If you want to take a quintessential European vacation but can’t decide if you want to be by the mountains or by the sea, Sardinia is the perfect culmination of everything you could want.

The famous Italian island surrounded by both the Mediterranean Sea and the Tyrrhenian Sea, Sardinia has a lot to offer to its visitors. A bilingual region that speaks both Italian and its native Sardinian, the island is famous for its beautiful untouched landscapes and vestiges of the ancient Nuragic civilization.

Sardinia was a long-awaited trip for us–and we couldn’t have been more excited to finally get there from mainland Italy. Upon arrival, my husband Chris and I rented a car and embarked on a scenic, rural road trip to our country chic style, adults only hotel (La Villa del Re) which overlooks the Tyrrhenian Sea. The luxury of the accommodations–which included exquisite sea or garden views, and balconies or terraces for upgraded rooms–was only heightened by the fact that it was nestled in the picturesque Sardinian countryside.

We enjoyed taking advantage of their loaner bikes, and indulging in afternoon tea. In the evenings, we enjoyed the sea or listened to the smooth jazz they played at the hotel–there wasn’t too much to do in the hotel’s surrounding area, which was fine by us.

Since we had the rental car, we decided to embark on a roadtrip to the famous Porto Cervo. I had heard that the port–known for its marina and the quaint town of less than 200 full-time residents–was a place of significant natural beauty and Moorish-style architecture. There’s also a nightclub and gold club there, if that’s your speed.

Our speed is more decadent food and drink, so we stopped in for lunch at Myrto Restaurant at Costa Smeralda. It was a truly unforgettable experience–especially if you’re an architecture/interior design nerd like me–with great wine all around.

Now let’s talk fashion: obviously, Italy is a fashion capital and while Porto Cervo was no Milan, it still had plenty of luxury brands to choose from. But the real treat was finding local Sardinian merchants and seeing the unique styles they had to offer. I bought a silk double-sided floral ‘magic’ skirt from an amazingly beautiful and fashionable woman selling them right on the beach (she referred to it as magic because you can wear the garment as a pareo or as a dress).

Vacation fashion is part of the fun for me, and I wanted to be sure that I incorporated a lot of Sardinia’s natural colors into my everyday looks. The ever-changing color of the sea inspired me to get into full green mode, from my contact lenses to this crochet dress, which is such a summer vacation staple. To emulate the deep pinks and oranges of Sardinia's buildings, I wore a ton of orange in all its shades, from my bright manicure to my shirts and dresses with floral prints. To balance these bright colors, I paired my outfits with notes of beige.

All in all, we loved Sardinia–it’s the perfect spot for newlyweds, and those who love the sea and want to experience some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.