Sardinia's fifth largest city is a popular tourist centre and one of the entry points to Sardinia thanks to the local airport Alghero AHO.

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Alghero lies on a rocky promontory in the northwest of Sardinia. It has well-preserved medieval fortifications with massive bastions. You'll also be enchanted by the beautiful historic streets in the town centre, which hide amazing restaurants.

Alghero as "Barcelonetta"

Alghero, or Little Barcelona, has a Catalan appearance and the locals even speak Catalan. And where did the Catalans come from?

When the Aragonese conquered Barcelona in 1354, entire towns of Catalans relocated to Alghero and eventually settled here permanently. The Catalan influence is still evident today, for example in the bilingual street names and monuments.

Sights and attractions

The most striking monuments are the city's 14th-century bastions and defensive towers, which still surround historic Alghero today. In Alghero, the following are not to be missed:

• Santa MariaCathedral - in Aragonese style from the mid-16th century
• St. Michael'sCathedral - in the Baroque style from the 17th century with its unmissable colourful dome
• Atangle of alleys in the historic centre, where you will always find shade and a true Italian atmosphere
• Cape Caccia with the Cave of Neptune

Beaches and swimming

Alghero is one of the leading beach destinations in Sardinia, suitable for those who like urban beaches with great access to all services.

Right in the centre of the town starts the more than one kilometre long city beach of Lido San Giovanni with its fine light sand and all services. The promenade along the beach is surrounded by restaurants, shops and bars, as well as sunbed and umbrella rental shops or offers various water activities and boat trips.

Quieter beaches lie to the north of the town a short walk from the airport. Particularly popular are Le Bombarde and Lazzaretto beaches, which are covered in yellow sand and boast crystal clear shallow water suitable for snorkelling. These beaches are also known as the Coral Riviera because of the abundance of red coral.

Our secret tip is Mugoni beach in Porto Conte bay. It's about 10 km away from Alghero, but you'll always enjoy plenty of privacy on the kilometre-long beach with very fine sand and clear water, while there are also sunbed hire and small restaurants. The sea here is beautiful, shallow and always calm. Buses 9320 and 9321 also run here, but not all of them, so always check with the driver to make sure he is really going to "Spiaggia Mugoni".

Accommodation in Alghero

Alghero is one of the centres of tourism and therefore you can choose from a wide range of accommodation of all types. Prices range from 70 eur to 100 eur per night for 2 in apartments and guesthouses, which is rather below average for Sardinia.

• Hotels and accommodation Alghero

Our top picks for accommodation in Alghero:

• Well-rated to 90 eur – B&B Monti, B&b Sulis, Sa Vivenda Rooms
• Best hotels Alghero – Hotel Riviera, Hotel Soleado, Hotel Oasis

How to get there

The main point of entry is Alghero AHO airport.

The main point of arrival is Alghero Alghero Airport.

Public transport around Alghero is provided by 6 lettered bus routes, timetables can be found on the website: arst.sardegna.it/urbani/alghero.

The price of a single ticket is 1 eur, a 24-hour ticket is 2,80 eur. These buses only take you within the city to the nearest city beaches, Lido San Giovanni and Spiaggia di Maria Pia.

Intercity buses

Further afield from Alghero you can get intercity buses and trains, for detailed information on travelling by car, bus and train see the chapter Transport in Sardinia.

The main bus station is on via Catalogna (location on google.com/maps), while the railway station is located in the north of the city (google.com/maps).

For timetables to specific cities in the list below, click on the number/name of the line.

• Bosa - 9312
• Cagliari - by train with a change at Sassari
• Capo Caccia and Neptune's Cave - 9321
• Olbia - by train with a change in Sassari or directly by the more expensive Sun Lines buses(line 90)
• Porto Torres - 714
• Porto Conte and the beaches of the Coral Riviera - 9320, 9321
• Sassari - TPL train (Trenitalia tickets are not valid here), buses 9312, 9323, as well as the more expensive private Sun Lines line 90
• Stintino La Pelosa - Sardabus
• Villanova Monteleone - 704
• Ittiri - 9324

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