What to see in Alghero

The most characteristic town of Sardinia offers an infinite number of places to visit. Its privileged position makes Alghero one of the most popular resorts on the island. Located on the north-western coast of Sardinia, it has beautiful beaches, parks and natural reserves perfect for trekking.

Obviously you cannot miss a walk in the beautiful Alghero Old Town where you can admire one of the most beautiful sunsets in the Mediterranean.

If you are in Northern Sardinia, Alghero is the place to visit. The city where Catalan is still spoken and everything seems to take you back to the past of the Alguer vella.

5 Things you shouldn’t miss

The Old town
The Beaches
Porto Conte Park
The Neptune’s Caves
Palmavera Nuragic village

1. The Old Town

Narrow alleys, cobbled streets and hidden corners from which you can glimpse the splendid sea of the Alghero Gulf. It is undoubtedly one of the most characteristic and fascinating parts of Alghero. Many places including bars and restaurants where you can eat local specialties, coral shops and botteghe.

The Catalan influence of Alghero can also be spotted from the streets name that have both the writing in Italian and Catalan. From the ramparts you can admire the old cannons, the reconstruction of wooden catapults, used as defence against the enemy coming from the sea.

Take your time to be visit calmly on foot, observing the historic buildings and churches. The visit requires at least half a day, or a full day to access the most important museums of the city: the Coral Museum and the Archaeological Museum.

5 Things to see in the Alghero Old Town

2. The beaches

The beauty of Alghero also goes through its beautiful beaches. Most are concentrated in the north towards the Porto Conte Park. A succession of beaches, bays and coves that start from the city center and continue beyond the hamlet of Fertilia.

The Lido San Giovanni beach is located in the center and is often chosen by families with children for its calm, warm and shallow waters. Not far from the urban center there are the splendid dunes of Maria Pia. Fine white sand and deep blue colored waters.

Beyond the hamlet of Fertilia we find the famous beaches of Le Bombarde and Lazzaretto beach. Here the waters are much colder and have ultra-transparent colors.

In the direction of Porto conte, Mugoni, is the long beach famous for its unmistakable view of the Capo Caccia promontory. A fundamental stop is the beach of Porto Ferro, for the amber color of its sand and its wild and uncontaminated aspect.

The best Alghero’s beaches

3. Porto Conte Park

The inlet of Porto Conte is the only true natural harbor in Sardinia. Totally unspoiled has truly impressive natural sceneries. The territory of the park includes a large area from the nuragic village of Palmavera to the promontory of Capo Caccia.

Among the numerous paths suitable for excursions, we recommend those of Punta Giglio, near Maristella and the Prigionette towards Capo Caccia. The hike allows you to discover the cliffs, the Mediterranean scrub and the typical fauna of this place: partridges, hares, mouflons, fallow deer, donkeys and little horses of the Giara.

On the road that leads to the Grotte di Nettuno, we recommend a stop at the Capo Caccia viewpoint from which to admire the splendid Foradada island. Going there at sunset is the ideal time to capture one of the most beautiful sunsets in Sardinia.

The best hikes in Alghero

4. The Neptune Caves

A must on what to see in Alghero are the famous Neptune’s Caves. Visited every year by thousands of tourists, they can be reached both by sea and by land. Using the ferry departing from the port of Alghero you arrive at the entrance located at the base of the imposing promontory. The boat trip is very suggestive as it allows you to observe the whole coast of Alghero and the bay of Porto conte.

An alternative is the escala del cabirol, a suggestive staircase set on the cliff walls. An experience not to be missed even though it is quite demanding: facing its 656 steps is not really a walk, especially on the way back!

The grotto has several stalactites and stalagmites as well as a freshwater lake: La Marmora lake. The visitable route is about 1km long even if the interior is much larger.

If you want to know more visit the page the Alghero Neptune’s caves where you can find all the information on how to get there, opening hours, ticket prices.

5. The Nuragic Village of Palmavera

One of the historical heritages of Sardinia are the nuraghi. On the island there are approximately 7000 nuraghi of different sizes, simple mono-towers or the most complex villages.

The Palmavera Nuraghe is a real nuragic village and is one of the most visited in Sardinia. In order of size, is the second only to “Su Nuraxi” the nuragic village of Barumini.

This place deserves to be placed on the list of what to see in Alghero. Thanks to the info panels you will find lots of useful information on the history and origin of the Nuraghe, but it is advisable to book a guided tour for a more complete and suggestive experience.

Its position makes it easy to reach from Alghero because is only a few minutes from the most beautiful beaches in the area (less than 1km from Lazzaretto beach). You can also visit the interior of the towers that intrigue for both complexity and simplicity of the buildings that have stood intact for over 3000 years.