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North Sardinia Locations Alghero
North Sardinia Locations Alghero
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Alghero is a busy, service-oriented town whose economy depends essentially on tourism. The cultural and recreational events organized here in summer attract plenty visitors, and the town's population nearly doubles during the holiday season. Yet Alghero is also a town with plenty of history: the local dialect, the dense layout of streets and the style of the houses all preserve a distinctively Iberian character, the heritage of a flourishing Catalan colony which in the 14th century drove out the indigenous population. There are plenty monuments to the rich and eventful past of Alghero: these include the ruins of the medieval fortifications (the towers of Porta Terra, San Giovanni, San Giacomo, and Sperone) and some wonderfully impressive churches in the old town, such as the cathedral of Santa Maria with its splendid portal flanked by Gothic finials, the church of the Misericordia and the church of San Francesco, the most imposing and most important of Alghero's landmarks, with its Romanesque cloister and quartz campaniles. From the 17th-century town walls some marvellous views can be had: to the north loom the twin promontories of Capo Caccia and Punta Giglio, enclosing the bay of Porto Conte, one of the largest and most scenic in Sardinia - and the island's only natural harbour. Capo Caccia is a limestone headland with cliffs rising vertically from the sea and a Mediterranean scrub habitat which is home to some rare flora such as the centaury and dwarf palm. The peninsula is also home to birds such as the griffon vulture, hawk and seagull, which make their nests on the cliffs and reefs of the promontory, now under the protection of the local forestry commission. At the top of the cliffs is a staircase, Escala Cabirol (which means) "Staircase of the Fawn" in the local dialect). Built in the 1950s, it has 656 steps and descends giddily into the grotto of Neptune: fortunately these caves can also be reached by boat, with regular departures from the port of Alghero. There are plenty beaches along this stretch of coastline: most famous for their beauty are Bombarde, Lazzaretto, and the beaches of Mugoni, in the bay of Porto Conte itself. Also in the bay are the beaches of Baja di Conte-Ville Romane. Another beach, Lido di Alghero-San Giovanni, extends for about a kilometre below the coast road. |
