Alghero
The magical atmosphere of the city of Alghero and the natural beauty of its beaches are the favorite destinations for those who want to enjoy a real holiday of relaxation and fun.
Alghero is home to countless local, in many of them you can taste the specialties of Sardinian cuisine / Catalan, in others buy the famous coral of our Riviera, and in still others to spend unforgettable evenings with live music and a variety of attractions.
The Beaches Of Alghero
A riot of colors and hidden corners of paradise: this is how the west coast of Sardinia can be described. Here are the 10 best beaches in Alghero.
Bombarde beach
Thanks to the soft, white and thin sand, the Bombarde beach is one of the most famous and crowded in the area. Located just north of Lampianu, between Fertilia and Punta del Giglio, Le Bombarde offers excellent dining and relaxation services, in a heavenly atmosphere.
Maria Pia beach
Designed by small dunes of fine sand and centuries-old junipers shaped by the wind, the Maria Pia Beach is a naturalistic oasis of great value and beauty. 2 km from Alghero, the beach with its shallow seabed, transparent water and the pine forest that spreads like a green spot to the beach, is the ideal destination for those who love peace and simplicity.
Cala Dragunara
A small cove in the shadow of the imposing promontory of Capo Caccia, Cala Dragunara is the quintessence of the sea of Alghero. From here it is possible to take the ferry and immerse yourself in the Neptune Caves, an essential destination for anyone visiting Sardinia. The charm of the sea and the intense scents of the Mediterranean scrub make Cala Dragunara a sweet refuge of rare beauty.
Mugoni beach
Also known as the Bay of Water Lilies, the Mugoni Beach is one of the wildest and wildest destinations in Alghero. Located along the north coast of the Riviera del Corallo, the beach is adorned with a thick vegetation of pine and eucalyptus trees that guarantee shade and coolness all day long.
Lido beach in Alghero
Appreciated by tourists but also by the locals, the Lido di Alghero beach or Lido di San Giovanni extends for about 3 kilometers and offers a wide range of services. Starting from the historic center, continue towards the sea taking a pleasant walk along Via Lido.
La Speranza beach
About 8 kilometers south of Alghero, the Porto Poglina beach or commonly called La Speranza, is made up of pebbles and amber-colored sand and is an ideal destination for surfers, thanks to its waters exposed to the hot winds of Scirocco and Libeccio. .
Lazzaretto beach
In the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, the Torre del Lazzaretto stands out on the beach of the same name, characterized by light and fine sand and calm, cold water. Accessible from the Spiaggia delle Bombarde through the inlets, the Lazzaretto beach offers many small and precious coves, ideal for enjoying a sweet intimacy.
Porticciolo beach
The Porticciolo beach, located on the road between Sassari and Capo Caccia, is a half moon of sand set within Cala Viola where the great Saracen Tower built by the Spaniards stands out, from which you can contemplate a breathtaking landscape.
Punta Negra beach
A few steps from the hamlet of Fertilia, in a delightful bay surrounded by a high cliff and a lush pine forest, the Punta Negra beach is little frequented and suitable for all those who prefer to experience the sea in absolute rest and silence.
Tramariglio beach
Behind Monte Timidone, the small Tramariglio beach is hidden, formed by smooth pebbles and surrounded by a thick Mediterranean flora, where the homonymous tower, built in the fifteenth century, stands.
The Caves of Neptune
The cave of Neptune (Coves de Neptú in Catalan) is a karst formation located about 24 km from Alghero, on the north-west side of the Capo Caccia promontory, in the homonymous protected area of north-western Sardinia.
