Alghero Travel Guide

Red coral, stone bastions standing tall along the sea front and the sounds of the Catalan language. This is Alghero, or l’Alguer: a town on the northern coast of Sardinia. Of Genovese origins in the 13th century, Alghero was conquered in 1500 by the Catalanese-Aragonesi who left behind indelible traces of their culture, including the well-preserved towers and mighty walls which symbolise the city.

Walking around the narrow streets in the historic centre, you can find buildings in gothic Catalan, baroque and neoclassical styles. The numerous small churches stand in silent testimony to the religious spirit of the Algherese, and amongst them, you cannot fail to miss the brightly coloured cupola of the Church of San Michele, the patron saint of Alghero.

Head to one of the town's busiest parts, the Marinade les Barques, and you can still find groups of older people gathered along the quay and chatting in Catalan. Here you have a good view of the ancient walls and of Capo Caccia to the north, an enormous cliff that is positioned protectively around the Port of Conte. Here you can find white beaches alternating with rocky spurs that jut out into the sea.

10 Things to do and see
The Bastion Fortifications (in particular Marco Polo and Magellano)
A walk through the narrow streets
The Church of San Michele and the Church of Misericordia
The Ferrera Palace (whose famous guests include a visit from Emperor Carlo V in 1541)
Capo Caccia and Isola Foradada
Neptune's Cave
The little Gulf of Porto Conte
Bombarde and Lazzaretto beaches
The traditional villages of Palmavera and Sant’Imbenia
The Necropolis of Anghelu Rui

Events in Alghero

January
Cap d’Any
Fireworks displays reflecting onto the sea, concerts performed from the fortified walls of the city: this is the festival of Cap d'Any, or the Algherese New Year. It is a celebration well-known not only in Sardinia, but also throughout Italy and even Spain where the festivities attract visitors every year particularly from Barcelona. The programme of events usually includes concerts in the port area, Catalan street performances and the typical masked parades of a Sardinian carnival.

March - April
One of the main events in the church calendar is that of Holy Week, celebrated around Easter time. A week of festivities including a night time procession where worshippers carrying red paper lanterns chant prayers and psalms, filling the streets of Alghero. The star of the procession is the precious wooden crucifix 'Sant Christus' rumoured to have been recovered from a shipwreck near Porto Conte and kept in the Misericordia Church. 'Jermans Blancs', who are members of the Fraternity of Misericordiosi, lead the procession wearing hooded cloaks.

Local Food and Drink

Aragosta alla Catalana (Catalan Lobster)
This is a delicious cold dish. Two lobsters (a male and female) are boiled in salted water, then served in a local sauce topped with lemon juice and a little vinegar.

Wine
All of Alghero is renowned for its white and red wines. An excellent accompaniment to the high quality lobster which is a speciality of this coast is Torbato, a white wine that goes well with sea food, especially shellfish.

Spotlight on Neptune's Caves
Amongst the treasure hidden inside the enormous caves are brightly coloured stalactites and small lakes all set beneath Capo Caccia, a cliff that stands 110 metres high. Here, until a short time ago, still lived a colony of rare seals. The caves have been used since Paleolitico times and inside you can still see prehistoric graffiti that dates back at least 7000 years. To reach the entrance you can walk down all of the 650 steps of the Cabirol Staircase, or take a boat trip from Alghero.

How to reach Alghero
Alghero is found in a small gulf on the coast of north west Sardinia.
By air: The main airport of Alghero Fertilia is just a few kilometres away and there is an 'Arst' bus shuttle to the town centre. However they are not very frequent and you may wish instead to hire a car. There are daily flights from Milan, Rome and all the main Italian cities and during the summer, you can also fly from many European destinations using the budget airline Ryanair direct to Alghero. Easyjet also flies to Olbia, which is around 100 km away from Alghero.
By boat: The nearest port is Porto Torres, roughly ten kilometres away. From here there are daily crossings from Genova. You can also travel by boat from Marseille, Toulon, Barcelona and Ajaccio in Corsica.
By car:
From Sassari, about 30 km on the SS-127
From Olbia, take the SS-199 to Oschiri then the SS-597, following signs to Sassari. However please note that this is not an easy road to drive and can be very heavy with traffic during the summer months.
From Porto Torres: follow street signs to the port and then take the SP- S42.
From Cagliari it is a journey of around 220 km. Take the SS-131 to Sassari and then the SS-127.
Other: From Alghero, you can travel to Sassari, Olbia and more far reaching parts of the island by train or bus.
Note: From Sassari you can take the 'Little Green Train', an 18th century steam train that goes into the heart of the unspoilt countryside providing stunning views. The journey from Sassari-Nulvi-Palau crosses through the area of Anglona to edge of the Smerelda Coast at Gallura.