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One of Sardinia's most beautiful medieval cities, seafront Alghero is the main resort in the northwest. Although largely given over to tourism – its population can almost quadruple in July and August – the town retains a proud and independent spirit. Its animated historic centre is a terrific place to hang out and, with so many excellent restaurants and bars, it makes an ideal base for exploring the beaches and beauty spots of the nearby Riviera del Corallo.
The main focus of attention is the picturesque centro storico (historic centre), one of the best preserved in Sardinia. Enclosed by robust, honey-coloured sea walls, it's a tightly knit enclave of cobbled lanes, Gothic palazzi and cafe-lined piazzas. Below, yachts crowd the marina and long, sandy beaches curve away to the north. Presiding over everything is a palpable Spanish atmosphere, a hangover from the city’s past as a Catalan colony.
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Alghero.
Walls
Alghero's golden sea walls, built around the centro storico by the Aragonese in the 16th century, are a highlight of the town's historic cityscape. Running from Piazza Sulis in the south to Porta a Mare and the marina in the north, they're crowned by a pedestrianised path that commands superb views over to Capo Caccia on the blue horizon. Restaurants and bars line the walkway, providing the perfect perch to sit back and lap up the holiday atmosphere.
Tower
Rising above the historic centre, the Cattedrale di Santa Maria's 16th-century campanile is one of Alghero's signature landmarks. The tower, accessible through a Gothic doorway on Via Principe Umberto, is a fine example of Catalan Gothic architecture with its elegant octagonal structure and short pyramid-shaped spire. Climb to the top for amazing views.
Church
Alghero's finest church is a model of architectural harmony. Originally built to a Catalan Gothic design in the 14th century, it was later given a Renaissance facelift after it partially collapsed in 1593. Inside, interest is focused on the 18th-century polychrome marble altar and a strange 17th-century wooden sculpture of a haggard Christ tied to a column. Through the sacristy you can enter a beautiful 14th-century cloister, where the 22 columns connect a series of round arches.
Church
On Via Carlo Alberto, the carrer major of the medieval town, the 17th-century Chiesa di San Michele is best known for its maiolica-tiled dome. The present tiles were laid in the 1960s, but this doesn’t detract from their beauty. Inside, look out for a wooden sculpture of San Michele (St Michael) slaying Satan.
Tower
Dominating Piazza Sulis, this landmark tower was originally known as the Torre de l'Esperó Reial or Torre dello Sperone (Tower of the Royal Spur). Its current name is a reference to Vincenzo Sulis, a 19th-century Sardinian revolutionary who spent 22 years imprisoned within its 6m-thick walls.
Piazza
Just inside Porta a Mare, Piazza Civica is Alghero’s showcase square. In a former life it was the administrative heart of the medieval city, but where Spanish aristocrats once met to debate affairs of empire, tourists now converge to browse jewellery displays in elegant shop windows, eat gelati and drink at the city’s grandest cafe – Caffè Costantino. It occupies the ground floor of the Gothic Palazzo d’Albis, where the Spanish emperor Charles V famously stayed in 1541.
Cathedral
Overlooking Piazza Duomo, Alghero’s oversized Cattedrale di Santa Maria appears out of place with its pompous neoclassical facade and fat Doric columns. An unfortunate 19th-century addition, the facade was the last in a long line of modifications the hybrid cathedral has endured since it was built, originally on Catalan Gothic lines in the 16th century. Inside it’s largely Renaissance, with some late-baroque baubles added in the 18th century.
Museum
The history of human settlement in the Alghero area is charted at this gleaming new archaeological museum, inaugurated in December 2016. Artefacts discovered in nuraghic villages, neolithic caves and Roman shipwrecks are exhibited in thematic displays relating to the sea, ancient ways of life, and cults and death.
Fort
To the north of the old town, the Forte della Maddalena is the sole survivor of three forts built at the end of the 16th century to bolster the city's land battlements. Its tower, known as the Torre della Maddalena or Torre di Garibaldi, dates to an earlier medieval period.