Given the particular location of the opening to access it, the entrance to the cave is only possible if the weather and sea conditions allow it. To access it there are two possibilities: via a staircase of 654 steps that winds along the wall of the Capo Caccia massif, the so-called Escala del Cabirol (in Catalan, “La scala del roe deer”, due to the particular conformation that climbs on the promontory), the work of the Sardinian architect, politician and poet Antoni Simon Mossa
The other possibility is by sea, departing from the port of Alghero or from the embarkation of the Dragunara pier in Porto Conte, this choice is recommended especially if you want to visit part of the coast and / or do not have the desire or possibility to do the 654 steps, a difficult task especially for the return. The ferry service is active daily in spring and summer and with lower frequencies in autumn and winter. Until 1959, the date of completion of the Escala del Cabirol, the cave of Neptune could only be visited from the sea, and therefore only accessible in calm sea conditions. This situation made many problems because the fame of the cave brought together many personalities in addition to tourists who at times were unable to visit it. As early as the 19th century, there were many very imaginative ideas and projects. The most common was to build a tunnel that, starting from the south side of Capo Caccia, a predominantly calm point especially with the dominant mistral wind, led to the cave. In the famous book by the traveler sir John Warren Tyndale The Island of Sardinia published at the end of the 19th century, Tyndale had proposed this solution, since despite a very prolonged stay in Alghero he could not visit it to his great frustration, and had to refer to the description of the other writer / traveler Alberto Ferrero Conte De La Marmora who wrote the book Voyage en Sardaigne.
The cave was discovered by a local fisherman in the 18th century, and has been a popular tourist attraction ever since. The cave takes its name from the Roman divinity of the sea, Neptune
What to do in Alghero?
Climbing: Scala del Cabirol a via ferrata.
Trekking/Walking: throughout the Park of Porto Conte.
Water Sports: Kitesurfing, Windsurfing in the beautiful Beach of Porto Ferro.
Scuba diving: at the numerous dive centers it is possible to rent equipment and organize diving in the crystal clear waters of the Gulf of Alghero.
Anghelu Ruju Necropolis
Discovered by chance in 1903, and explored in subsequent excavation campaigns until 1967, the site of Anghelu Ruju hosts one of the largest prehistoric cemeteries in Sardinia for the number of tombs found so far. A little less than 40 artificial caves (the famous “domus de janas”) dug into a rocky bank of soft sandstone used by different cultures starting from the Recent Neolithic up to the early Bronze Age. An archaeological site of absolute value, mysterious and fascinating, it takes the visitor to a place where respect for the cult of the dead blends with the respect for nature that these populations had and which, even today, is perceived intact.
In some environments it is still possible to admire enigmatic symbols of propitiatory rites and elements typical of the religiosity of the Neolithic and Eneolithic periods of the Mediterranean area thanks to the presence of bas-reliefs and engravings.
The architecture of these eternal residences is often enriched with details inspired by the houses of the living (steps, pillars, cornices, false architraves, false doors, false windows, etc.) and the mosses that today paint those walls, illuminated by the rays of the sun that they infiltrate and heat the hard stone in those depths where darkness did not mean darkness, they hide traces of red ocher, red like blood that symbolized life.
And it is precisely inside these small cells dug in the womb of Mother Earth that the deceased were buried with the useful and dear objects in life, stone and shell ornaments, vases, weapons and lithic or bronze tools and female idols that they had to accompany them on their journey to the afterlife. There is also evidence of the use of having funeral meals inside the cells and at the entrances of the tombs in honor of loved ones
Of particular interest: tomb A which has a door finely carved in the rock, with a fake architrave in relief, on which it is possible to admire the famous bull protomes or bull heads, a representation of the male divinity adored by ancient peoples and tomb XXVIII, which has carved on the sides of the door of the main cell the associated symbols of the divine couple “bull-goddess mother”, two taurine protomes with double horns and a schematized rectangle head with concentric engraved circles inside.
The entire complex is located in I Piani, 9 km from the sea in a vast plain crossed by the Rio Filibertu.
The finds are kept at the National Archaeological Museum of Cagliari and at the new Museum of the City of Alghero
How to get there: from Alghero take the SP 42, the so-called “road of the two seas” towards Sassari-Porto Torres. After having traveled it for approx. 6 km on the left, there is a large dirt car park where the entrance to the necropolis is located.
Opening Hours> every day from 10.00 to 14.00.
