Alghero Sardinia Italy Cruise Port Guide

Location:

The ship will be anchored in front of the harbor and you will tendered ashore to the center of town.

Situated in an enchanting position with its port and spacious gulf, Alghero is no stranger to tourism. Its coast has many secluded bays, small inlets bordered by plentiful pine forests and high, jagged rocks touched by an emerald green sea; while inland, luxuriant vineyards produce some of the most aromatic wines in all of Sardinia.

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Monthly Climate Averages for Alghero Sardinia Italy

Sightseeing:

The name Alghero comes from Aleguerium, which is a mediaeval Latin word meaning 'stagnation of algae'

Alghero is a large and lively fishing port on the northwestern coast of Sardinia, which is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean after Sicily. The city dates back to the 12th Century, when it was founded by a Genoan family. Compared with other resorts in Sardinia, Alghero is refreshingly uncontrived and despite its long Catalan connection - conquered by Aragon in 1353 - (street names appear in Catalan as well as Italian), its old center has the feel of an ancient Italian town, often being likened to Sorrento or San Remo. The town's cobbled streets are jammed with boutiques, bars and restaurants and you may make a visit to the lookout at Capo Caccia.

See the seven defensive towers that dominate the walls surrounding Alghero. One of the most prominent is the Porta Terra, also known as the Jewish Tower.

Beaches: Alghero does have a long stretch of well-maintained sand beaches north of the Old Town and the marina. Alghero is blessed with the long white sand beach called Maria Pia beach. It stretches for a few kilometers along the road to Fertilia. It is family friendly as the water is shallow for quite a way before it gently shelves. Several hotels, bars, cafes & shops can be found just across the road along the whole stretch of the beach. On the beach are non-motorized boats & pedalos etc. for hire. There are many places along the beach where you can hire sunbeds.

Tours Excursions Transportation:

The really old part of the city has a wall around it and is quite a pleasant hours walk around the interior with souvenir shops, restaurants and ice cream parlors. You can either walk it, get on the little train or use the horse and cart. They both start and finish at the tender point.

Buses operate around and between Sardinia's towns. In Cagliari, the main ARST intercity station is at Piazza Matteotti. PANI buses to various towns leave from Cagliari's Stazione Marittima (the ticket office is inside the port building). Bus service is infrequent on Sundays and holidays.

Alghero, the third highest rated port, (of the top ten ports in Europe) is located in the northwest corner of Sardinia, Italy. Alghero's character reflects the remnants of its Catalan history in its language, architecture, and culture. From Alghero, guests can visit the twelfth-century fortress town of Castelsardo with its cliff top views.

Take an excursion boat to the Grotte di Nettuno, or Neptune's Caves, from the waterfront next to the Old Town walls. The trip lasts 1-1/2 to 2 hours, and the modest fare is for the boat only--you'll pay another 10 euros or so to enter the grotto.

There are lots of great spots for scuba or snorkeling and the park offers hiking trails and rock climbing as well.

It pays to compare the shore excursions here.

Nearby Places:

The drive from Alghero to Bosa is stunning, the road hugs the cliffs with beautiful beaches around each bend.

Shopping and Food

The Old Town is filled with shops, mostly selling the local coral jewelry or dishing up scoops of gelato. Pecorino cheese, a liqueur called Mirto, and wines are other popular items with tourists. Tourists should be aware of potential environmental damage to coral reefs before buying red coral jewellery.

Most shops close between 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

Currency:

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Communication:

Many Sardinians are bilingual, speaking Italian and Sardinian (which is closer to Latin than Italian). Sardinian is more likely to be spoken in smaller towns and villages. Some residents of Alghero speak a version of Catalan.

Opening Hours and Holidays:

Most shops and businesses in Italy open from Monday to Saturday from around 8am until 1pm, and from about 4pm until 7pm, though many shops close on Saturday afternoons and Monday mornings, and in the south the day can begin and end an hour later. In the north some businesses work to a 9am-5pm day to facilitate international dealings. Traditionally, everything except bars and restaurants closes on Sunday, though most towns have a pasticceria open in the mornings, while in large cities and tourist areas, Sunday opening is becoming more common

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