Places in Ploaghe, Sardinia

Ploaghe is a municipality in the Province of Sassari located about 160 km north of Cagliari and about 20 km southeast of Sassari. The province of Sassari covers a big area on the north west of the island with some famous spots like Alghero, Stintino, Castelsardo and the Asinara National Park on the island of Asinara, home to some rare animals, including a population of wild albino donkeys from which the island takes its name.

The Asinara lies in the west stretch of the homonymous gulf at less than three kilometres from mainland Sardinia and has been banned to human settlements after being declared a quarantine area and high security prison island in 1885, two events which forbade entry to the island until a decade ago when it became a National Park.

Access is easy and direct from Porto Torres harbour where an admission ticket must always be bought before boarding. The whole area is blessed with excellent weather all year round and the beaches are just as beautiful.

Like the small fishermen village of Stintino and its Spiaggia della Pelosa, truly the queen of beaches, with a long stretch of fine white sand and crystal clear shallow water. Within a short distance Cala Isola dei Porri and Cala Coscia di Donna accessible only by boat unless you are prepared to take on a quite difficult walk along a steep pathway.

Alghero, the Catalan city, is the star of entertainment perfectly combining sea holidays and sparkling nightlife with clubs, bars and shopping area. Although beach hopping is definitely the main activity in the area, a boat trip to Grotte di Nettuno (caves) at the bottom of the Capo Caccia promontory is a great experience not to be missed.

They are located not far from Alghero and are accessible by car as well, although there are 656 steps to reach the entrance. But the effort is well rewarded by the striking view of the 130 metres wide lake lying inside the cave with a depth ranging from one to ten metres and wave motion during sea storms.

On the right side of the lakeshore there's a small beach, once inhabited by the monk seal and then a small path leading to a number of big chambers with stalagmites and stalactites from ground to roof.

Other interesting locations where to spend a day or an afternoon are Castelsardo, a small fortified village on a steep rock overlooking the gulf located just after the beach of Platamona or, more inland, Pattada, halfway between Sassari and Nuoro, mainly known for its centuries old production of Pattada, the traditional Sardinian knife featuring ivory, red wood or mouflon horn slabs handle, finely engraved and rich in gold inlays.