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Foreign hello, my name is Claudia and I was born and raised in Sardinia and still call it home. I am the mastermind behind the Sweetly Sardinia Travel Blog and now the Sweetly Sardinia Podcast, where each week I will bring you the best of Sardinia and share my most useful tips that will help you plan a memorable trip to my wonderful island. Today I want to talk to you about a place that is everyone loves. It's a very popular weekend destination for Sardinians. It's a very popular holiday destination for Italian and foreign tourists too. Everyone loves Alghero. Alghero is the Catalan enclave of Sardinia. With around 50,000 people, it's the fifth largest city on the island and a lovely place to visit. Let me start by sharing a little bit about the origins of Alghero. Well, first of all, its original name was La Alguerium, or La Alger in Catalan, the language that is still spoken in the city. The name referred to an algae that was found on the coast, and the city was founded in the 11th century by the Genoese, and then it was nothing more than a fishing village, but it had a very favorable position along the coast, you know, northwest of Sardinia, so that conquerors arrived and went one after the other. In 1353, the Catalans arrived for the first time in Alghero, and the local population was forced to move to the nearby Villa Nova Monteleone, which, by the way, is a really beautiful place to visit and really lesser known, including to Sardinians. In 1720, the city fell to the Savoy and became part of the Kingdom of Sardinia. The people that lived in Alghero further decreased after the heavy bombings of 1943, but the city gained momentum in tourism starting in the 1960s, and it hasn't lost it since. It's just a fun place to visit. Let's discover what makes Alghero so special. Well, first of all, it's very easy to reach. Alghero has an airport, and if you remember when I talked to you about how to get to Sardinia, that airport is very well connected to mainland Italy and to many other cities in Europe with direct flights. And if you're coming from North America, you fly via Rome, and there are plenty of flights to Alghero every day. Now, once you are in Alghero, what can you enjoy? Well, first of all, my recommendation is to just go for a walk along the historical center. There are the city walls that protect the city known as Basioni. They were built in the 16th century, and they run from Porta Amare, one of Bulgaria's gates, to Piazza Sulis where you can admire the Sulis tower. Along the Bastioni you can observe all the watchtowers. Torre San di San Giacomo, Torre della Polveriera, Torre di San Telmo. What I really recommend doing is to go there in time for sunset. The view the sunset from Alghero bastions are stunning. Make sure to overlook. To your right is going to be the Capocaccia promontory that it's a beautiful place to see. Also in the historical center you will find the 16th century Catalan Gothic Santa Maria Church which overlooks the Piazza del Duomo. The interior is in Renaissance and Baroque styles. And next to the cathedral there's a bell tower where you can go up. Now, it's not always open, but when it is you can just admire beautiful views of the city. Other churches that you may want to visit include San Francesco Church, which is dating from the 14th century and it's in Catholic Gothic style. And Santa Barbara Church, the oldest one in Alghero. San Michael Church, another one. And you should hang out in the Piazza Civica which is next to the Porta Amare. It's a very busy place where locals and tourists go out and about. It's nice with boutiques and cafes. And on the ground floor of Palazzo Dabis you will find the Cafe Constantino, which is one of the most popular places to hang out in the city. Now, because Alghero is on the coast. Of course, one of the best things to do in Alghero is a boat tour. They run typically from May until the very end of September. So if you're coming here in April, chances are you will be able to find anything. But if you are coming in the picturesque season, just make sure that you hop on a boat and enjoy a boat tour. Now, these tours go along the coast. Usually they stop in the Ponto, Porto Conte and Capocaccia area where you can go snorkeling. It's a lovely place to see. Some of them also go around Isola Floridada, which is not far from Capocaccia. They go to Capo Galera. They stop by Bombarde and Lazzaretto beach, which are the two most famous beaches in Alghero. And they also have dolphin watching tours. Now these tours depart from the harbor of Alghero. It's best that you book them in advance. Don't worry, I will send you the links in the description of this podcast episode so you know where to book. Exactly. Let's continue. Another thing that you should do in Alghero now, if you obviously are interested in this is visit the Museo del Corallo, the Coral Museum. Alghero is the capital of what we call Riviera del Corallo, the Coral Riviera