Alghero Fly Drive: Things to See & Do Around Alghero, Sardinia
The great thing about Sardinia is……actually there are many great things about Sardinia which is why doing a fly/drive style escape here is ideal. Not only do you get to delve into its rich historical past, laze around on perfect, sandy beaches and dine on fabulous, fresh seafood but you can do it all with a sense of wild, abandonment.
No matter which Sardinia airports you fly into, Alghero Airport in the northwest, Cagliari Airport in the south or Olbia Airport in the northeast, it is possible to arrange car hire. If your choose to start your gypsy-esque adventure in the northwest though, the Aghero Airport car hire companies are AM Service, Avis, Easy, Europcar, Hertz, Maggiore, Midarent, Ruviolo, Sardinya, Sicily and Thrifty.
Alghero itself is a great place to start, although not the most traditionally Sardinian. This area is heavily influenced by the Catalonians, with Catalan still the official language. Although a Mecca for sun worshippers and marine enthusiasts with a wide range of water sports available from windsurfing through to yachting, Sardinia is packed full of archaeological and architectural wonders that are worth exploring.
Possibly the closest of these treasures and not far from Sardinia Alghero Airport itself is Anghelu Ruju, a necropolis discovered only in 1903. This network of underground tombs date back to Neolithic times and are intricately decorated inside with pillars, fascias and even bulls´ heads. Although the findings have been removed, replicas can be found at the Museo e Tenuta Vitivinicola situated 1km further up the Porte Torres road. There are no refreshments on sale at the tombs however so if you plan to have a good look round bring your own refreshment with you. Tickets cost around 2 euros.
A 45 minute drive further north up the coast is Argentiera, an old abandoned mining town. From the Roman era until as late as 1963, silver was mined here, when production ceased as the source ran out. Everything that was once used, from the shafts to the miners´ quarters and chapel, remain intact but without human occupation the atmosphere is eerie and unsettling.
If the experience at Argentiera leaves you with a chill, then head to the powder white beach of La Pelosa, near Stintino, an hour´s drive from Algherro on the northwestern tip. Tourists are well-catered for here with restaurants and cafes. From here though there is also an option to go totally native by hiring a boat across to the beaches of the Asinara National Park where small albino donkeys, wild sheep and pigs roam.
Going in the other direction, travelling south on the SP49 for 45 minutes from Alghero, is Bosa. The only river side town in the whole of Sardinia, Bosa is relatively unspoilt by tourism and provides a wonderful way to wile away an afternoon strolling through the cobbled streets and admiring the charming squares and 16th century grand houses. Overlooking the town is the Castello Malaspina, the remains of a medieval fortress, and to the south is the Cathedral, whose mixed heritage of styles affords it a great example of rococo architecture. Wander down to the marina for lunch and admire the stunning Spanish Watchtower while you eat.
An hour on and you come to Tharros, an archaeological treat. Founded in the 8th century BC by the Phoenicians and later inhabited by the Romans before being abandoned in 1000AD, the area is now treated as an open air museum where you can walk around the tophet (outdoor sacred area), baths, temple, houses and artisan workshops. Excavations are still being done here and much of the artifacts discovered are displayed at the Antiquarium Arborense Museum in nearby Oristano, worth a visit in itself for its for its elaborate Gothic and baroque architecture and home to the famous equestrian tournament in February called Sartiglia. If you´re ready to visit a beach again then the popular Torre Grande is minutes away and has the biggest tower in Sardinia with a base diameter of almost 20m.
Back in Alghero and a trip to this thriving port would not be complete without a visit to the Grotta di Nettuno (Neptune´s Grotto). The caverns can be reached by boat or by road and are located at the bottom of 656 steps cut into the cliff wall. The views are spectacular both on the way down, looking out over the sea, and once inside as the stalactites and stalagmites are lit up to for maximum impact. Tours last around 45 mins and cost approximately 10 euros.
Michelle Elkins
http://www.articlesbase.com/destinations-articles/alghero-fly-drive-things-to-see-do-around-alghero-sardinia-734025.html
March 12th, 2010 at 12:13 am
SARDINIA-anyone been? recommend hotels? what areas?
*4 adults (2 couples late 20’s) flying into alghero end of july for a week.
*dont mind staying in 1 area for a few nights and another area for the rest of the hol.
*has anyone been to sardinia and driven around the island? dont want mad nightlife but do want good bars to go to.
