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If you’re looking to spend your weekend exploring wonderful caves or discovering a land of lush green pastures and Mediterranean scents, Alghero, Italy is the best place for you.

Home to around 35,000 people, Alghero lies in the north east of Sardinia in the Sassari province.  This little town was founded around 1102 by the influential Doria family from Genova.  Alghero remained Genovese until 1353, when the Catalan-Aragonese occupied the stronghold.  Today, after seven centuries, this town still possesses the urban traits, architecture, folklore and the language of its Catalan forefathers. In fact, many flock to Alghero purely to admire its historic architecture.
Some of Alghero’s famous establishments that bear the distinctive architecture of Catalan-Argonese (Gothic) styles are Palazzo d’Albis (on Piazza Civica), the Palau Reial (on Via Sant’Erasmo), Cathedral of St. Mary, and St. Francis Church.

For a unique Italian adventure experience, you can also explore Capo Caccia, which boasts of impressive cliffs on its west side. Capo Caccia is famous for the underground labyrinth of mysterious caves discovered in 1700.  The most popular cave is Grotta di Nettuno, which is carved in a spectacular sheer cliff, with long winding passages that delve far into the rock passing many fantastical stalagmites and stalactites. June is an ideal period to discover Capo Caccia when the temperature is usually mild enough for swimming and ideal for sightseeing.

Alghero is also home to one of the finest beaches in the Mediterranean, the Le Bombarde. A splendid beach embedded among the rocks of a small cove, Le Bombarde is well-known for its crystal-clear water, which is always very cold, even in summer.

Other beaches in Alghero that warrant a visit include, Mugoni, Lazzaretto, Baja di Conte, Cala Argentiera – La Frana, Maria Pia, Poglina – La Speranza Beach, Porto Ferro Beach, Porto Palmas, Punta Negra , and Torre del Porticciolo.

Alghero is the best place to visit if you want to satisfy your gastronomic urges for sea foods, particularly the lobster.  Alghero restaurants serve lobsters in various styles, namely “aragosta agli agrumi” (lobster with citrus), “aragosta all’algherese” (in salad with raw tomatoes and onions), lobster with ricotta, and the more simple “aragosta alla catalana”.

Owing to its Spanish influence, Alghero also features several Spanish dishes on some menus, in particular ‘paella,’ a rice dish with seafood or chicken.
There are a number of good places to eat in and around the old town.  Some favorites are Da Pietro, Osteria Taverna Paradiso, the Spaghetteria Al Solito Posto, Piazza San Michele, Andreini and  Mabrouk.

Da Pietro is a very old establishment offering good food but very affordable.  Mabrouk is an informal place with very good service, wonderful food, and not very expensive.  Al Solito Posto has a huge variety of spaghetti dishes, including about half a dozen vegetarian ones, as well as very fresh grilled fish.  If you prefer a restaurant with a romantic setting, then you can check out Andreini or Il Viccere.  Another good (if more expensive) option for vegetarians is Al Tuguri, which does a separate vegetarian menu.

Other choices that won’t disappoint are Il Pavone, Paco, Vechhio Mulino and Mazzini.

Alghero also has many cafes, which allow you to spend your day relaxing while enjoying the town’s beautiful sceneries. For one, there’s Cafe Latino, which is a bit expensive but affords an overlooking view of the pretty harbor. There’s also the Cafe Costantino, which is good for nightcaps. The Cafe Diva is also a nice relaxed choice for breakfast.

Alghero’s nightlife makes it a unique place to visit in the sense that their bars don’t get really quite as thick as in other Mediterranean tourist spots, even during weekends.  Everybody seems to prefer to sip cocktails on a sidewalk café and watch the sunset from the seafront over frenetic nightclubbing.

But if you want live music, Poco Loco on Via Gramsci is a good choice. They often have open mike nights as well. If you want to go to a disco, then Il Ruscello, located a couple of kilometers out of town, is a good choice.

Alghero is great all year round, but May, June and September are best for the weather is not too hot during these months. In the height of summer (July and August), temperatures average 84F (29C) and in December they drop to 53F (12C).

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