Sardinia: Longevity by the Sea

Arrive in Sardinia’s capital, Cagliari, where coastal charm meets centuries of history. The first evening sets the stage: we’ll orient you to the week ahead, preview our longevity curriculum, together take a mindfulness walk along the beach, and begin building community over a shared dinner.

Begin with sunrise yoga by the sea, then step into history at the Nurachi Temples. Dr. Kerry Reding connects today’s patient lifestyle practices with Sardinia’s ancient patterns of diet and activity, while Dr. Ivo Pirisi highlights how small changes — from public health infrastructure to modern medicines — have benefitted people in the past century. The afternoon brings immersion with local artisans before a convivial dinner and evening lecture on balancing modern medicine with ancestral wisdom.

A morning meditation sets the tone for breakfast and a lecture on physical activity. From there, we walk the coast from the Tharros Towers to a quartz beach, foraging ingredients along the way. After a seaside lunch, Dr. Pirisi explores ancient genetics and modern health. The day concludes with a hands-on cooking lesson — preparing fregola and fresh fish  with foraged ingredients — with a dinner together enjoying the foods we’ve prepared.

After yoga and breakfast, Dr. Reding provides a lecture on nutritional epidemiology before we set out into the countryside. With Sardinian farmers, we’ll harvest olives, share lunch in the grove, and learn about the clinical and culinary benefits of olive oil with Dr. Pirisi. By evening, we arrive at Antichi Ovili, a mountain retreat, for rest, reflection, and a hillside meditation before dinner.

Yoga and breakfast open the day before we join local nonnas to knead and bake bread in a traditional grain mill. Dr. Reding provides a lecture on social support as medicine, while Dr. Pirisi connects this work to the glycemic index and metabolic health. After lunch, we visit a centerarian from the village and learn of her life growing up in Sardinia. Then we transfer to Hotel Miramonti, in the Blue Zone village of Seulo where we enjoy dinner together.

After breakfast, Dr. Reding links physical activity to long life before we hike with shepherds, share a farmhouse lunch, and learn cheese-making traditions. Dr. Pirisi’s lecture on the gut microbiome follows. Evening activities include an aperitivo lecture on social isolation, a lighthearted park workout with Antonello, and a guided walk through Seulo. Evening brings an aperitivo lecture on patient communication, followed by dinner and discussion on weaving these lessons into patient care.

Our final morning begins with a lecture on the synergies of nutrition, activity, stress reduction, and social connection all reinforce one another. Then we head to Cagliari, where we explore the vibrant San Benedetto Market, and explore Sardinia’s abundance. After lunch we discuss how to translate these lessons for patients. The program concludes at the University of Cagliari with a group dialogue, an interactive session, and aftercare planning — ensuring you return home with renewed energy and clear strategies for clinical practice.