Things to do in Western Sardinia
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Sa Pischedda
At the hotel of the same name, this is one of Bosa’s best restaurants. Speciality of the house is stylishly presented fish, both seawater and freshwater, but it also does excellent pizza and pasta. Reservations in summer are a good idea.
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Bosa Diving
- Bosa, Italy
- Activities › Other
At Bosa Marina, Bosa Diving runs dives (from €35) and snorkelling excursions (€35), as well as hiring out canoes (double canoe €10 per hour) and dinghies (from €25 per hour).
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Duomo Cathedral
The onion-domed bell tower of the Duomo Cathedral dominates the Oristano skyline.
Most of what you see today is a baroque makeover, although some elements, including the apses and a chapel, survive from a Gothic predecessor. The 14th-century wooden sculpture Annunziata or Madonna del Rimedio, in the first chapel on the right as you enter, is believed to be by Nino Pisano, a Tuscan sculptor whose late-Gothic works stand on the cusp of the Renaissance. Two marble panels that once fronted the statue bear 11th- to 12th-century sculptural reliefs on one side depicting Daniel in the lion's den. The other side, carved about 300 years later by an unknown Catalan artist, depicts a…
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Portixedda
Oristano's tidy historic centre retains just a whiff of its former glory, with rows of solid stone houses with tall shuttered windows and lofty internal courtyards. It's almost circular in plan and was once surrounded by a mighty fortified wall whose only remnants are the Torre di Mariano II on Piazza Roma, and the Portixedda just off Via Giuseppe Mazzini to the east.
The latter contains an exhibition showing what the city's defences would have looked like before they were pulled down in the late 19th century.
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Anfibia
The countryside around Bosa is a pretty crisscross of vineyards and rivers. To explore it, contact Marcello at Anfibia, who can arrange some wonderful ecotours including kayaking, cycling and visiting local vineyards. The organisation aims to put travellers in touch with local people in an effort to create a more happy and sustainable form of tourism. Tours require a group of six. Anfibia also hires out bikes and kayaks so you can do your own thing.
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Museo Antiquarium Arborense
Oristano’s sole museum, the Museo Antiquarium Arborense contains one of the island’s major archaeological collections with prehistoric artefacts from the Sinis Peninsula and finds from Carthaginian and Roman Tharros. There’s also a small collection of retablos (painted altarpieces), including the 16th-century Retablo del Santo Cristo, which depicts a decorative series of Franciscan saints.
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Torre di Mariano II
Oristano's tidy historic centre retains just a whiff of its former glory, with rows of solid stone houses with tall shuttered windows and lofty internal courtyards. It's almost circular in plan and was once surrounded by a mighty fortified wall whose only remnants are the Torre di Mariano II on Piazza Roma, and the Portixedda just off Via Giuseppe Mazzini to the east.
reviewed
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Chiesa di Nostra Signora di Regnos Altos
Inside Castello Malaspina is the humble-looking chapel, the Chiesa di Nostra Signora di Regnos Altos, which houses an extraordinary and anonymous 14th-century fresco cycle, a veritable who's who of famous saints ranging from a giant St Christopher through a party of Franciscans to St Lawrence in the middle of his martyrdom on the grill.
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Birreria alla Corte dei Malaspina
Like everyone else in Bosa you'll find yourself settling into a routine that includes long bouts sitting in cafés along the corso just watching the world go by. In the evening things go on pretty much the same, but you might want to swap location to the cosy drinking den Birreria Alla Corte del Malaspina.
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Queen Eleonora's Statue
Piazza Eleonora d'Arborea became the city's central square through 19th-century urban reforms. Today it is a quiet spot where you can sit beneath the benign gaze of Queen Eleonora's Statue. She holds the ground-breaking Carta di Logu and raises a finger as if she were about to launch into a political speech.
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Cocco e Dessì
Smart, but not oppressively so, this is a popular modern restaurant. Well-dressed diners sit down to whopping pizzas and tasty, stylishly presented local food. Menu staples include polpi con patate (octopus with potato), served cold as an antipasto, and orata al vapore (steamed sea bream).
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Trattoria Gino
An old-school neighbourhood trattoria, Gino has been serving tasty, no-nonsense food since the 1930s. The menu covers most bases, but it’s the seafood that really stands out. Start with risotto alla marinara (seafood risotto) before diving into chargrilled seppia (cuttlefish).
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Caffè Chelo
Like everyone else in Bosa you'll find yourself settling into a routine that includes long bouts sitting in cafés along the corso just watching the world go by. The best place to do this is Caffè Chelo, an original Liberty-style café overlooking Piazza Costituzione.
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Borgo Sant'Ignazio
Hidden amid the web of lanes in the heart of the old town, Sant'Ignazio has a tastefully decorated dining area that's an enticing setting for typical Sardinian dishes. This is a good place to indulge in the earthy flavours of aubergines, mushrooms, ricotta and rich meat sauces.
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La Pulce Rossa
A 20-minute walk from the centre, this friendly family-run restaurant serves filling working-man’s fare at decidedly untouristy prices. For a real gut-buster try the house speciality, pennette ‘Pulce Rossa’, a rich concoction of pasta, giant prawns, cream and saffron.
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Lola Mundo
A stylish, modern bar with sleepy jazz tunes playing in the background. During the day people hang out here reading the paper and at lunchtime take a glass of wine with crudités at the marble-topped bar. There are also a few tables outside for those warm summer evenings.
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Antica Trattoria del Teatro
Located on a quiet elbow in the pedestrian area, opposite the theatre, the interior of this trattoria exudes subtle elegance. The menu includes vegetarian options such as tempura di pesce all'oriental (vegetable tempura) and a hearty minestrone.
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La Torre
This place doesn’t look like much from outside; in fact, it’s not so amazing inside either. No matter, it serves the best pizza in town. If you’re off pizza but just want to enjoy the hectic atmosphere, there’s a full menu of pastas and grilled mains.
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Ristorante Craf
A former 17th-century granary with vaulted dining rooms and folksy clutter. The menu includes a delicious panne frattau (Sardinian bread soup), fish dishes and, if you're game, asinello in padella al funghi (donkey with mushrooms).
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Su Nuraghe
While in Bosa you'll undoubtedly try the local sweet dessert wine, Malvasia. If you want to take a bottle home you'll find a good selection at Su Nuraghe. It also stocks torrone (nougat), Sardinian sweets, olive oils, cheeses and salami.
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La Grotta
Every day you'll see the little truck arrive to deliver logs for La Grotta's wood-burning stove - the sign of a good pizzeria. It's only open in the evenings, when the cosy wooden interior fills with a laid-back clientele.
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Duomo
Duomo was built in the 13th century but remodelled 500 years later. Its free-standing campanile, topped by a conspicuous majolica-tiled dome, adds an exotic Byzantine look to Oristano’s skyline.
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Castello Malaspina
It’s quite a climb up to Bosa’s hilltop castle, Castello Malaspina, built in 1112 by a noble Tuscan family. Note that these opening times often change, and it might well be open for longer over summer.
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Gelateria Pinna
A great gelateria. Alongside all your favourite flavours are some lesser-known concoctions. Wine gelato is becoming a hit in Italy and here you can try the Passito di Sardegna Duchessa ice cream, an intoxicating cone.
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Sas Conzas
Across the Ponte Vecchio line up the former 18th-century tanneries known as Sas Conzas, which were still in business shortly after WWII and are now a heritage site. One or two restaurants operate in them in summer.
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