PHOTO: The ultra-exclusive Faro Capo Spartivento is located inside Sardinia's oldest working lighthouse.

The northern shores of Sardinia draw an international jet-set crowd with yachts and buzzy nightlife. Head farther south and your clients will come across an entirely different scene, one fueled by excursions through mountains and rivers, secluded beach clubs on white-sand coasts and luxurious boutique hotels.

Sardinia has long served as a favorite vacation destination for Europeans. Now, Americans who have already traveled to such Mediterranean hotspots as the Greek islands and Ibiza, Spain, are heading to this Italian island set between mainland France and Italy.

The island, the second largest in the Mediterranean Sea, has a personality, cuisine and language entirely of its own. Even Italians from the mainland can’t speak Sardinian. But tell your clients that English is one of the main languages spoken at the hotels.

Sardinia is about a four-hour drive from the north to the south, and features three airports. There aren’t any direct flights from the U.S., but there are multiple daily connecting flights from cities in Belgium, Italy, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, France and the U.K. There’s also ferry service from Italian cities like Naples, Genoa and Livorno.

Many hotels are seasonal, open from April through November, so rooms for prime summer months fill up by March. It may be time to look ahead to summer 2017. Here are three high-end properties in southern and central Sardinia to consider selling tour clients.

Faro Capo Spartivento

On the hour-long drive from Cagliari Airport, it may seem like the driver took a wrong turn as the car winds along narrow dirt roads to the southernmost tip of Sardinia. This six-room boutique hotel’s allure is its remote location and the building it’s housed in — the oldest lighthouse in Sardinia, dating to 1856. While the top half still functions as a lighthouse, the bottom two floors were transformed into spacious suites with views of the sea and surrounding hills.

Capo Spartivento feels more like a luxury guesthouse since it lacks typical hotel features like a lobby and restaurant. It does have a library and lounging areas decorated with finds from around the globe, such as tables from Turkey and crystal chandeliers from Murano, Italy. The maître d’ and chef work with guests to create custom seafood-heavy lunch and dinner selections served up to Michelin-starred standards, white tablecloths and all.

The main attraction is lounging indoors or on the infinity pool terrace. Your clients also can head down to the beaches by foot, bike or take a sailing trip to a secluded shore reachable only by boat.

Rates, which are commissionable, include breakfast and start at about $537 per night in low season (April-May and November-March) and $860 in July and August. Visit www.farocapospartivento.com.  

La Villa del Re

This five-star hotel on Sardinia’s southern coast is a favorite for couples, especially honeymooners. The majority of the guests are British, Scandinavian and German travelers who come for the beachfront location that’s a 20-minute drive from the nearest town.

Despite having only 52 rooms, La Villa del Re still has many amenities of a large resort; for example, it can arrange airport transfers in the house car - a Maserati. The restaurant and bar next to the infinity pool also serve guests on the hotel’s private beach, where attendants set up loungers and umbrellas in the sand (this service is included in the hotel rate.)

The average stay here is seven to 10 days. Although the property is equipped with only one restaurant, guests still opt to eat in most nights since the menu changes daily and features Sardinian fare with a gourmet flair. Dinner reservations are required, and most guests sit on the terrace overlooking the pool and sea.

Inspired by centuries-old Sardinian architecture, guestrooms have patios or balconies. While the hotel is designed more for adults, children 10 or older are welcome if the request is cleared with the reservations team.

Clients can arrange excursions to nearby caves or a kayak tour of Sardinia’s second-longest river, followed by a white tablecloth picnic with Prosecco.

Commissionable rates with breakfast start at $290 per night in the low season and $526 in peak months. Visit www.lavilladelre.com.

Su Gologone

Named after the springs that provide the hotel’s water, Su Gologone opened as a restaurant in the 1960s serving traditional Sardinian dishes such as suckling pig. Su Gologone has since expanded to include 68 guestrooms and suites on the sprawling estate between the mountains and the town of Oliena. This hotel draws more Americans, perhaps due to the celebrity factor (Madonna and Richard Gere are among those who’ve stayed here) or the food focus. The beach is a 30-minute drive away. Guests can also take hikes and visit archaeological sites.

Categorized as a four-star property, Su Gologone has many of the makings of a five-star hotel, from its spring water-filled pool to its chic Bar Tablao, a white canopy-covered lounge with sweeping mountain views.

The hotel is almost like a museum with its extensive collection of Sardinian art and artifacts. No two guestrooms are alike, with some featuring fireplaces and garden terraces, and others al fresco Jacuzzis. Guests also can sign up for hands-on courses to learn traditional Sardinian embroidery, jewelry making and ceramics. Commissionable rates start at $130 per person, per night, in the low season and $200 during peak season. Visit www.sugologone.it/en.