Alghero: a day in Sardinia's Catalan town

The "little Barcelona" of Sardinia

Alghero sits at the northern end of Sardinia's west coast and is the capital of the Riviera del Corallo — some 90 km of coastline named after the precious red coral that still lives in its waters. Its character is unmistakably Catalan: the town was taken by the Crown of Aragon in 1354 and repopulated with settlers from Catalonia, which is why it is nicknamed Barceloneta and why you'll still see street names in Catalan.

Walls, towers and the sunset walk

Alghero is one of the few towns in Italy to have kept its walls and towers almost intact. The seaward bastions — named after great navigators such as Columbus, Pigafetta, Magellan and Marco Polo — are now a raised promenade above the waves, lined with bars and restaurants and looking across the bay to Capo Caccia.

• Torre di Sulis (Torre de l'Esperó Reial) stands at the southern end, on Piazza Sulis — the classic starting point for walking the walls.
• Torre di Porta Terra was the Porta Reial, the town's main gate for anyone arriving from Sassari.
• Torre di San Giacomo, Torre della Polveriera and Torre di Sant'Elmo punctuate the walk north, ending at Porta a Mare by the marina.

In the old town

Inside the walls, cobbled lanes open onto Piazza Civica, the town's elegant main square. The 16th-century Cathedral of Santa Maria, with its octagonal bell tower, is the symbol of the town; other churches worth a look are San Francesco and San Michele, with its colourful majolica dome. Coral jewellery shops line the streets — if you buy, choose a reputable workshop that can tell you where the coral comes from.

Beaches and Capo Caccia

North-west of the town, towards the Porto Conte nature park, are some of the area's best beaches: Le Bombarde, with fine sand and full facilities, and neighbouring Lazzaretto, a bay of small coves with crystal-clear water. Closer to town, Maria Pia has dunes, a pine wood and shallow water that suits children.

At the tip of Capo Caccia is Neptune's Grotto: reach it down the 654 steps of the Escala del Cabirol or by boat from Alghero's harbour.

Practical tips

• The old town is a limited-traffic zone — park outside, near Porta Terra or the harbour, and walk in.
• To do it all, plan a full day: beach or Neptune's Grotto in the morning, the old town and walls from late afternoon.
• The drive back to Badesi takes about 1 h 20 — easy after dinner on dry, quiet roads.

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