Alghero
Alghero is a beautiful town on the East coast of the Algherese roadstead and it is 35 km from Sassari and about 20 km from Porto Torres.
It leans out on its homonymous gulf, on the north-west side of the island, with its 80 Km of coast, that begins from the calcareous promontory of Capo Caccia in the north part and finishes in the Poglina beach, in the south. In algherese dialect, the city is called Barceloneta, or little Barcelona, because it was under Aragonese dominion since 1353 and, nowadays, it continues to maintain a strong Catalan identity in its language, in its tradition and architectural style.
In accordance with some studies, the name of Alghero derives from the Arab au-ghar, that is “cavern”, with probable reference to the caves of Neptune, in the neighbourhoods of the city. Other, instead, sustain that the original name was Alighera ( Alguer in Catalan ), with the meaning of ” place of the seaweeds “.
The Alghero roadstead even is known as the Coast of the Coral, because in his backdrops you can find an enormous quantity of coral or red gold, used by the best goldsmiths for the creation of marvellous jewels characterized for their beauty. The workmanship of the coral is considered, today, one of the most important handcraft activities of the city.
But the reason for which thousands of tourists came every year in Alghero is surely due to the presence of a beautiful cost, of long beaches with candid sand, of the clear sea and of popular traditions distinct from Sardinian ones because more similar with the Catalans.
The access to Alghero is simple if we consider the presence, in the neighbourhoods of the Fertilia suburb, of an equipped airport and of the port in Porto Torres, the most important of the northern Sardinia. This port is a fundamental knot for island communications, even from a commercial and industrial point of view, instead of Alghero that has a tourist port.
Much more long is the road that you have to cross to reach the town if you land in Cagliari: the ss131, best known as Carlo Felice, that connects the Sardinian capital with Sassari and Porto Torres. When you arrive near Sassari, necessary you have to take the road to Alghero, the ss291, whose crossing is situated along the Carlo Felice, in the neighbourhoods of Sassari industrial district.
From Olbia, instead, where there are an equipped port and airport, it is possible to reach Sassari and, subsequently, Alghero, crossing the ss597.
Is rightful to visit, near Alghero, the sea park of Porto Conte-Capo Caccia, the famous Neptune caves and all the splendid bays and beaches in the coastwise. Alghero can offer you marvellous places and very suggestive natural shows; a variety of spectacular Mediterranean itineraries!
Alghero Tourist information
- Airport: Tel./Fax: (+39) 079 935282/935219/935011 - www
- Emergency: (+39) 079 996233
- Hospital: Via Don Minzoni 079 996286
- Marine Hospital: Viale Primo Maggio. (+39) 079 996419
- Coast guard: via Napoli. (+39) 079 950565