of Sardinia. So obviously coral has a big part in its history and in its culture. There are lots of coral jewelry in the city center, which are a nice gift to bring home. And speaking of gifts, shopping is one of the nicest things to do. In Alghero. There isn't so much of an offer. The city is small, as I said, but they have some really cute shops. This is where Antonio Marras, one of Italy's most popular designers, has his atelier because it's from here. So, you know, pop in. It may be a bit too expensive to buy anything, but just take a look and see if there's anything that catches your attention and that you can bring home. Try local food and wine. Obviously, food and wine are amazing, delicious in Sardinia. And Alghero being one of the most important tourist hubs that's packed with great restaurants. One dish that you need to try while here is lobster. And they make it in a specific way alla catalana, Catalan style lobster, you know, it's served with slices of tomatoes and very thin onions. And there are many places that serve it, but they're best booked in advance. Now, if you like wine, there are plenty of vineyards around Alghero that you can explore and where you can go wine tasting. My top recommendation is Sella Emosca Winery, which is Sardinia's most famous winery and its largest. It was founded in 1899 and you can go here on guided wine tasting experiences that last up to three hours. I've done it with my friend. I want to say that we ended up being a little bit tipsy after the tour, but, you know, it was worth it. And you can also buy wines that you can bring home. My favorite, Marchese Villa Marina. That's an excellent red wine. When it comes to places where you can eat in Alghero, there are so many, I'm trying to think. One that I really like is Nautilus. It has a great location overlooking the harbor, delicious food, quality seafood. It's a very. It's kind of a fancy place, so you will want to book in advance. It's not cheap. If you manage to get a table on the terrace, you' get amazing views. I also like Trattoria al Refetorio, which is in the historic center of Alghero. It's, you know, in one of those narrow alleys. They really have delicious dishes and desserts and Trattoria Lo Romani, which has more of a home feeling. And their food is really comforting and tasty. Obviously, being Alghero on the coast, the best thing to do there in the summer is visiting a beach. And there are so many that are so pretty. The most famous one are Le Bombarde and Ilazareto. Now they are next to each other, so if you're. If you don't want to stop at one, you can stop at the other and you can, you know, walk from one to the other in the middle of the day if you so wish. They're easy to reach from Alghero by public bus. Obviously there's also a car park day are so popular, they get extremely packed in the summer months. Now, one thing I have to tell you is that water in this part of the island of Sardinia, I mean, it's quite cold. You know, I heard people saying or complaining that water in Alghero is cold. Yes, it is slightly colder than in other places in Sardinia. So if swimming is the main thing you have in mind for your holiday in Alghero, probably try to time your holiday around, I want to say at least July or August best, even if in September, because the water has had time to warm that. To warm up throughout the summer months. Other beaches that you can be that you can visit. I love Mogoni. Mogoni is part of Porto Conte Nature Reserve. It's a stretch of fine sand, clear waters, backed by a lovely pine forest with views of Capocaccia. It's a bit more local, you know, it doesn't get as crowded as the Le Bombarde or Lazaretto beach in town. Stop at Maria Pia, which is on the way to Alghero airport or to Lido di San Giovanni. It's the urban beach of Alghero. It's perfect. If you're in a rush, you just want to go there for a few hours, take in the sun, swim a little bit. It's nice. Now, from Alghero you can also reach other beaches that are among the most popular in Sardinia. 1 Pelosa, it's an hour drive north. Now, remember what I told you before when I talked about the best beaches in Sardinia? This is a protected beach. You cannot just show up there and expect to just walk and, you know, place your umbrella? No, you have to book this in advance. And there's a series of rules that you have to respect when you're visiting, including, you know, you cannot lay down your towel. You need to have one of these microfiber towels or have a stray mat. You cannot smoke. So there's a lot going on here. I have a post that explains everything you need to know. I'll make sure to pop it in the description of this episode podcast episode so that you know how where to read it. There's also L. Argentiera beach which is It's a bit more local. It's nice and isolated. It never gets crowded. The main beach thing to know about it is that it's highly exposed to the mistral wind and when the mistral wind is blowing, you really need to avoid it. You cannot