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Now let the sea day I'll be doing hello, my name is Claudia. I was born and raised in Sardinia and I still call it home. I am the mastermind behind the Strictly Sardinia Travel blog and now the Strictly Sardinia podcast where each week I'll bring you the best Sardina has to offer and share my most insightful tips that will help you plan a a memorable trip to my wonderful island. In the last episode I told you everything or I tried about the best Sardinian wines and the best wineries where to try them. This week we will be focusing on the region of Galura. Let me stress that as usual, you will find a more detailed version of today's podcast episode on my blog, strictly sardinia.com as always, you can find the link to my blog post in the podcast episode description, so don't forget to read the episode description and to click on the links for even more information. Now, today's episode Galura. This is a region of Sardinia that I visit all the time. I was actually there just last weekend for a friend's birthday and it is a lovely, beautiful place. Probably if I tell you Galura in Sardinia, you don't know where that is. So let me start by explaining where Galura is. The region is located in northeastern Sardinia, roughly marked by the Koginas river to the west, Mount Limbara to the south, Mount Niedu to the southeast, and it stretches all the way to Budoni. There are more than 20 towns and city in Galura. Some of them are very famous Olbia, San Teodoro, Santa Teresa, Galura, Palau. Others such as Aresaquena, which you may not know, but it's home to many beautiful small towns and regions. The name Galura, which is Gadura in the original version in Sardinian means rocky and upon visiting you will know exactly why this name was given to the region. Granite rocks are prevalent here. Now Galura is also home to the famous Emerald coast of Sardinia. So if you're looking into the Emerald coast for your next trip to Sardinia, you will likely be able to explore more of the Galura region. This is a beautiful part of the island, probably among the most touristy, but it's definitely worth visiting, at least in if you're planning on landing in Olbia for your trip. Now let's continue and let's see why you should visit Galura. First of all, the incredible selection of activities and attractions. So what can you do if you visit Galura? Well, if you go in the summer, obviously you can relax at one of the many incredible beaches There are a ton of. Of course, you can spread all the way to Magdalena Archipelago and visit places like Cala Granada in the Spargi Island. You can only get there by boat and it is part of a national park, the Maddalena Archipelago National Park. It is a protected beach, so they restrict the number of boats that can get there. You will need a guided tour, but it is stunning. There is also Rena Bianca, which is the town. The town beach, the urban beach of Santa Teresa de Laura. The name means white sand in English and that's exactly what you'll get when you go there. It is again a protected beach, meaning that the number of visitors in this case is capped. Having said that, it's a great place to go for families with kids because it's. It has all sorts of services. There are beach clubs, there are kiosks where you can get food and drinks. It is easily accessible on foot by the main road in Santa Teresa di Galura, so it's definitely an option. On the other hand, not so easy to reach, but definitely worth going, is Cala Spinoza. It's just a short drive from Santa Teresa Gallura. It's a small cove, an entirely rocky cove, rocks and pebbles. So probably not the ideal place to visit. If you're traveling with children. There's a little bit of a hike to get there. Parking spot is limited. It can get very crowded because it's tiny. Really, there's only place for a few families here. Having said that, if you like snorkeling, this is one of my favorite spots on the island for snorkeling. Again, not far from Santa Teresa Galura, about 10 kilometers or 6.2 miles. There Reina Mayor, which is a gorgeous beach of white sand dunes and clear blue waters, nicely sheltered from the wind. You will find two coves. Both of them have free access and they're served by a large parking lot. So if you're traveling with kids, if you have a car, if you have lots of things that you need to carry to the beach, this is unideal, so spot. However, there's only a beach club where you can rent umbrellas and sunbeds and get food and drinks. So bring whatever you need for the day. Of course, from Galura you can access all the famous beaches off the Emerald Coast. There are a bunch that I can recommend. My personal favorite will be Capriccioli, which is just south of Porto Cervo, 2 km southwest of the Spiaggia del Principe, which is another famous beach off the Emerald Coast. It is a tiny strip, actually two tiny strip of strips of white sand surrounded by Mediterranean brush. My favorite beach in Galura, by and large. It's surrounded by a beautiful forest of pine trees and olive trees, so they are an excellent wind barrier. The water is transparent, shallow, usually calm, and because of that, it's very popular with families. Now, if you want to visit this beach, you have to go there super early, because the parking lots get packed, get full, especially the one closest to the beach. Otherwise you have the option of parking at one that is a little bit further up the road. And the beach gets packed as well. There is one beach club where you can rent umbrellas and beds. If you decide to do that, though, you have to book in advance because as I said, especially if you visit in the peak season between June and beginning of September, this is a popular spot. Let me continue by mentioning a beach that not many tourists seem to know about, Petra Ruya. This Petra Ruya beach is one of the most secluded beaches off the Emerald coast and of