Surrounded by low wooded hills, Lago Baratz is Sardinia’s only natural lake. It's a quiet spot that attracts some bird life, although the winged fellows tend to hang about the less accessible northern side. Paths circle the lake’s marshy banks and there’s a 3km dirt track connecting with the Spiaggia di Porto Ferro.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Sea Walls
9.58 MILES
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…
Parco Nazionale dell'Asinara
22.16 MILES
Named after its resident asini bianchi (albino donkeys), the Isola dell'Asinara encompasses 51 sq km of macchia (Mediterranean scrub), rocky coastline and…
Campanile
9.54 MILES
Rising above the historic centre, the Cattedrale di Santa Maria's 16th-century campanile is one of Alghero's signature landmarks. The tower, accessible…
Chiesa di San Francesco
9.6 MILES
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…
Basilica di San Gavino
13.89 MILES
Porto Torres' modern, workaday streets provide the unlikely setting for Sardinia’s largest Romanesque church. Built between 1030 and 1080, the basilica is…
Basilica della Santissima Trinità di Saccargia
24.3 MILES
About 18km southeast of Sassari on the SS729, this is the most visually striking of the isolated Romanesque churches that spring up across the territory…
Chiesa di San Michele
9.67 MILES
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…
Torre di Sulis
9.76 MILES
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…
Nearby Northwestern Sardinia attractions
1. Spiaggia di Porto Ferro
1.15 MILES
The Spiaggia di Porto Ferro is a fabulous, unspoiled beach, much loved by local surfers. Hidden behind thick tracts of pine woods about 6km north of Torre…
2. Cantina Sociale di Santa Maria la Palma
2.83 MILES
With some 700 hectares under vine, Santa Maria la Palma is the second-largest winery in the northwest. Head to its enoteca (wine bar) to browse its…
3. Torre del Porticciolo
3.27 MILES
On the coast north of Porto Conte, the Torre del Porticciolo is a tiny natural harbour backed by a small arc of beach and overlooked by a 16th-century…
4. Spiaggia Mugoni
4.53 MILES
The main focus of Porto Conte is Spiaggia Mugoni, a hugely popular beach that arcs around the bay’s northeastern flank. With its fine white sand and…
5. Le Prigionette Nature Reserve
4.96 MILES
This reserve, just west of Porto Conte at the base of Monte Timidone (361m), is a beautiful pocket of uncontaminated nature. Encompassing 12 sq km of…
6. Argentiera
5.74 MILES
A natural inlet about 11km north of Lago Baratz, the haunting backwater of Argentiera is dominated by the ghostly ruins of its silver mine, once Sardinia…
7. Nuraghe di Palmavera
5.97 MILES
A few kilometres west of Fertilia on the SS127bis road to Porto Conte, the Nuraghe di Palmavera is a 3500-year-old nuraghic village. At its centre stands…
8. Necropoli di Anghelu Ruju
6.03 MILES
Some 10km northwest of Alghero, just off the SP42 to Porto Torres, lie the scattered burial chambers of the Necropoli di Anghelu Ruju. The 38 tombs carved…