A stunning seaside holiday

Founded in the 12th century, Alghero was later captured by the Catalan-Aragon, whose heritage remains in the dialect of Catalan spoken here, the architecture and the town’s nickname, Barceloneta, or little Barcelona. The cobbled Alghero old town centre, behind medieval sea walls, opens onto the blue waters of the bay, inviting you to the seaside. Once there, you’ll be enticed to discover the rest of the northern Sardinian coast, crossing to islands forested or rocky, delving into coves, relaxing on wide swathes of white sand and dining on seafood specialities in hillside and coastal villages.

History by the sea

The narrow streets of Alghero’s pedestrianised centro storico, or Ciutat, are decorated with lampions, birdcages, and flowerpots hanging on walls and across clotheslines, and open onto piazze where Gothic palaces reign and cafés spill out into the squares. The medieval Torre della Maddalena, the 16th-century campanile, or spire, of the Cattedrale di Santa Maria, and other towers rise above, marking the outlines of the city. Be sure to catch a glimpse of the dome of the 17th-century Chiesa di San Michele, covered in colourful maiolica tiles. Below the 16th-century sea walls, yachts and tour boats float in the harbour.

If you can’t wait to get to the beach, the closest to the historic centre is Spiaggia di San Giovanni. Beautiful beaches Bombarde and Mugoni are also close by, tucked into bays just beyond Alghero. If a dive into history is always on your travel itinerary, visit the necropolis of Anghelu Ruju, artificial caves from 4200 to 1800 BC, or the Nuraghe di Primavera, ruins of a 4000-year-old village. When you’re ready to venture out of Alghero, take the 25-kilometre drive along winding coastal roads to Capo Caccia. After you’ve soaked up the view over the Mediterranean from the clifftop, walk down to the caves of Neptune, grottoes over the water with stalactites. You can also visit them by boat from Alghero.

Alghero weather

You’ll be glad to hear that Alghero has a subtropical, Mediterranean climate, meaning warm summers and mild winters. That’s a year-round holiday destination – beaches in summer, cosy towns and villages in winter, nature walks in autumn and spring.