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| Mediterranean > Sardinia > Alghero An Introduction to Alghero…
Alghero holidays are spent in and around Alghero, the tourism capital of northern Sardinia, a town of immense historical interest dating back to the 11th century. The town is vibrant and cosmopolitan in the holiday season with its open markets, bars and good restaurants. The town also has excellent beaches. The best Alghero hotels are the 3 stars Hotel San Marco, The Hotel Oasis, Hotel La Playa, Hotel Florida and the 4 star hotels Iberostar Carlos V and Calabona. The best Alghero apartments are the good value Casa Maria, the 3 star Marisal Apartments, Picale Apartments, Residence San Marco and Residence Oasis. Alghero holiday flights operate from London Gatwick, London Stansted, Liverpool, Birmingham, East Midlands, Southampton and Norwich to Alghero airport.
The transfer time from airport to your hotel or apartment is around 20 minutes. So book your Alghero package holiday, Alghero hotel or apartment or Alghero flight with Holiday Options and don’t forget our Alghero late deals and holiday offers at very special prices. Alghero, the tourism capital of northern Sardinia, is a fascinating town of immense historical interest which also has excellent beaches. It can be lively, vibrant and cosmopolitan in the holiday season when there are open markets, bars and restaurants catering for most tastes. A new feature is the impressive 4 km promenade running the length of the resort and linking the Hotel San Marco in the north with the Hotel Calabona in the south, encompassing the ramparts of the old town en-route. Alghero traces its history back to the 11th century when the tiny fishing village was fortified and became an important trading port. In the 1350s it became known as Barceloneta or ‘Little Barcelona’ and remained under Catalan, and later, Spanish domination for some 400 years, until title to the town was eventually transferred back to the Sardinians. Today, many influences of its former Catalan masters remain, clearly reflected in both its magnificent architecture and by its elder residents, many of whom still regularly speak the Catalan dialect. Alghero’s ancient monuments, and the Piazzas which proliferate within the old town area, are linked by narrow cobbled lanes with their quaint dwellings, and are splendid examples of Alghero’s architectural heritage. Beyond the immediate vicinity of the old town there is still more to explore. We recommend the wonderful lido beaches of Le Bombarde and Lazzaretto, the bays of Porto Conte and Capo Caccia, and the picturesque Porticciolo with its 15th century tower on the headland.
Just as Sardinia's calendar is littered with flamboyant festivals; religious, local and folkloric, its landscape is littered with relics of a chequered past, from Carthaginian and Roman ruins to Genoan fortifications, Spanish Baroque churches, Pisan city-state towers and several thousand nuraghi stone constructions built by the islands earliest inhabitants circa 1500BC. Naturally the island makes the most of the beneficent Mediterranean for a mouthwatering range of seafood dishes – with lobster featuring in all its cooked forms from soup and stew to grilled and seasoned. Try the burrida fish stew – with chunks of skate and dogfish, and calamarretti alla Sarda – stuffed baby squid. Spit-roast meats feature strongly on traditional menus here, lamb and suckling pig roasted over aromatic wood fires to produce a succulent meat with a herby / smoky tang. The island prides itself on its baked breads and desserts, so those with a sweet tooth could work their way through pardulas, sebadas, candelaus and gueffus. And inexpensive island wines are the perfect complement to local cuisine. Among the best are Vernaccia, Cannonau, Oliena, Piani and the sweet Malvasia. Alghero is renowned for its handcrafted items in coral, and Sardinia in general is known for quality paper products made from cork. A good day’s browsing can be enjoyed in the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Alghero’s open markets, cobbled lanes and pretty piazzas; the chic boutiques and up-market shops that jostle for space in Porto Cervo’s web of alleyways; the traditional town of San Pantaleo, and the several distinct districts of Cagliari. Less crowded than the mainland beaches, Sardinia’s sumptuous selection includes Alghero’s Lido beaches Le Bombarde and Lazzaretto, Porto Conte bay and Ponticciolo, and the 8km Longa Beach – one of three glorious sweeps of sand at Isola Rossa. The world renowned Costa Smeralda (Emerald Coast) boasts a series of secluded bays with some of the best around Cannigione, Cala Capra and the blissful fine sands of Baia Sardinia. In the Golfo di Cagliari area, Chia has a white sand beach reputed by many to be the best in the Mediterranean. Much of the sporting fun on Sardinia is based around the sea, and the waters around the island boast some of the best dive sites in Europe. Three famous shipwrecks off the south of the island make fantastic exploration grounds for experienced scuba divers, and there are several less demanding sites where novices can hone their skills. Windsurfing is available from many of Sardinia’s beaches and sailing is a top summer pastime. Several marinas welcome small craft and opulent yachts, most especially at Alghero and the 600 berth marina at Porto Cervo – which also hosts regular regattas. Landlubbers can look forward to hiking and mountain biking, horseriding (at Cala Capra), golf (tournaments at Chia & Porto Cervo), and jeep safaris into the island’s interior. The Carlo Felice highway runs the length of the island. Minor roads, twisting and turning around the mountains, lead to little villages - which become smaller and smaller in direct proportion to the remoteness of their position. Buses are very infrequent to all but the busiest towns (some running only twice a day). So car hire would add an enjoyable dimension of freedom and convenience to your holiday wherever you stay – and a necessity in some of the more secluded spots.
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