Castelsardo, a stronghold in northern Sardinia

At the center of the north coast of Sardinia, between the Gulf of Asinara and the Costa Paradiso, there is the coast of Castelsardo, home town of Genoa origin ideal for a vacation by the sea and a starting point to discover the hinterland where you can admire the remains of the nuragic age and a fascinating wildlife.

Its natural position suggests a fortress city with a bustling past. In fact, the old medieval town stands on a small rocky promontory and is protected at the back by the hills of Gallura.

Castelsardo in 1102 became the stronghold of the Genoese dynasty of the Dorias with the name of Castelgenovese, while in 1448, under the Spanish control, it acquired the name of Castellaragonese, before finally moving in 1776 to the Savoys acquiring its current name, Castelsardo.

The tour to visit Castelsardo begins by climbing along the streets and steep stairways that form the historic heart of the city. Some streets opened to the sea giving unique views to the Gulf of Asinara.

The old area of Su Casteddu still retains its past buildings, such as the Doria's Castle, with its infinite charm, and the Church of Santa Maria, a symbol for the inhabitants of the town since it hosts the Criltu Nieddu, Black Christ, fourteenth-century crucifix carried in procession on Easter.

Within the walls of the castle it was opened a weaving museum. The museum displays artefacts such as baskets and pots made by Sardinian artisans in different shapes, sizes and materials. Each room has its own theme, ranging from baking to farming activities, from domestic life to fisheries, touching all the moments of life without neglecting the furnishings and objects with a magical or religious function.

On a rocky slope, easily accessible through a road with a slight slope, there is the Cathedral of Sant'Antonio Abate. The Baroque-style church has over its marble altar a Virgin with the Angels designed by a local anonymous painter known as Master of Castelsardo.

On the coast road to Santa Teresa di Gallura there is the majestic Roccia dell'Elefante, which owes its name to the shape that the wind and inclement weather conditions over time gave to it.
Formerly known as Sa Pedra pertunta, pierced stone, it is a curious domus de Janas. Within this prenuragic grave dug into a huge trachytic boulder you can still see two protomes stylized Taurin symbols of a God revered for his power, strength or courage.

Today this town thanks to the harbor dominated by a defensive tower has become a pleasant coastal town. In the village there is a small beach, and just 3 km from the town you can reach the village of Lu Bagni which offers spacious and sandy beaches.

Castelsardo deserves to be visited to know and appreciate the tranquility, away from the clamor of life still true in lifestyles and traditions. It is a charming place to spend a pleasant holiday in Sardinia. It is easy to reach and well-equipped with accommodation facilities and restaurants where you can enjoy the traditional cuisine such as lobster or an excellent soup "castellanese".

Cannigione

The jagged coastline in Gallura is rich in small coves called Rias. A Ria is a valley carved by a river and subsequently occupied by the sea. One of these Ria is the Gulf of Arzachena, where it developed a fishing village at the end of '800 and early'900. The bay allowed a safe shelter against adverse sea conditions and was perfect for trade between Sardinia and the islands of La Maddalena. Today this village, called Cannigione, is developing in both urban and demographic level thanks to the tourism promoted mainly from the nearby Costa Smeralda whereas the fishing has become a secondary sector.

Cannigione is situated on the north eastern coast of Sardinia at around 10 km from Arzachena, on the western side of the Gulf. The extraordinary beauty typical of the entire coast of Gallura made of granite rocks shaped by wind, beaches of fine white sand and crystal clear waters along with tourist facilities, a well-equipped marina, a walking path along the promenade filled with many local facilities make this area a major travel destination in Sardinia during the summer season.

Near the tourist port of Cannigione, surrounded by green vegetation, there is a beach with a clear bottom sand and crystal clear water. Going to Palau you arrive at the beach of La Conia, a beautiful bay with clear and transparent waters characterized by the presence of Mediterranean scrub bushes and pine trees all the way to the shore.

Further ahead you find the beach of Tanca Manna, with a bottom of large granite sand and turquoise waters followed by Barca Bruciata, an incomparable natural swimming pool, Isuledda, Ulticeddu and Iaciola, accessible via short trails on the right of the road, until you reach the Gulf of Saline, just below the hills of Capo d'Orso on the border with the town of Palau.

