FROM CAGLIARI TO ALGHERO, A ROUTE THROUGH THE MOST AUTHENTIC, TRANQUIL, AND LESSER-KNOWN SARDINIA
Breathtaking landscapes, picturesque villages, natural monuments, fortresses, watchtowers, remnants of ancient civilizations, craftsmanship, and good gastronomy await on this 'slow' journey through the northwest of the Italian island after exploring the charming capital.
When Sardinia is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is the succession of idyllic coves with turquoise waters and white sandy beaches with yachts anchored near the shore. These images actually belong to the northeastern part of the Italian island, from the glamorous Costa Smeralda and exclusive Porto Cervo to the tiny coves with calm waters of the Gulf of Orosei, places that attract millions of tourists, including celebrities, every summer.
But luxury and posing are not everything on the second largest island in the Mediterranean (after Sicily), with an area seven times larger than Mallorca. The truth is that, beyond the mentioned, this magical place, desired by all kinds of civilizations that have settled there throughout history, from Phoenicians, Romans, and Vandals to Goths, Berbers, and Saracens (even conquered by the King of Aragon between 1323 and 1326), of which vestiges can still be found today, is a quiet destination where you can practice so-called slow tourism (even in high season) and discover the most deeply rooted traditions of its population.
We venture through secondary roads in the most authentic Sardinia, the least known and the most rural. Crossing mountains, lush forests, kilometers of olive groves and oak forests, vineyards, and meadows with cows and sheep grazing, we discover a charming destination with its traditions, culture, craftsmanship, and gastronomy. Along winding roads, where the sea almost always appears on the horizon, we come across picturesque villages, archaeological remains, natural monuments, fortresses, watchtowers (up to 400 on the entire island)... and most of the time without encountering anyone. "With a population of 1.6 million people (around 300,000 in Cagliari, the capital), the island is one of the places in Italy with the lowest population density, even in summer," says Simone, the tour guide. So, tranquility is guaranteed. Goodbye to traffic jams.
It is ideal to set up the headquarters in the capital, well connected, and from there, take short trips that do not take more than an hour and a half. Renting a car is essential for a more complete adventure. A couple of days to discover Cagliari is a must. Surrounded by ten hills and open to the sea, the millenary city was founded by the Phoenicians in the 8th century BC as an important commercial port. Its strategic location led to subsequent occupations by Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, and other peoples, leaving their mark. Thanks to this, today Cagliari is an open-air museum where you can find everything from a Roman amphitheater or the largest Punic necropolis in the Mediterranean to a medieval fortress and a 13th-century cathedral, among many other vestiges.
The historic center of the city extends along the slope of one of the hills. It is worth getting lost in the narrow and steep alleys of the charming Castello district, surrounded by a medieval wall from the early 13th century that houses the monumental Elephant Tower and the San Pancrazio Tower. Inside the walls, in addition to countless palaces and noble residences, are some of the city's most iconic sites. Piazza Palazzo is flanked by the Cathedral of Santa Maria di Cagliari (13th century), which houses two imposing crypts with royal tombs inside; the Episcopal Palace, the Old Town Hall, and the Royal Palace, from the 18th century.
The Bastion of San Remo, with its monumental staircase, connects the Castello district with Villanova, a set of small sloping streets with old low houses that once belonged to farmers working in the surrounding fields. There is one of the busiest commercial streets, Via Giuseppe Manno, which ends at Piazza Yenne and connects to Vittorio Emanuele II Avenue, full of restaurants with terraces. At number 94 is Framento, one of the most famous pizzerias of the moment. The modern venue with industrial decoration and wooden beams triumphs with its craft beers and sourdough pizzas, made with traditional Sardinian and seasonal ingredients.
In the Marina neighborhood, next to the port, its houses painted in colors stand out. A maze of narrow streets descends towards the sea and meets the beautiful boulevard of Via Roma, lined with a succession of palatial buildings from the 1700s and 1800s perfectly preserved, such as the one housing the New Town Hall. Its arcades are filled with bars, terraces, shops... From there, a promenade (with a bike lane) borders the marina and several parks.
Walking along Buon Cammino is a must to enjoy beautiful views from above. This avenue leads to the Roman Amphitheater, present there since the 2nd century. Other essential sites in the city are the Tuvixeddu necropolis, the largest in the Mediterranean basin, which gathers Phoenician-Punic tombs carved in limestone rock dating back to the 6th and 3rd centuries BC; and the castle of San Michele, a 12th-century fortress crowning one of the city's hills. It can be climbed on foot, offering one of the best views of Cagliari.
For those who want to enjoy a day at the beach, the wonderful Poetto is a beautiful sandy beach about eight kilometers long in front of the salt flats with beach bars. Highly recommended is Le Palmette Beach Club to enjoy the waves breaking a few meters away from some culurgiones, a type of pasta filled with typical Sardinian potato. The beach is guarded by the Devil's Saddle, a hill with a peculiar shape that can be climbed on foot.
