitheatre became a normal part of our stay. 

Then there is Acquaforte Thalasso & Spa, the beating wellness heart of Forte Village.

The six-pool thalasso circuit deserves every ounce of its reputation. Pool one felt unlike anything I have ever experienced, so rich in magnesium and sea salts it was akin to wading through warm vegetable oil, before your body lifts effortlessly into near-weightlessness. You could float there for an age, muscles releasing, mind slowing. The journey continued through contrasting temperatures, hydrotherapy pools, invigorating cold plunges and deeply therapeutic seawater immersion designed to detoxify, reset circulation and calm the nervous system.

My final indulgence was the signature Salt & Honey treatment. Mineral-rich sea salt exfoliation awakened tired skin before warm honey and deeply nourishing massage movements restored softness and calm. It was grounding, restorative and deeply Sardinian in spirit; a wellness experience that wasn’t just for show but actually really considered and invigorating, with the ritual elevated further by its location in wooden cabins surrounded by lush garden vegetation. 

Evenings became again about food and entertainment, and often both! Dining across the resort feels almost absurdly abundant, with restaurants (of which there are 23 to choose from!) ranging from relaxed family favourites to Michelin-starred culinary experiences. Evening buffets at Cavalieri carried equal refinement to its breakfast offerings, Sardinian specialities sitting comfortably alongside beautifully prepared Italian classics. 

At Ristorante Brasiliano, the atmosphere was breezy and informal, the focus firmly on expertly grilled meats rotating slowly over charcoal. Cuts arrived smoky, deeply savoury and beautifully tender, carved tableside against a soundtrack of family chatter and holiday ease.

Ristorante Sardo, overseen by Stefano Usai, offered a deeper immersion into the island’s culinary identity. Sardinian cuisine is wonderfully complex, shaped by geography, history and centuries of cultural layering. Here, local pasta dishes, local suckling pig, regional cheeses and traditional desserts showcased the island’s flavours with authenticity and confidence, accompanied by local wines bursting with fresh salinity and gentle ageing.

Le Dune delivered a different mood entirely. Positioned with glorious Mediterranean views, the restaurant takes familiar Italian classics and subtly modernises them. Elegant rather than overly theatrical, it was the sort of meal where sea views, polished service and beautifully balanced cooking combined into effortless holiday dining.

Our standout evening, however, belonged unquestionably to Belvedere.

Chef Giuseppe Molaro’s gourmet restaurant sits elevated above the resort on a beautiful terrace and from the first plate it became clear this was a meal built around precision, creativity and emotion.

The wagyu carpaccio arrived almost impossibly delicate, the richness of the beef offset brilliantly by bright citrus tapioca pearls, salty-sweet ponzu and the gentle heat of wasabi mayonnaise. Scallop sashimi followed, translucent and pristine, lifted by bursts of trout roe salinity and the sharp sweetness of pickled red onion.

The tagliatelle with seafood ragù and n’duja crumble balanced comfort with complexity, silky ribbons of pasta coated in deeply flavoured seafood sauce while the n’duja brought gentle warmth and smoky depth. Mr Ready’s Iberico pork presa was beautifully judged, tender and deeply savoury, paired with fermented red cabbage that added acidity and intrigue. While my filet steak arrived with allium ash, peppery rocket cream and molten Parmesan fondue to become somehow both decadent and restrained.

Desserts were every bit as memorable. A warm chocolate fondant collapsed into molten richness beneath the spoon, while the tiramisu paired with white coffee ice cream was extraordinary, lighter than expected, beautifully bittersweet and impossibly elegant.

If wine is your thing, the wine tasting experience was a great offering. Guided through four Sardinian wines, alongside crumbly pecorino and crisp bread crackers, the session was relaxed, informative and deeply enjoyable. Sardinian wines possess a fascinating minerality and freshness, and discovering them in this informal setting felt refreshingly unpretentious.

Once sated, we headed each evening to the open-air amphitheatre that brought house bands, visiting performers and that pleasant, slightly nostalgic holiday feeling of families gathering under warm night skies.

And yet it wasn’t all fine dining or elevated buffets. Between beach, bikes and sporting exertions, casual dining offered that laid back holiday vibe. Beachside lunches drifted between fresh pizza, smashburgers and homestyle fries, punctuated by frequent, entirely justified gelato stops. In true Italian fashion, the gelato offering was impossible to ignore: intense pistachio, rich chocolate, and of course my firm favourite stracciatella, were the perfect cool down afternoon treat between activity fun.

Forte Village understands something many luxury resorts still struggle to master: that family travel need not compromise sophisticated dining, meaningful wellness or beautiful hospitality. Here, children can return exhilarated from football coaching while parents emerge floating from thalasso pools. Michelin-level dinners coexist happily alongside beachside burgers. The whole experience feels generous, elevated and rather joyful.

It’s understandable why we all felt reluctant to leave.

fortevillageresort.com