Places in Porto Conte, Sardinia

Alghero, the Catalan city, is the star of entertainment perfectly combining sea holidays with shopping and sparkling nightlife. It is located on the north west side of the island with easy access due to its own international airport (Alghero Fertilia) conveniently connected to a number of European destinations.

Together with Villasimius in the south and with the portion of coast from Santa Teresa Gallura to Olbia in the north east (better known as the Costa Smeralda), Alghero is a top tourist destination, combining stunning landscapes with a full range of facilities.

The town of Alghero is really enjoyable and lively, especially during spring and summer time where thousands of people from all over Europe gather here for their holidays. White sandy beaches stretch along the town both on the north and on the south side for some kilometres.

The sea water is pretty shallow allowing families with children a huge and safe playground but at the same time water sports are indeed popular with several fully equipped Lido all over the area. Within 10 minutes drive north of Alghero the Porte Conte inlet is a huge natural harbour surrounded by a thick Mediterranean bush.

It is the ideal place for a true relaxing holiday, away from the bustling atmosphere of the town and where to enjoy a dramatic view over Capo Caccia promontory. This is visible ahead in the distance and it is a great starting point to explore the surrounding beaches and coves, a true paradise for those seeking peaceful locations where to sunbathe, swim and dive.

This is particularly true in the area north of Capo Caccia, where the rocky coastline does not attract as many people as the sandy one. Still you can find a couple of beaches, Porticciolo and Porto Ferro, the latter is also quite large.

To exactly locate them just look for the old spotting towers. These coves are rather remote and unspoilt without any beach equipment, therefore when planning a trip sun protection creams, umbrellas and drinking water should not be forgotten as there is nothing to be found on those places except nature at its best.

Between Capo Caccia and Alghero, beaches like Lazzaretto, Bramassa, Mugoni and Le Bombarde are more popular and can be crowded in high season. Nevertheless, you will be drawn by the beauty of these hidden spots surrounded by deep green Mediterranean bush and crystalline sea.

Although beach hopping is definitely the main activity in the area, a boat trip to Grotte di Nettuno (caves) on the Capo Caccia promontory is a great experience not to be missed. You can easily reach the top of the promontory, park your car and start tackling the 656 steps to reach the entrance of the grottos.

The effort will be well rewarded by the striking view of the 130 metres wide lake lying inside the cave, one to ten metres deep and with a 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 multi shaped stalagmites and stalactites.