By canoe and SUP, paddling from island to island

Seen from the land, it looks like a small rock, but as you get closer you will see it unfold towards the sea like a snake, hiding wind-sculpted cliffs in its curves, exquisite beaches of quartz crystals, and spring and thermal waters on its shores. There is even a nuraghe. This is the wild Mal di Ventre, a fantastic landing place, if the sea is merciful, after the demanding crossing of the Sinis coast. There are also islands within reach of all paddlers, just an arm's length away, such as the islet of Ogliastra and the island of Cavoli, which can be reached from the beaches of Santa Maria Navarrese and Villasimius. They are so beautiful and captivating that you could stay there until sunset. If you're feeling energetic, consider them just a pit stop before another trip to nearby islands with a different allure, the scenic red chain of the Cea stacks and the nature reserve of Serpentara Island. And then there is the long Ariadne's thread of rocks and islets that runs along Gallura, unravelling from the sea at San Teodoro to the Maddalena archipelago park, stopping off in small places in the middle of the sea, under the spell of so much unspoilt beauty.

They are all uninhabited islets floating in the green and blue of a dreamlike sky and sea, a concentration of primordial charm, artfully placed there to welcome those who paddle in from the mother island. Here, you need your smartphone so that you don't have to rely solely on your memory to remember the alienating sensation of feeling like Robinson Crusoe for a day, in the middle of the sea on an uninhabited island.