We leave the city to venture into the interior of Sardinia towards the northwest. After a little over an hour's drive on picturesque and quiet roads, we arrive at the beautiful setting of the Natural Park of Monte Arci, a gem located in a volcanic massif in the Oristano area with gentle slopes and lush forests. There are no noises there, only nature's sounds, and a network of trails among ancient rocks invites you to walk them peacefully. After the exercise, a delicious picnic in any of the idyllic picnic areas hidden in the area is appealing. And nothing better if it is already prepared with everything needed upon arrival. This is taken care of by Sa Butega de Tzia Domantiglia, a local grocery store run by the third generation of the Meloni family, specialized in this type of proposals (they also organize them in nearby vineyards at sunset) offering countryside dishes with updated traditional grandmother's recipes. Cabbage salad, breaded cauliflower, wild boar salad with celery and fennel, frittata, or fried dry bread are some of the seasonal options accompanied by local wines and, of course, pecorino cheese, the star of the place.
The only nearby town is Villaurbana, a small locality where it is mandatory to stop to buy artisan bread, the specialty of the place. Two options are carasau bread, one of the oldest in the world known for its very thin texture, like a wafer, and very crunchy, or Su coccoi, with different shapes of animals and objects, typical of the festivities.
About a 15-minute drive outside the small village of Sant'Antonio, next to a pasture inhabited by cows, is the Genna Salixi necropolis, consisting of about twenty Domus de Janas, also known as "fairy houses." These are 5,000-year-old tombs carved into the rock, dating back to when the Nuragic civilization was beginning to emerge in Sardinia. There are more than 2,000 scattered throughout the island and they have been recognized as a World Heritage Site.
Another essential stop on this route is about 45 minutes to the north: the Santa Cristina Archaeological Park, in the municipality of Paulilatino. It is a site of great scenic and archaeological value among olive and wild olive trees, whose main treasure is a sacred keyhole-shaped well, considered one of the most important monuments of the Nuragic era (1800 BC) found in Sardinia. A staircase descends to the underground chamber that collects rainwater and water from a perennial aquifer. The remains of the sanctuary are located around the well.
A few meters away is the Christian village, presided over by the Hermitage of Santa Cristina (12th century) and surrounded by modest stone pilgrims' cottages that can be rented for a weekend stay. A little further into the forest, another of the island's archaeological gems appears: a 7-meter-high basalt stone nuraghe (or tower) built for various uses (for animals, to store grain, as an altar... but never as a dwelling) and which was a sign of power in Nuragic civilization. There are around 8,000 of these structures across the island, around which the population settled.
Santu Lussurgiu, with its steep streets and noble palaces, and Cuglieri, a town crowned by the imposing 17th-century church of Santa Maria della Neve, built on top of an earlier 13th-century building, are two stops worth making before reaching the charming Bosa, one of the most beautiful and visited villages on the island. Nestled between mountains on the banks of the Temo River, the only navigable river in the region, which flows into the Mediterranean a couple of kilometers further on, the small town stands out for its walled fortress (the 12th-century Malaspina Castle) on top of the hill overlooking the town, and the striking colorful houses that descend the hillside, which once belonged to fishermen.
Fishing boats and pleasure craft moor along the river, which is spanned by stone bridges and lined with tanners' houses, fish markets, and bars with terraces. Sa Nassa (Lungo Temo Alcide De Gasperi, 13) is a charming trattoria where you can stop and savor delicious local homemade cuisine, such as fregola con frutti di mare, a type of local dry pasta made from wheat semolina similar to couscous, or bottarga (cured fish roe).
After lunch, it's time to lose yourself in the town's cobbled streets and walk up to the castle to enjoy the beautiful views and the Mediterranean. Via del Carmine is the street of the wineries, with a multitude of shops dedicated to wine due to the deep-rooted wine culture in the area, where wine has been produced for 3,500 years. Specifically, Malvasia di Bosa, Italy's smallest designation of origin. There are nine new wineries in the area that produce it. You can taste them at Cantina Columbu (Via del Carmine, 104), a small establishment where tastings of their two natural wines, the sweet and the reserve (30 and 35 euros), are organized by reservation.
Bosa is also the town of filigree, the craft of decorating jewelry by hand using gold and silver wire. The local jewelry store Vadilonga (Piazza IV Novembre, corner of Via Gioberti) makes and sells these typical Sardinian jewels, which require an enormous amount of work. This process can be seen in their workshop, where Stefania patiently and meticulously creates the designs on the rings, mainly traditional Sardinian wedding rings. The more elaborate they are, the more expensive they are.
A few minutes from the historic center is Bosa Marina, facing the sea with its quiet beach. If you still want to continue exploring Sardinia to the north, we recommend following the scenic road along the coast, one of the most beautiful on the island, between mountains and cliffs, to the tourist town of Alghero, famous for its beaches and caves, its monumental historic center surrounded by walls, and the Coral Museum.
Useful information
GETTING THERE: Ryanair flies to Cagliari with a stopover from Madrid, and Vueling flies directly from Barcelona.
ACCOMMODATION: Palazzo Boyl. An impressive palace dating from 1840, built on top of the San Remo palace, which was itself built on top of a medieval building, the tower of which still stands today. It has been incorporated into the establishment and converted into a room with access to the roof terrace, offering the best views of the city. The hotel, remodeled with respect for the rooms of the old palace, has 10 rooms, all of them different and decorated with a mix of modern furniture and original 19th-century pieces. It has a gym, a café at the entrance, and the elegant Gli Uffici restaurant, with a modern and creative menu inspired by local cuisine. Price: from 250 euros.
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2025-11-11T11:26:04Z