even get close to the water. Other things to do in Take a Sunset walk in Capocaccia Alghero is probably the best sunset location in Sardinia because it's on the west coast and I've already told you about admiring the sunset from the Bastioni overlooking Capocaccia. Now it's even better if you actually make it to Kapocacha itself. There is a coastal walk and you can get incredible views of Isola Floradada. They're out of this world. Remember how I told you about boat tours that go along the coast of Alghero? Now there are boats that also take you to one of the most famous places to visit in this part of Sardinia, which is the Neptune Scapes. Now the Neptune Caves can be reached either by boat, as I said, or by the Escala del Cavirol, which is a 654 staircase with breathtaking views off the coast. It goes along the cliffs, so it's stunning. On the way to the caves, it's all downhill, so it's really easy. On the way back up it can be a bit more challenging, but the views are rewarding. And that's for those of you that are a bit more f and don't feel like taking the boat. Finally, let me mention two more things to do. One is exploring Porto Conte Nature Park. It's where Mooni beach that I mentioned before is located. It's a lovely place to explore if you want to take in a bit more of a nature in this region of Sardinia. If you want to admire some wildlife, especially bird life, you can go around on one of these little golf cards. You can. You can probably hire them at the at the gate. The park is easy to reach by car from Alghero. There is a small admission fee. I actually recommend it asking for a guide once you get there because there's a lot to see and the guides have a trained eye to spot the wildlife and then there is visiting the archaeological sites. Now, you know, we have lots of archaeological sites scattered around San Gardeninha, and two of my favorite ones are really near Alghero. One can be reached by bus. It's called Nuraga Palma Vera. You take the same bus that goes to Le Bombarde beach and then there's a short walk that leads you there. And it's a Nuraga that dates back to 3,500 years ago. It's easy to visit. There is a small admission fee. The site is fairly small. Once you get there, you can just read the panel or rent an audio guide that will explain you more about this narage, its purpose throughout its life, and the most important findings during the excavation. If you get a combined ticket, you can also visit the Angeluruyu necropolis, which is about 10km north of Alghero in front of Cantina Selemowska. So you compare the visit. You know, you can visit the three sites on. On the same day. You know, first go to Nuraga Palma Vera, then go to Angeluru Necropolis, and then go to Selimosca for wine tasting. Now, what's Angeluruyo? It's a necropolis. We also call them Domus de Janas in Sardinia. There are 38 Toms that are carved in sandstone, and these date back to 3002, 700 B.C. it's again, it's a simple site, but it's easy to visit. It keeps you, you know, it's a nice couple of hours, an hour or so away if you don't just want to hang at the beach or if you're visiting in the off season. Now, other things that you can do, if you have enough time, say you're spending a week or so in Alghero, you can go on. Well, I want to specifically mention two day trips that I really, really like. One is to Sasseri, which is the main city in the north of Sardinia. Now, not many tourists go there. If you're visiting in May, you will want to go to the Cavalcata Sarda, which is a famous festival where men and women from Sardinian villages parade through the streets of the city in traditional costumes. It's a really beautiful show to take in more of the Sardinian culture and traditions. However, if you only have time for a day trip, what I recommend doing is visiting the nearby Boza. This is probably the most beautiful small town in Italy. It's so colorful, so quaint. There's a hilltop castle, the Malaspina Castle, that you could Visit. It's about 45 minutes drive from Alghero. The way there, the views are amazing. You can also stop at a couple of swimming spots along the way. My favorite one is Kanimalu. Literally like bad dog. Don't go there on a windy day because it's the sea can get very rough. There's also Kumpultito beach, which is a small cove, small rocky cove you get through. You get there through a hiking trail that's quite short and easy. But you know, you still need to wear shoes for that. That is also really nice for a quick swim. Now this is all I have to say about Alghero. It's a great city to visit throughout the year. Obviously in the summer there's a little bit more going on, but because it's a place where Sardinians live, everything is going to be open throughout the year. So I hope you enjoyed this episode. On the next episode we're gonna talk about a very pressing topic, how to get around Sardinia. Now, if you like my podcast, make sure to give it a good review and a five star rating and I'll talk to you next time. Goodbye.