The enchanting island of Italy is not all glamour and floating gin palaces. PENNY STRETTON goes in search of untouched beaches, hidden caves and spectacular gorges

I'M SITTING in a kayak, riding over choppy waves after a rare storm.

The rocky cliffs of the Sardinian coastline in Italy rise steeply above me; ahead is the golden sand of Cala Luna beach.

My destination is the rather eerie Bue Marino caves (the last refuge of the Mediterranean monk seal) that border the north side of the beach, magically inviting as the sun dances on the water, creating still, electric-blue pools inside.

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The colour of the water combined with the heat of the sun has a mesmerising effect but I'm soon snapped out of my daydream as Gigi, my Italian instructor, yells: "Left, left!" just before I drift off course into one of the cliffs.

We'd earlier launched our kayaks from the pretty town of Cala Gonone on the island's east coast, the base from which myself and a group of girlfriends have come to explore Sardinia's wilder side. Most people envisage the island as a rich man's playground where the likes of Silvio Berlusconi and Bill Gates sail their mansion-sized yachts.

While that's true, there is so much more to this tradition-steeped Italian jewel.

Cala Gonone has many family-run restaurants and hotels where showy Italian bravado takes second place to traditional, welcoming values.

We're staying at the delightful Hotel Costa Dorada, which overlooks a small stretch of pebbled beach. It's a perfect hideaway for couples given that it is just out of town and away from the larger properties that cater more for families.

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In my large double room, a cool tiled floor had greeted my weary traveller's feet and there was plenty of space to recline in one of the big comfy chairs or relax in the ample w hirlpool bath.

I wasn't here to chill out though (at least not yet), which is why we headed straight out on our kayaking trip. This was followed by lunch at the hotel restaurant: five courses of seafood, including fat prawns and soft hoops of calamari, followed by a local dessert called seada, a giant ravioli pillow stuffed w ith soft cheese and drizzled with honey.

Gonone is situated in Sardinia's Bay of Orosei, an area of varied landscapes, from hidden coves accessible only by boat to mountainous terrain perfect for trekking.

For walkers, cyclists or climbers it's the perfect year-round getaway and next day we set out to explore our surroundings on a guided tour to the Gola di Gorroppu gorge, known as the Grand Canyon of Europe.

An hour's drive from Gonone, the gorge is a deep wound carved into the limestone rock by the Flumineddu River. We descend to its depths from the town of Dorgali on the rim.

It's only once at the bottom, where its walls tower 1,000ft above us, that we realise just how majestic the gorge is. Thankfully, the walking is not too difficult and it is mostly shaded as we trek.

Back in Gonone, we visit the Hotel Pop for a late lunch. Tucked back from the beach, we taste an array of seafood, including thinly sliced octopus, before finishing with a course of delicate ravioli.

However, fabulous though the food is, getting out and about is the real key to Cala Gonone. So, on our final day, we take an unforgettable boat trip, which showcases the island's adventurous spirit and stunning scenery alongside the laid-back sophistication for which Sardinia is famed.

WITHIN 10 minutes of leaving town we are at the beach of Cala Fuili, a tiny strip of sand where Madonna frolicked in the Guy Ritchie flop Swept Away.

Posh yachts are moored nearby and our captain, Romeo, regales us with tales of when Paul Allen, who co-founded Microsoft with Gates, turned up a couple of years ago hoping to use the beach for a private party.
He was soon sent packing by the locals.

Next we whizz back past the Bue Marino caves before being whisked, wind-kissed, to lie in bikinis in the sunshine. On the steep cliffs high above us we can see climbers clinging to the rocks.

Romeo finally takes us past another hidden stretch of water known as "Venus's swimming pool" thanks to its deep turquoise water.

As he steers the boat into the horseshoe bay, he tells us this is where he brings his girlfriends to impress them with a glass of champagne and a couple of fresh oysters.

It's the perfect place for a man to propose and if only Romeo more closely resembled his namesake it might well have been an offer any of us ladies would have taken up.

GETTING THERE:
Cala 'e Luna (dialling from the UK: 0039 07 849 28087/www.calaeluna.com) offers doubles at the Hotel Costa Dorada from %75 per night (two sharing), B&B.

Kayaking can be arranged via the Cala 'e Luna website. Ryanair (0871 246 0000/ www.ryanair.co.uk) offers return flights from London Stansted to Alghero airport from £48.

Sardinia Tourism: 0606 7226/ www.sardegnaturismo.it