*would like to fit a few things into the week but nothing too hetic, we want a relaxing enjoyable week.
*none of us are into spending the day lying on a beach getting burnt alive but we would like to swim or snorkle!
*expensive hotels are totally out!
*heard COSTA SMERALDA , CAGLIARI, OLBIA, and ALGHERO are good places to visit so i would love any info or ideas/attractions to see/stay/do in these areas.
*THANKS A MILLION FOR ANY IDEAS OR FEEDBACK FROM ANYONE THAT HAS BEEN ON A SIMILAR HOLIDAY.
March 12th, 2010 at 5:15 am
Compliments for your choice, because Sardegna is by far one of the most beatiful sea-side locations in Europe. I’ve been there two times, both in the north and south part of the island, and i loved it. Sea is very beatiful, there’re a lot of wonderful beaches, has a very nice nature..etc.
First of all, the island is quite big, but the roads are in good shape, so you can easily travel around by car. The most famous place is Costa Smeralda and is full of VIPs from all around the world. You can easily see an Arab prince, or a European politician, or an actor, or a top biz man. Accordingly, it’s the most expensive part of the island. In terms of night life, this is the best place. Still keep in mind that, it’s not a wild night life, considering the profile of the visitors. It’s more like; let’s eat in a good restaurant, walk on the port, hang around in a bar, or join one of the parties on one of the big VIP boats anchored in the port (if u can)…
If you’re around there in Costa Smeralda, i’d strongly recommend renting a small boat during the day, and spending at least a couple of hours traveling from one port to the other (Porto Cervo, Porto Rotondo etc…). As the island is big, this is a very efficient way to see the beauties of the island.
South is different, more silent. South is more for people who enjoy only-beach vacations. Cagliari is the capital city which is located in the south. I didn’t find it very interesting, and wouldn’t recommend spending time there if u only have 1 week to visit all the island.
In the south, i also went to this small island attached to Sardegna, named Carlo Forte, and I found it quite qute, and enjoyable too.
Let’s get back to north. Hotels in Costa Smeralda are normally quite expensive, as it’s a VIP location. Check these web sites, also in english.
http://www.shg.it/en/tariffe_individuali/
http://www.booking.com/region/it/sardegna.en.html
Unfortunately i’m not into snorkling, so i can’t give u any ideas on this. But considering the sea, it’s 95% of the time very clean, beautiful, and enjoying. I spent a total of 3 weeks in Sardegna, and can easily say that 1 week is not enough to see it. Enjoy ur trip….. Ciao…
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March 12th, 2010 at 5:17 am
Ciao! ^^
Alghero is very nice too and on the North there are many other nice places to visit too. On the Est there are Orosei and Tortolì, for example. About Cagliari, the place where I’m living now because of University, I can say, it’s a nice city. The sea is, on the contrary, not very enjoyable, because they fail to clean the water and the sand. Moreover is often full of people and it could be not so relaxing to go there. On the West coast, the sea is not as beautiful as on the other areas. But there are still some nice places, like Bosa.
I’m happy to see finally someone asking about my Sardinia!
I come from Sardinia and I live here. I can honestly say that almost everything XYZ said, is true. The sea here is really beautiful, the beaches (most of them) are clean, the nature is fabulous, then the food is delicious (Don’t forget: we’re stillItalian! ^^ ) and people are very friendly!
If you don’t have such a big amount of money to spend, you’d better not to spend much time on the Costa Smeralda, but just to go and take a look!
My favourite place ever, also because I have such sweet memories of that place, is Costa Rey. This place is on the South-Estern of Sardinia. There is a very long beach, with a wonderful sea! The city of Costa Rey is very enjoyable too and offers several different proposals for free time to the tourists.
Go and take a look, it seems to be a nice and complet web-site:
http://www.discover-sardinia.com
Enjoy my island!
Best greetings! Ciaooooo!
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March 12th, 2010 at 5:19 am
I’d definitely recommend the Costa Smeralda; it’s incredible, a surreal experience. And it’s really not all that expensive. With four people, you could easily rent an apartment for a week. Palau would be a good choice to look. You can rent a car and drive inland, and don’t miss the Maddalena archipelago. Snorkeling, windsurfing, everything you could want. Unfortunately you’re going in peak season, but if you start looking now you might find something. Sardinia is magnificent.
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