Alghero

A Catalan-flavored old town in northwest Sardinia with sea walls, famous for coral jewelry and lobster, near the spectacular Neptune's Grotto and Capo Caccia cliffs and Stintino's Caribbean-like beach.

Alghero lies on the northwest coast of Sardinia, Italy, in the province of Sassari, and is the main town of the "Coral Riviera". Ruled by the Crown of Aragon and Catalonia from the 14th century, it still has residents who speak Catalan, bilingual street signs, and an old town and cuisine with a distinctly Spanish flavor, earning it the nickname "Little Barcelona of Sardinia". Sightseeing falls into three parts. First, the old town ringed by sea walls, where you can walk between the cathedral, the Church of San Francesco and the colorful-domed Church of San Michele, and watch the sunset from the ramparts. Second, Porto Conte bay and Capo Caccia to the west, with Neptune's Grotto, beaches such as Le Bombarde and nuraghe ruins. Third, day trips: north to La Pelosa beach in Stintino and Asinara island; south along the coastal road to the colorful town of Bosa; and to Castelsardo and the Valle dei Nuraghi. The best season is May–Oct, with Jun–Sep ideal for swimming; Jul–Aug is crowded and pricey, and boat trips to Neptune's Grotto and entry to La Pelosa should be arranged in advance. Alghero-Fertilia Airport is about 10 km north of town, with direct flights from many European cities and an airport bus; sights are spread out, so renting a car is strongly recommended. Plan on 3–5 days. Local specialties include Catalan-style lobster, sea urchins and Vermentino white wine.

Top sights

• Alghero Old Town – A seaside old town with a strong Catalan flavor, full of stone-paved lanes, bilingual street signs, and coral jewelry shops. Often called t…
• Alghero Sea Walls (Bastioni) – A 16th-century seaside walkway along the city walls. Looking west toward Capo Caccia and the bay at sunset, it is Alghero’s most romantic s…
• Neptune's Grotto – A huge stalactite sea cave beneath the cliffs of Capo Caccia, with an underground saltwater lake inside. You can enter by boat or descend a…
• Capo Caccia – A limestone headland jutting into the sea, with white cliffs nearly 200 meters high dropping straight into the water. From here you can loo…
• La Pelosa Beach – A beach of white sand and shallow water at Stintino, in the northwest corner of Sardinia. The water is as clear as the Caribbean, and a 16t…
• Alghero Cathedral (Santa Maria) – A cathedral begun in the 16th century, whose octagonal Catalan Gothic bell tower marks the skyline of the old town; you can climb it for vi…
• Church of San Francesco, Alghero – A 14th-century Catalan Gothic church with a two-level stone cloister, where concerts are often held in summer.
• Church of San Michele, Alghero – A Jesuit church at the southern end of the old town, whose dome covered in coloured majolica tiles glitters in the sunlight, making it the…
• Torre di San Giovanni – A 16th-century defensive round tower on the eastern side of the old town, once used as a prison and now an exhibition space, with a view ov…
• Alghero Coral Museum – A coral-themed museum housed in a Liberty-style villa, telling the story of the red coral harvesting and craft traditions of Alghero's “Cor…
• Porto Conte Regional Natural Park – A nature park around the Porto Conte bay, including the New Tower, the Prigionette wildlife reserve, and the Monte Timidone hiking trails.
• Punta Giglio – A headland on the east side of Porto Conte bay, where a trail winds through Mediterranean scrub to a WWII gun battery ruin, facing the clif…
• Nuraghe di Palmavera – A Bronze Age nuraghic stone village about 10 km from the city, with a main tower, a council hall, and remains of more than 50 round stone h…
• Necropolis of Anghelu Ruju – One of Sardinia's largest prehistoric “Domus de Janas” rock-cut tomb complexes, with 38 tombs dating back about 5,000 years, some carved wi…
• Sella & Mosca Winery – A renowned Sardinian winery founded in 1899, offering cellar tours and a small museum among its vast vineyards, along with tastings of Verm…
• Le Bombarde Beach – A pine-fringed beach northwest of Alghero, with fine sand and clear turquoise water, one of the most popular beaches near the city.
• Lazzaretto Beach – A series of small sandy coves separated by rocky outcrops, with shallow clear water, views toward Capo Caccia, and a location next to Le Bo…
• Mugoni Beach – A long, narrow beach at the inner end of Porto Conte bay, with waters as calm as a lake, ideal for family swimming and stand-up paddleboard…
• Maria Pia Beach – A long sandy beach north of the city centre, where dunes and pine woods meet the sea, reachable on foot or by bike from the old town.
• Lake Baratz – Sardinia's only natural lake, surrounded by dunes and pine woods, with a walk to the wild Porto Ferro beach nearby.
• Argentiera – An abandoned silver and lead mining village by the sea, with wooden ore-processing works and miners' housing facing the ocean, part of Sard…
• Asinara National Park – A national park on an island once used as a high-security prison, famous for its wild white donkeys and pristine bays, accessible only by b…
• Bosa – A hilltop town of colourful houses stacked along the Temo River, crowned by the Malaspina Castle, with stunning views along the coastal roa…
• Castelsardo – A medieval hilltop town on a seaside promontory, with a weaving museum in the Doria Castle and the nearby Elephant Rock.
• Nuraghe Santu Antine – One of Sardinia's largest nuraghe stone towers, with a well-preserved three-storey corbelled dome and a circular gallery, known as the “Hou…
• Monte d'Accoddi – A rare prehistoric stepped altar in the Mediterranean, resembling a Mesopotamian ziggurat and dating back about 5,000 years.

Where to eat

• Il Pavone – Seafood restaurant in the old town with sea views, opened in 1979 and recommended by the Michelin Guide; its classic Sa…
• La Saletta – Alghero's top-ranked local fine-dining restaurant, offering seasonal tasting menus that blend Sardinian and Catalan fla…
• Al Refettorio – Small old-town eatery in a narrow lane, almost always full, with both seafood and Sardinian meat dishes at prices frien…
• La Cullera – Family-run restaurant by the city walls, where handmade Sardinian culurgiones and seafood fregola are the most praised…
• Mabrouk Seafood – Set-menu seafood spot in a quiet corner of the old town, serving generous portions based on the day's catch, with no or…
• Agriturismo Sa Mandra – Countryside farm restaurant near the airport, serving a set multi-course meal of Sardinian suckling pig, homemade chees…

Itineraries

• Sardinia Grand Loop Road Trip – Fly into Cagliari and out of Olbia, journeying from the Nuragic ruins to La Maddalena and the Gulf of Orosei.