The southern part of the Gulf is occupied by the ponds of Saloni, ideal habitat for nesting of the marsh harrier, red heron and Sultan chicken, hosts sometimes black stork and ospreys which find refugee among the reeds, the tamarisks, the willows and the typical marsh plants. The fish fauna consists of several mullet, as well as tench, eels and turtles.

Porto Rotondo

Porto Rotondo, one of the most prestigious Sardinian and Italian tourist places, is located just minutes from Olbia, along the SS 125, on the northern side of the promontory of Punta Volpe, between the Gulf of Cugnana and Marinella. This is a well-designed tourist settlement, born in the golden years of great development of the Costa Smeralda. The buildings were raised from 1963 around the marina in a circular way (hence the name of the town) designed to be inserted in the best possible way in the surrounding environment.
The village is characterised by a network of streets and squares framed by colorful houses. Along the docks and the small round square of San Marco there are many stores of famous signatures. A stairway leads to the church of San Lorenzo, designed by Andrea Cascella, in granite.
During the bathing season this prestigious town is just two steps from the exclusive Costa Smeralda and offers the possibility to eat, drink, listen to music, dance and spend a pleasant holiday.
It is also interesting to do an excursion in the direction of Punta Volpe, which separates the Gulf of Marinella from the Gulf of Cugnana, with many beaches: the beach Ira, with a white and fine sand and rocks from the water located in the Punta Nuraghe, to the west Porto Rotondo, surrounded by a green Mediterranean scrub that contrasts with the white sand and turquoise sea, and small coves of Punta Asfodelo. From each one of them and also from the coastal streets it is possible to enjoy breathtaking views of the sea and the mountains of Gallura.
In the locality of Porto Rotondo there are other beautiful beaches with a calm and crystalline sea. The beach of Sassi has a sandy bottom and small pebbles tending to the colour gray, next to a beautiful cliff. Its waters have the characteristic of being transparent and peaceful. Behind the sandy beach there is a background of Mediterranean scrub that makes the landscape charming and colorful.
The beach of Alghe, with a sandy bottom of grey nuances which alternate with stone areas. Surrounded by rocks and low bushes, this quiet cove frequently hosts posidonia on its beach. Close to the beach stretches a wide range of Mediterranean scrub with its characteristic color and juniper and mastic fragrances. Even here between games of blue you can admire a highly crystalline sea.
The beach of Punta Volpe has a sandy bottom made of clear small grains, and pebbles with rocks that surfaced on the water. The cream-colored beach, with golden hues, is in front of the rocks that take varied colors in different times of day. The sight of the islands of Mortorio and Soffi and of the beautiful coastline enrich the evocative surrounding environment of the beach.
Finally Marineledda has a sandy and clear bottom. A solitary and quiet beach surrounded by a landscape of great beauty enriched by a very low and profumated vegetation alternating with polished granite rocks.

Holidays in San Teodoro

San Teodoro is on the north eastern coast of Sardinia, 30 km to the south of Olbia. It is one of the most desirable tourist places in Sardinia. The clear sea and white beaches of the location make of this a true nature's show. The town offers many services for tourists from many accommodation structures to a lot of practicable sporting activities, entertainment on the beach, hiking in the hinterland where you can admire a unique nature and find the traditions and history of this corner of Sardinia. The village is renowned for its nightlife and the presence of several large and exclusive nightclubs on the coast. The architecture is typical of the Costa Smeralda, with low houses and typical materials such as granite and trachyte. The stretch of coastline surrounding the town is also fascinating. The beaches are a spectacle not to be missed and are really numerous. La Cinta is the most known and popular of San Teodoro. It has a beach that stretches for about 5 km. A narrow strip of land rich in low vegetation separates the lagoon located behind the beach. White sand dunes and century-old junipers decorate the landscape. La Cinta is also ideal for long walks, nature presents great interest aspects related to birds and birdwatching. Several couples of pink flamingos plough in its waters. You must also see the beach at Cala Brandinchi, in the locality of Capo Coda Cavallo, with a very clear and fine sand, the Sardinian Caribbean. The beach also has a small dock, suitable for small, recreational boats. It also deserves to be visited the island of Tavolara that you can admire in front of the town, towards the north. A massive limestone trapezoidal-shapre island that rests on 525 m hight granit. It is an area of great natural interest, protected by a marine protected zone, one of the most exclusive and uncontaminated localities of Sardinia. You can reach it with the ferry departing from Porto San Paolo (just north of San Teodoro) every half hour during the summer.