Galura. I was there on the third week of August, and while all the surrounded beaches were incredibly crowded, this wasn't. But why? Well, getting there requires a little bit of work, nothing strenuous. Don't imagine this. It's just a term, a matter of walking a kilometer from the parking lot that it shares with Lisha Ruya, which is a more popular beach in the Emerald Coast. It's just As I said, 1 km, 0.6 miles. So you'll have to carry everything you need, because there isn't a kiosk or a beach club here. And once you're there, it's actually super quiet. There are no services, there are very few people compared to the surrounding beaches. So enjoy. Obviously, there's also all the beaches of the San Teodoro region, many that I could mention. One in particular is La Cinta. Why do I mention these versus Cala, Brandinki or Louis? Impossible. Because it's public, it's not one of the protected beaches, so you. You don't have to plan your visit. There is a large parking lot, it's super long, 5 kilometers, which is 3.1 miles, meaning that there's plenty of space for everyone. It is super well equipped with beach kiosks, beach clubs where you can rent umbrellas. So it's a comfortable place to go, especially if you're traveling with your family. But there's more than just beaches in Gallura. Let me start by mentioning a small town, Arzakena. I told you before, this is a small city. Tucked just inland from the coast, it's technically not on the coast itself, but it's packed with interesting spots. Small as it is, it bursts with colors. There are blighty lit boutiques, flower filled streets, tons of traditional farmhouses called Stazi in the surrounding areas of Arzakena, which now serve as agriturismo. So farm, stay or bed and breakfast. The population is roughly around 14,000 and then 14,000 is also the tourist capacity, meaning that the city, the town swells a lot in the tourist season. Inside the town center in is the Monti Incapidatu mountain with a hat in the traditional Sardinian language and also called the Mushroom Rock. It's a rock that was shaped and used in the Neolithic age. Outside of the city you have some of the most interesting archaeological sites of Sardinia. Limuri, which is a necropolis and dates from the fourth millennium. Another name is Grave circles. So it's a giant's tomb. There is the Nuraga La Prizjona, so it's one of the best kept Nuraga sites in Sardinia. I highly recommend visiting. You can actually visit also the Tombamoru, which is a giant's tomb. And there's Malkitu, a temple that you can check out. You can also get a combined ticket to visit all these sites. So if you want to spend an afternoon off the coast, this is a great spot to visit. But this isn't the only small town that is worth visiting in the Galura region. I personally love San Pantaleo. I cannot recommend when to visit because you may want to go on Thursday mornings, which is when San Pantaleo hosts its traditional market. Or you could just go in the evening to enjoy a sunset drink. The town becomes enveloped in this pink light that makes it incredibly romantic, really super beautiful. It's just 14 kilometers, 8.7 miles south of Porto Cervo, which is a more popular spot in the Emerald Coast. It is a much, much older town compared to Porto Cervo, which was created in the 1960s. San Pantaleo history dates back all the way to 800 BC. It's a tiny. It's a. It's a really real tiny village, you know. But the atmosphere is lovely, as I said, Thursday morning for the market, otherwise in the late afternoons to enjoy a nice, a nice evening. Now if you want, you can actually even stay in San Pantaleo. You can sleep at Petra Segreta resort, which is one of the best resorts in Sardinia. It's a luxury place, let me tell you though it's adults only and you can eat at Fuoco Sacro, which is a Michelin restaurant inside the Petra Segreta resort. Otherwise it's packed of other more budget friendly places to eat. Now, if you're looking for some natural sites in the Galura region, I have two to recommend which are close to each other. Capotesta and Valle della Luna. Moon Valley Capotesta and Moon Valley are close to Santa Teresa Gallura and offer incredible views of the Bonifacio Strait. They are among the best places in Sardinia to admire a fantastic sunset. Capotesta is easily connected to Santa Teresa Galura by road, so very easy to access. There are many trails that you can walk around the island, whereas if you want to visit Valle de la Luna, there is a little bit of a hike to get there, but it's stunning. This is also the place that hosts one of the most famous festivals in Sardinia, Musica sulle Bocce, which is a jazz festival that takes place every summer, usually in August. Of course, being this Sardinia, if you're visiting Galura in the summer, you should not miss a boat tour. There are many, many you can go on that depart from the Galura region. My personal favorite are those that go to Magdalena Ar Archipelago. Now, these boat tours depart either from Maddalena Town in Maddalena Archipelago itself. If you're staying there, you need to. You can just hop on a boat tour. It's very easy. There's a. There are tons that are departing every day. If you are staying in mainland Sardinia, the best departure point for Maddalena boat tours will be. Palau is just the closest one, the closest spot to Maddalena Archipelago. Both places offer guided boat tours around the Maddalena Archipelago. But if you want to explore further, these are also excellent departure points for boat tours to the southern coast of Corsica. Specifically, these tours will go to the Bonifacio Strait where you can see the Boccche di Bonifacio. So these incredible rock formations, they also go to Lavizzi island and to Il Piana, from where by water you can actually reach mainland Corsica because the water is super, super shallow. Santa Teresa Galura is also a great departure spot for boat tours of Maddalena Archipelago