Costa Smeralda

Famous worldwide for luxury tourism, Costa Smeralda was created in the sixties by Prince Karim Aga Khan IV. The territory of Costa Smeralda is famous for the colors of the sea that has transparencies green and turquoise. The coast presents small bays and white beaches surrounded by a dense maquis creating exciting contrasts of color. This territory was originally inhabited by peasants and shepherds and discovered by chance by the prince, who decided to create a tourist complex of quality for the jet set in the world. The Costa Smeralda is part of the towns of Arzachena and Olbia and it has dozens of luxury hotels and hundreds of exclusive villas. The unmistakable style of construction particularly sought fits perfectly into the landscape without upseting the characteristics. There are the famous golf course, the harbour with the adjoining marina among the most famous and equipped in the world. The tourist port of Porto Cervo is among the most equipped of the Mediterranean. It has 500 places and can accommodate boats of all sizes. Porto Cervo is the true center of the Costa Smeralda, is a harbour repaired, it has hotels, restaurants, shops, night clubs, golf courses. Life revolves around the famous square where during the summer season you can meet famous people of films and sports. In the area it is worth visiting San Pantaleo, agricultural-pastoral town nestled by tall granite cliffs.

Cala Gonone

Bathing location lying 9 km from Dorgali. It is reachable from Dorgali through a short tunnel in the mountain Bardia. Once you cross the tunnel you can admire the beautiful bay. The town has always had a tourist vocation. In the 800 it was the summer area of the middle class from Nuoro. Recently, tourism development has transformed the town into one of the most famous localities of Sardinia for its sea and the natural beauty of the reefs in the gulf. From the port of Cala Gonone leave boats leading to the nearby caves accessible only by sea such as the famous Grotta del Bue Marino, the beautiful Cala Luna as well as Cala Goloritze, famous for the spire that dominates the whole area and the transparent and cold water that flows into the bay from a water source.
Deserve a boat trip: Cala Luna, whose beach is among the most beautiful ones, with a refreshment point and in summer reached by boats departing from Santa Maria Navarrese and Cala Gonone. The beach is long about 800 mts. and behind it there is a small pond surrounded by a thick grove of beautiful oleanders. Around the beach there are several small caves. The Grotta del Bue Marino is accessible by boats departing from Cala Gonone. It is one of the most extensive and atmospheric caves of Sardinia. Monk seals were seen in the caves years ago. The cave has a development of about 5 km and it can be visited along an indicated path of approximately 900 m. The spectacle created by limestone concretions formed in times in the internal lakes is beautiful.

The Temple of Antas

The temple of Antas was built around the I millennium BC in on the mountain Omu Conca, near a limestone which was believed to have a sacred function. Built by the Carthaginians and subsequently restored by the Romans in the second century BC dedicated to the divinity Sid Addir Babai, object of adoration by the Sardinian peoples.
The temple is still well preserved and inserted in a valley particularly rich in vegetation and water. The presence of deposits of lead and iron had attracted Nuragic people and, subsequently, the Carthaginian and Romans. The succession of diverse populations has characterized the architectural development that represents different stratified eras.
Near the sacred building threre are still visible remains of a nuragic village with its characteristic C-shape huts. The environments of the village, as in many Nuraghic settlements, were surrounded by walls with access gates for men and wagons.
In the village were found several Nuraghic pieces such as equipment and jewelry that testify the cult to Sardus Pater Babai.

Holidays in Santa Teresa di Gallura

Overlooking the Strait of Bonifacio, just 14 km from Corsica, is located the famous seaside resort Santa Teresa di Gallura. Its population goes from about 5000 inhabitants during the winter to reach 10000 to 15000 with the arrival of the summer season. The town is famous for its beaches and cliffs of Capo Testa are one of the points of reference of tourism in northern Sardinia. From the port located in the village depart ferries to Bonifacio in Corsica. The origins of the town date back to the Nuraghic period. There are several archaeological sites in the vicinity of the town.
Attractions in the vicinity of Santa Teresa di Gallura: The beach of Rena Bianca, which in summer is almost always crowded, unlike other areas has generally hot water. Tomb of the giants of "Lu Brandali", ancient collective tomb of nuragic age, it is an important site from a historical and scientific point of view as the discoverings made in the aftermath of the excavations made it possible to determine the funerary rites and characteristic of collective innumation. It is worth a visit to the Church of San Vittorio and the Church Santa Lucia.

Holidays in Palau

Palau, in the past was a fraction of Tempio Pausania, municipality since 1959. Now it is part of the province of Olbia-Tempio. It is situated in the North-East of Sardinia in front of the archipelago La Maddalena which includes the islands of Maddalena, Caprera and Santo Stefano. In the past, its economy was based on sheep and agriculture, today it is a tourist locality famous worldwide for the beauty of the sea and the unmistakable characteristics of granite rocks and mountains shaped by the wind that often reproduce art forms (the most famous is "La roccia dell'orso" located at Capo d'Orso).
From Palau in a half hour drive it is possible to reach the Emerald Coast, famous tourist locality of Sardinia, where to shop (for those who can afford it) or simply make a visit to the port to see the spectacular boats docked. At Palau you can moor the boat in the marina which is a point of support for those who want to visit the archipelago with its pristine beaches. From the port also depart ferries for the island of La Maddalena and different ports of the Mediterranean.
Must visit in Palau:
The Tombs of the Giants, nuraghiche construction, "Li Mizzani" and "S'Aiacciu." The military fortress of Monte Altura. The Ethnographic Museum where to see the ancient tools of the first inhabitants of the village. The parish church of Palau realized with beautiful stained glass art by Odo Tinteri and Marino Sergiusti.

Holidays in Alghero

Alghero is a town in Sardinia with a lot of tourist and natural attractions. It is located in the North West part of Sardinia and exposed to the mistral wind. It is easily reachable by plane with the Alghero Fertilia airport located 12 km from the city, connecting the main cities of Italy and Europe. For those arriving by ship the closest port is Porto Torres.
The city, famous for tourism in Sardinia, has had a significant boost thanks to Low Cost flights that, especially through the airline Ryanair, land thousands of European citizens on the island.

Alghero is a village of Catalan origin located by the sea that allows you to fully enjoy the culture, traditions and natural beauties of Sardinia.

The visit of the city deserves a stop by the Spanish towers and ramparts.
Nearby it is certainly worth seeing the Nuraghe Palmavera, The necropolis of Anghelu Ruju, the caves of Nettuno, the mining center of Argentiera.

Among the beaches in the area the most famous that of Bombarde, located near Fertilia and characterized by cold and very transparent water.
For those who want to eat well, Alghero offers the opportunity to discover the cuisine specialties including Algherese whose most important place is taken by the Catalan lobster. We suggest the restaurant Al Tuguri.
For the drink, the cellar of Sella e Mosca offers a visit with wine tasting.

Welcome Post

Welcome to my first blog about holidays in the beautiful island of Sardinia.