European Jazz Expo 26 edition

Cagliari also proposed this year a three-day immersion in jazz. It began on November 14, 2008 the edition number 26 of the European Jazz Expo combined with the International Jazz Festival in Sardinia. The festival was staged at the Congress Center of the International Fair Centre of Sardinia in Cagliari. Probably because of a very successful edition in the yeat 2007 with the presence of 24,000 fans, this year there were over 40 concerts in three days divided into six halls with variable capacity.

On the stage of the Congress Center there were representatives of the best original productions of Sardinia and the world, world-famous musicians, young talents with a recent musical history, until arriving to the great protagonists of international jazz. Three days when the great masters of World's Jazz performed together with the emerging bands of all the international festivals. There were also scheduled seminars, conferences, meetings with artists, exhibition activities, screenings, presentations of books and discs, video reviews and photography exhibitions.

Among the original news, Cagliari this year became destination for gastronomic tourism. Giovanni Fancello, one of the best chefs in Sardinia and the Mediterranean, passionate and student of the food culture, proposed (to a maximum of 150 people at a time) a guided and free tasting session of a Sardinian dish accompanied with fine wines of the island.

Costa Smeralda Rally 2008

27th Edition of the Costa Smeralda Rally, 8yh test of the Italian Rally Championship also valid for the World Rally Trophy. Even this year with great anticipation and enthusiasm started in Porto Cervo one of the most important and resonant events of the summer season and sports of the island. There we 69 crews who have dealt in a full race on earth.

733.35 km divided into two main stages and 12 special tests that amounted to 150.38 Km. A large crowd of spectators, fans or not, took part in the opening ceremony of this sporting event in Piazza Risorgimento in Arzachena. The headquarters of the competition were set up in Olbia, at the Molo Brin. The first stage saw competitors engaged in the Nuorese area and the second one in Gallura.

The Tuscan Paolo Andreucci in pairs with Anna Andreuss from Friuli, with the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX RalliArt Italy, have dominated and won the competition.

From the sea to the mountains. There are several areas in the north-west of Sardinia that the race has affected, both coastal and internal. An ideal thing for lovers of this sport and also for the curious to see some of the most fascinating places in Sardinia. A way to live together sport and nature, immersed in an exciting mix of scenery, sights, tastes and smells that give all authenticity to this land.

Porto Corallo

In the region of Gerrei located in the south-west of Sardinia, part of the municipality of Villaputzu, is Porto Corallo named like this around the sixteenth century because its sea bottom was rich in coral formations.

The white beach of Porto Corallo is reached from the town in a few minutes. It is dominated, like many other ports and maritime locations of the island, by a warning Spanish tower built in stone and surrounded by Mediterranean scrub. To the north, about 25 km, are the town of Quirra and its homonymous beach, whereas to the south the beautiful beaches of Costa Rei: Foce of Flumendosa, beach of San Giovanni, a few miles from Muravera: beaches Le Saline, Cristolaxedu, Colostrie and Ferraxi.

Close to Porto Corallo, beyond the charming landscape, there are many interesting sites of archaeological and historical importance. During the Nuragic era the place was part of Cagliari, and became property of Visconti in the Early Middle Ages until the arrival of the Pisans who settled in the nearby castle of Quirra and reigned on all the surrounding territories. Built around the year 1200 on a formation of limestone, the Castle of Quirra had indeed served to protect the area from attacks. At his feet it is still possible to see the church of San Nicola in late-Romanesque style dating from the thirteenth century, and to the east, the ruins of the castle of Gibas.