and Southern Quartz. Being this Sardinia and being this Galura, another great thing to do is wine tasting. Galura is the birthplace of one of the most famous Sardinian wines, Vermentino. It's a dry, crispy white wine, very fragrant, very fresh, perfect to pair with seafood and fish dish, dishes that are very common to have here in Sardinia. They have many fantastic wineries that you can. That you can visit for wine tasting. Last time I was in Galura, last week I went wine tasting at this place called La Contralta. They have two different spots where you can go wine tasting. One is in Palau and the other one is in Loire, which is closer to Olbia, Colombia. So no matter where you are, you can find a spot. Another winery that I recommend is Surround, has wonderful views of the vineyards. They have some of the best wines in Sardinia. Obviously they have a great Vermentino, but they also have fantastic, fantastic red wines that you could sample. If you want to learn a bit about Sardinia's difficult past, I recommend visiting Agius. Agius is a small town that is home to one of the most interesting museums on the island, the Museum of Banditry, which is particularly important in the history of Galura. You will learn what banditry was, the role it had in the region. But there's also another museum, the Oliva Carta Cannas Ethnographic Museum, which is the biggest ethnographic museum in Sardinia. A place where you can learn a bit more about the traditional culture of the island with the display of traditional domestic items. Let's talk about the most romantic ones. Now, if you're looking for a romantic experience, I recommend going to Fee beach in Baya Cerdinha. This beach club, for lack of a better word, faces one of the most beautiful bays on the island. It is. It is a fantastic sunset venue. It's an upscale place, kind of trendy. They have different DJ every weekend. You can get fantastic drinks. It's not cheap. You're looking into at least €100 per person, and then the experience is completely, completely worth it. It's one of the best nightlife spots in the Galura region. If you're visiting Galura in the winter, make sure to stop at Tempio Pausania. This small town in Sardinia is home to one of the most most famous carnivals. The first one started in 1956. The main character of the carnival is King George, who represents power. Celebration starts on Shrift Thursday, which is when the float on which King George is placed parades through the city. And then on the Sunday, King George meets the commoner and marries her. There are many other floats. There is traditional dancing, lots of music and more obviously, if you are in Galura, you should also get to experience the traditional food. The main thing you want to try here is the Zuppa Galurese. Zupacuata in the traditional local language, but it's a misleading name. Zupa means soup in Italian. But this isn't much of a soup. It's a very. It's a very earthy dish of breads soaked in cheap rot, layered with pecorino cheese, mint and parsley before being baked. It's quite rich. Definitely tasty though, and I want to say more of a. More of a winter dish, obviously, being this, being this where the Emerald coast of Sardinia is located, you shouldn't miss a trip to both Porto Cervo and Porto Rotondo. These are magnets for the rich and famous. Among the best places to go luxury shopping in Sardinia. Let me stress the word luxury because it's. They both are very, very expensive with designer stores. They have a beautiful marina, they have a nice. A nice mall that you can. That you can explore. You don't really get to see much of the actual small town because most of the villas are hidden in the vegetation with beautifully manicured gardens. But they're still interesting places to visit. Of course, the Galura region is home to excellent diving as well. I recommend checking out Canigione for this. It's one of the best diving spots in Sardinia. There are diving schools, there are diving expeditions organized all the time. Finally, some practical tips. How to get to Galura. Very easy. The main airport you're looking into is Olbia Costas Meralda. From there I honestly recommend you rent a car to explore everything that this part of the island has to offer. My go to engine to rent cars is Discover Cars. It's a comparison site. I'll share the link in the episode description. You can also get a private transfer to reach your accommodation if you're staying in one of the luxury, all inclusive resorts that this part of the island has to offer. Is Galura expensive? Now this is a question that many ask me. Yes, it is expensive. This is one of the most luxury, luxury focused parts of the island. It's also one of the most touristy. So don't expect to go here and have the place to yourself. Especially if you're visiting between June and beginning of September. Don't expect to go here and have a budget friendly holiday. Especially if you book last minute. Is it worth visiting completely? Totally, yes. It's a stunning part of the island if you. The beaches are stunning and if you get off the coast like to where I visited last, last weekend, which was the small town of Berkidda. There's a lot to see, lots of interesting wineries, lots of delicious food. So yes, I do recommend planning a trip to the Galura region. Now this brings me to the end of my episode. Next week we will be talking about visiting Sardinia in the off season. The main tourist season in Sardinia has just ended. We're at half September right now, so it's about time that you consider coming to Sardinia at some other time that it's not the summer. October is an excellent month, for example, but also winter thanks to its festival. Now this brings me to the end of my episode. If you do like my podcast, make sure to give it a five star rating. Drop a good review, share with your family and friends who are also planning a trip to Sardinia. And until next week, goodbye.