So last year in August, we did a one day road trip to Alghero and did a little bit of sight seeing too.
After a few stops to have some coffee and snacks and a stop at the Basilica di Saccargia, without a doubt the most beautiful church in Sardinia, we headed to Porto Conte. Porto Conte is an unspoilt gulf with clear water reaches inland for 6 km (average width 2.5km), and at the end almost looks like a lake; it’s situated between Capo Caccia and Punta del Giglio, west of Alghero.
The sea floor is a natural habitat for fish repopulation, because of the vast stretches of the Posidonia oceanica alga species found here. To the southwest, after a charming wine-growing area, the road follows the seashore to Monte Timidone, almost at the top of the calcareous promontory of Capo Caccia.
The Gulf of Porto Conte (which Romans certainly exploited as an excellent, natural port) was called by geographer Tolomeo (Ptolemy) Portus Nympharum or the Port of Nymphs because of the extraordinary transparency of the sea-water and its differing colours from green to blue.
We didn’t do much. We just enjoyed climbing on the rocks and taking photos as winds almost swept us away.
And from here, we drove all the way to the opposite side where Capo Caccia is.
Capo Caccia is situated a few kilometres from Alghero, on the southern point of a huge limestone triangle that wedges out into the sea. There are characteristic, impressive cliffs (nearly 300 m high) on its west side. It is renowned for the underground labyrinth of mysterious caves discovered in 1700. The most famous one is Grotta di Nettuno (2500 m long) that can be reached by sea or on ground climbing the 656 steps of Escala del Cabirol that lead to the cave. Although we did not venture to these caves or the grotto because of Lia, the view itself was enough for us.
And I guess for others too.
Sources: