48 hours in Alghero, the Catalan island of Sardinia

Unique city in Sardinia and Italy for architecture, morphology and culture. With the historic center – protected on the seafront by a spectacular wall with imposing defense towers – formed by a game of cobbled alleys between tall sky-land houses of a seaside village reminiscent of the old Ibiza. Because the Catalan cultural, architectural, gastronomic and linguistic influence here is very strong: a legacy of 350 years of Catalan-Aragonese domination, since in 1353 the Iberian fleet defeated the Genoese who used it as a safe harbor on the route to the Middle East. Half of the population of Alghero still speaks Catalan, the streets are called carrer as in Barcelona, ​​paella and creme brulee are among the traditional city dishes and in this language poems and songs are written. The beauty of the historic center between alleys, squares, churches, palaces, terraces, towers and bastions is combined with long urban white sand beaches, with crystalline seabeds and further north bays, headlands, pine forests, sand dunes and other beaches even more spectacular. Landscapes often framed by the mantles of sea pines curved by the wind. The symbiosis of Alghero with the sea can already be seen from its name, Italianized by Alguer which in Catalan means ‘algae’ and originates from the expanse of vegetation on its seabed. When choosing a hotel, apartment or room in a bed & breakfast, consider that beaches and natural attractions are located north of the historic center.

FIRST DAY
MORNING
In the historic center it is good to get lost for an hour aimlessly, letting yourself go through the streets and squares, to emerge in front of the churches, on the ramparts, between the towers and thus capture the unique atmosphere of Alghero. Then you cannot miss a tour on the Muraglia, the ancient citadel that defends the city on the seafront. You can enter the square of the same name from Torre Sulis and continue on the ramparts between the San Giacomo, Polvorera, Sant’Elmo and Maddalena towers: the latter overlooks the marina where hundreds of yachts, catamarans and sailboats are moored. Because, island within the island, Alghero is beautiful but it has been a well-known destination for a long time: before the boom of the Costa Smeralda, it was the most traveled half of Sardinia, especially by the British who frequented it already in the post-war period. Inside we visit the Cathedral of Santa Maria, la Seu, built at the beginning of the sixteenth century in Catalan Gothic style and then modified by the Savoy with baroque interventions inside and with a pediment and four neoclassical columns on the granite staircase of the main entrance: very more poetic is the Porta petita (small) which preserves the original style such as the octagonal bell tower that dominates it. It can be reached from via Principe Umberto after passing the plaça do Bispe with the Bishop’s Palace and Ca ‘Doria, which contrary to the name was not the residence of the Genoese family that once dominated the city, but of Pere Tibau, a rich Catalan merchant: also known as Palazzo Machin, it was built in the sixteenth century in Gothic-Catalan style with decorated windows; it is the property of the Episcopal Curia.

The square is also known as the Theater because it overlooks the Civic Theater, built in the mid-nineteenth century in a neoclassical style. Also noteworthy is the seventeenth-century Jesuit church of San Michele with its Valencian polychrome majolica dome. And the eighteenth-century church of San Francesco in Baroque style.

AFTERNOON
After a bathing stop on the 3 km long beach north of the center, we return to the old town to discover its worldly side. Via Carlo Alberto is the budello, the territory of the struscio for the people of Alghero, dotted with souvenir shops and especially coral jewelry, a centuries-old tradition of this coast called Costa del Corallo.

Another social hub, also with artistic installations, is the square around the Torre del Portal, the innermost of the citadel’s defense system. Finally, a last ride on the Muraglia at sunset to grasp its poignant beauty and stop in one of the dehors to have an aperitif in front of the sea.

CENA
In the historic center there are a dozen restaurants offering the same menu for 20 euros with spaghetti with clams, fried calamari and salad: cheap quality, to be avoided. The restaurants on the Wall have different levels and menus, of course you also pay for the magnificent location. Trattoria da Mirko, via Gioberti 54 (historic center), tel. 079/9400850: the urtigara appetizer with fried sea anemones is unique, as well as the black lobster and ricotta ravioli with red prawn and prawns sauce; original recipes and above average quality.

SECOND DAY
MORNING
A few kilometers north of Alghero is the hamlet of Fertilia, an example of rationalist architecture with an arcaded street, a square with a church and Town Hall, public buildings and a (disused) theater facing the sea: it was built during Fascism and populated by Ferrarese and Istrians brought here after the reclamation of the malarial swamps. Beyond Fertilia there are the most spectacular beaches: in sequence Le Bombarde, Lazzaretto, the panoramic Mugoni that embraces the entire interior of the large bay between Capo Caccia and Punta del Giglio. The beaches further north are beautiful with the small beach of the Porticciolo bay, dominated by an ancient tower and rich in fish fauna (top for snorkeling). And Porto Ferro, the most scenic beach.

AFTERNOON
The road that follows the promontory north of Alghero forks into the panoramic artery from which you can enjoy the view of the cliff and the rocky island of Foradada. You then reach Capo Caccia where the boats that visit the caves of Neptune leave.

CENA
Trattoria Maristella, via Kennedy 9, tel. 079/978172: 300 meters from the historic center, traditional Sardinian dishes such as fregola with seafood and typical local sweets such as creme brulee, good value for money.

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