FROM OLBIA TO THE COSTA SMERALDA AND THE ISLAND OF LA MADDALENA
This itinerary offers various, interesting
stop-overs touching all the north-east stretch of
the Sardinian coast.
Olbia in itself already offers sufficient reasons
for an interesting visit: the church of St.
Simplicio, the sacred Nuraghic well of Sa Testa,
the Nuraghic "Palace" of Cabu Abbas, the mountains
of Cugnana and St. Pantaleo, Porto Istana, Capo
Ceraso, both the islands of Tavolara and Molara.
North of Olbia is the port of Golfo Aranci. The
small peninsula on which it stands, near Capo
Figari and the small island of Figarolo, is
located in a magnificent position from which the
visitor can see Punta Canigione, Punta Volpe and
Porto Rotondo, the luxurious seaside resort,
reaching as far as the first sights of the
fabulous Costa Smeralda.
Before this though, it may be interesting to stop
at Arzachena to pay a visit to the small Nuraghic
temple of Malchittu and funereal circles of Li
Muri.
Let us enter the golden world, typical of a
postcard, of the Costa Smeralda: Cala di Volpe and
the hotel bearing the same name, the beach of
Liscia Ruia, the islands of Mortorio and Saffi,
the tourist village Pevero Golf; Porto Cervo and
its charming small square, the "strategic" centre
of the coast, and the port in which the most
luxurious yachts are moored.
Let us not forget about the beaches of Romazzino
and Baia Sardinia, at the extreme northern part of
the coast and other places of unforgettable
beauty. From this beaches the visitor can catch a
glimpse of the islands of La Maddalena and
Caprera. It is useless to stress that here both
the landscape and the touristic structures are of
a superior level.
From Arzachena it is possible to reach Santa
Teresa di Gallura in order to admire here too the
beauties of the landscape, but not only that:
Punta Falcone, the beach of La Marmolada, the
peninsula of Colucia, Capo Testa with its splendid
rocky formations, Cala Spinosa and the valley of
La Luna, all constitute reasons worth a visit to
Santa Teresa.
Having left the Gulf of Arzachena, travelling
north, the coast continues to unwind among granite
rocks of a thousand forms. The most famous is the
Bear Rock, dominating the small town of Palau,
near which stands Porto Raphael, a touristic
centre of high level: beautiful small coves, quiet
beaches and excellent touristic structures.
From Palau, one can reach by ferryboat the island
of La Maddalena. Here visiting the town is a must
as is a visit to the other island, Caprera and its
museum dedicated to Garibaldi. Numerous are the
beautiful places in the "Maddalenino" Arcipelago:
the islands of Santo Stefano and Spargi, Cala
Gavetta, Cala Conneri and Cala Corsara; the
islands of Santa Maria and Budelli with its pink
beach; the island of Razzoli.
Here this long and fascinating itinerary ends.
Completing this itinerary could take up a whole
holiday in Sardinia.
