In the Gallura Countryside, a Charming Agricultural Resort Strikes a Perfect Balance Between Raw Farming and Sophisticated Hospitality, Forging a Dimension of Absolute Slowness and a Deep, Unhurried Connection to the Land. Here, Chef Salvatore Camedda Helms Ulìa—A Contemporary Agricultural Kitchen Deeply Rooted in Nature and the Sardinian Territory.
The Landscape and the Vision of Cascioni Eco Retreat
Hidden between Arzachena and Porto Cervo, just ten kilometers from the Costa Smeralda, the eighteen-suite estate unfolds across eighteen hectares of land dominated by 3,000 olive trees. The property materializes the shared vision of local builders Luca Filigheddu and Bonaria Serra, who reclaimed an abandoned plot once used for grazing cattle to establish an architectural and agricultural retreat governed by natural rhythms and environmental mindfulness.
A Self-Sustaining Ecosystem
The estate’s evolution tracked the patient, unhurried rhythm of the landscape itself—a two-decade transformation triggered in 2005 by the planting of the massive olive grove and the subsequent addition of an internal oil mill. The initial focus on the soil laid the groundwork for a certified organic farm, which now operates active beehives, breeds poultry, and rears native Sardinian pigs semi-wild across the hills.
Over time, the terrain was structured to yield fields of ancient wheat varieties—specifically Senatore Cappelli and Trigu Cossu—harvested according to natural cycles and transformed on-site into house sourdough, rustic focaccia, and traditional pastas. With the vineyard preparing for its harvest and the founders’ sons stepping in to direct viticulture and livestock operations, Cascioni functions as a fully circular, self-sustaining ecosystem.
Architectural and Culinary Transitions
The dining space at Ulìa acts as a natural extension of the fields. Expansive glass walls frame the surrounding landscape, seamlessly blending the outdoor scenery with a tactile, earth-toned interior of wooden tables, raw ceramics, and colored glassware. A short distance away, between the botanical garden and the woodland spa, a new 65-square-meter greenhouse opens as a dedicated, light-filled space, hosting countryside breakfasts before shifting roles during the day to accommodate interactive cooking classes, intimate corporate meetings, or guided tastings of the estate’s own olive oil, honey, and wine.
The All-Day Culinary Rhythm
The broader culinary narrative follows an all-day concept anchored directly to the estate’s production cycles. Morning begins with a rustic farmer’s breakfast, where wood-fired bread and freshly baked pastries pair with homemade preserves, raw estate fruit, and artisanal yogurts, alongside local savory specialties. As the day turns, midday brings an informal approach to the table, showcasing rugged shepherd’s snacks, a localized Sardinian Club Sandwich, and traditional chiusoni tossed with a dense ragù sourced straight from the kitchen garden.
Ulìa: The Gastronomic Showcase
The Philosophy of a Natural Restaurant
As evening falls, the main dining room of Ulìa becomes the stage for a technical, gastronomic showcase helmed by chef Salvatore Camedda. Ulìa embodies the culinary expression of an entire ecosystem—a dimension where the kitchen acts not as the starting point of the narrative, but as its natural landing place. Every dish honors the soil, the kitchen garden, the orchard, the livestock, and the wild herbs gathered through the daily labor required to safeguard a productive, living landscape.
From the land stems the identity of a “Natural Restaurant“—a definition moving far beyond mere sustainability trends or local-sourcing catchphrases. The concept recognizes nature as the main director behind the culinary vision, treating seasonality as a hard, real condition determining what the land yields, its flavors, and its creative direction.
Identity and Precision on the Plate
A Cabras native who previously earned a Michelin star at Somu in Baja Sardinia, Camedda enforces an authentic relationship with the environment, bridging the culinary identities of his native Oristano plains with the rugged Gallura hills. Peasant and coastal traditions merge seamlessly on the plate through a virtuous system built on house-milled semolina, fish caught exclusively in Sardinian waters, and meats sourced from internal pastures or long-term regional partnerships. Raw estate ingredients cover 70% of the kitchen’s vegetable needs, while wild aromatics are foraged daily.
Supported by restaurant manager and sommelier Giacomo Serreli, who curates a wine list focusing heavily on small, independent Sardinian vignerons, the kitchen delivers dishes centered on technical restraint and flavor clarity. The Ricciola Scabecciu pairs marinated amberjack with a warm pour-over of Casizzolu cheese whey and estate honey, while a lukewarm Spaghetto comes tossed with a dense pesto of eighteen wild foraged herbs. Even the Risotto, cooked in roasted bell pepper water and served with local red mullet and sea anemone, highlights a culinary approach focused on precision.
Wellness Rituals
The Mediterranean Spa
The Mediterranean Spa centers its wellness philosophy on treatments infused with medicinal herbs, organic extra virgin olive oil, and estate honey. The wellness area features a naturally lit sauna, a Turkish bath, emotional showers, a heated pool, and a dedicated herbal tea lounge—a fragrant corner designed for unwinding between rituals. Open to external guests as well, the spa features the signature Cascioni cosmetic line, presenting olive-oil-based toners, cleansing milks, face and body creams, and eye contours.
The Woodland Spa
Deep within the estate, the Woodland Spa stands as an intimate retreat designed to celebrate the art of slow travel. The experience begins with a walk through the botanical garden, where guests personally select and forage the aromatic herbs to be used in their custom beauty and wellness rituals.
The Botanical Lounge
The estate’s agricultural matrix naturally flows into the lounge bar, where the harvest shapes a liquid extension of the kitchen. Here, mixology turns botanical: the signature Ulìa Dirty infuses gin with the resort’s own olive oil, while Su Piricciou offers a zero-proof profile driven by wild herbs foraged across the property. By anchoring every experience to the slowness of the soil, Cascioni and Ulìa strip away modern distractions, revealing the raw, unhurried essence of contemporary Sardinian gastronomy.
Photos: Courtesy of Cascioni Eco Retreat, AROMI Press Office