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 North west Sardinia D H Lawrence passed through Sardinia in 1921 remarking on its
geographic location as a place 'lost between Europe and Africa and
belonging nowhere'. It is off the beaten track, but therein perhaps
lies its appeal. The island's beaches are some of the cleanest and
least crowded in Italy. The capital is Cagliari, a good base from
which to explore other parts of the island. The National
Archaeological Museum of Cagliari contains prehistoric tombs and
other significant artefacts from the Punic and Roman periods. The
resort of Costa Smeralda is a place of luxury and opulence, not
suited to budget tourists, although interesting as a short stop.
The Spanish tinted port of Alghero is the favoured package
destination, especially among British holidaymakers. The inland
town of Nuoro is a good station from which to explore the
Gennargentu mountain range and enjoy the traditional village
festivals. The Sardinian landscape is peppered with constructions
from the ancient Nuragic civilisation. These stone structures are
unique to Sardinia and are must-see sites. They are however not
easily accessible as they lie in isolated spots throughout the
island.
Resorts See our separate guides to the following Sardinia holiday resorts: Alghero, Costa Smeralda and Cagliari Attractions  Retablo of the Nativity © Sardegna Turismo The Citadel of Museums
Sardinia's history and culture is conveniently packaged in the
Citadel of Museums complex in the centre of the capital, Cagliari.
Here is sited the National Archaeological Museum, the National
Picture Gallery, the Cardu Siamese Museum and a collection of
anatomical waxes by Florentine sculptor, Clemente Susini, all
administered by the University. The Archaeological Museum houses
artefacts from all the ancient cultures of the island, including
ceramics from Phoenician tombs, Punic jewellery and Nuragic
bronzes. The Picture Gallery contains a collection of contemporary
art and sculpture, while the Siamese museum exhibits fascinating
items from the east. The unique Collection of Waxes consists of 23
models of parts of the human body created by Clemente Susini, from
waxes, resin, tallow, pitch and balsam.
Address: Piazza Arsenale;
Website: www.sardegnaturismo.it
Excursions Garibaldi’s House
Famous revolutionary, Giuseppe Garibaldi, lived the last third
of his life on the woody, undeveloped island of Caprera, a short
ferry-ride from Palau on Sardinia. The trip to view Garibaldi's
house and museum is very popular in season, with visitors queuing
to catch one of the regular ferries to Caprera. Garibaldi came to
live in Caprera in 1855 after a 20-year exile from Italy. He led
his famous 1,000 Red Shirts on his campaign to conquer Sicily and
Naples from here in 1861. The elegant homestead has been preserved
as he left it. Tours of the property end with his tomb in the
garden.
Address: Caprera Island;
Transport: Regular ferries from Palau to La Maddalena, main island in the Maddalena archipelago, from where it is possible to reach Caprera by a connecting bridge;
Opening time: Daily 9am to 1pm and 3pm to 6pm
Neptune’s Grotto (Grotta di Nettuno)
A popular sightseeing expedition from Alghero is a boat ride to
Neptune's Grotto, an impressive deep marine cave in the sheer
cliffs at Capo Caccia. The boat ride takes 45 minutes past the bay
of Porto Conte. At the cave visitors can take a 45-minute tour
entering through the long snaking passage that delves into the
rock, to view dramatically lit, fantastic stalagmites and
stalactites. The cave can also be reached by bus from the main
terminal in Alghero, or by car, which on arrival necessitates
climbing down 650 steps to the cave entrance.
Address: Alghero;
Opening time: Daily; 9am to 7pm (April to September), 10am to 5pm (October), 9am to 2pm (November to March); Tours run hourly.;
Admission: €10 (cave tour)
Nuraghe
The mysterious Nuragic people who arrived in Sardinia around
1500 BC festooned the island with about 30,000 circular fortified
structures. Today about 7,000 of these remain standing to be
marvelled at by tourists. The complex of Nuraghe in Barumini has
been added to UNESCO's World Heritage List and is the finest and
most complete example of this prehistoric architecture. The
Barumini site can be reached from Oristano or Cagliari on route 131
and turning off onto route 197. Other well-preserved nuraghe can be
seen at Sant Antine. At Nora on the very southern tip of the island
are the remains of an extensive Nuragic village including an
amphitheatre, forum, baths, temple and Kasbah. Other good Nuragic
sites are near Villanovaforru, Alghero, and Abbasanta.
Opening time: Most Nuraghe are closed afternoons and Sundays;
Admission: Most Nuraghe are free
Trenino Verde
Sardinia has an unforgettable coastline, but the interior of the
island is equally beautiful. A fun way to explore it is aboard the
Trenino Verde (Little Green Train), a vintage steam locomotive that
puffs its way through forests, over bridges and through tunnels
into some of the island's most scenic mountain areas. The narrow
gauge train tracks were laid in 1888 to serve the more isolated
areas of Sardinia, and the picturesque restored train and
locomotive is just as old. The train runs on scheduled routes,
connecting Nuoro and Bosa, Sassari and Alghero, Sassari and Palau,
and Cagliari and Arbatax. Most popular is the Cagliari to Arbatax
route, which departs each morning at 6.45am.
Telephone: (079) 245 740 (schedules and routes);
Opening time: Daily between 30 June and 1 September
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