Day 1: Costa Smeralda - La Maddalena
and Caprera
The
Costa Smeralda is the coastal area of Gallura in the north-east of Sardinia, 55
km long.
Arrival in Olbia and
departure for Palau. Boarding on the ferry and short crossing to reach the
island La Maddalena connected to the island of Caprera by a bridge. The
Garibaldi Compendium is an area of the island which includes the places where
Giuseppe Garibaldi lived the last years of his life, where he died and where
his tomb is located. Today the site is used as a museum. Continue along the
panoramic road to discover the wonderful views that overlook the smaller
islands of the archipelago. After lunch, the afternoon is dedicated to visiting
the Costa Smeralda with a stop in Porto Cervo for a lovely walk in the
"Piazzetta delle Chiacchiere" known for its luxurious boutiques and
the clubs frequented by the international jet set.
In
the evening arrival at the hotel, dinner and overnight. The
secret of the name: "Costa Smeralda" is not named because of its
beautiful turquoise sea. There are many stories, among the most reliable it
seems that the name comes from "Esmeralda", the daughter of the
industrialist Giuseppe Mentasti who bought the island of Mortorio here. As
Esmeralda was a very Spanish name, over time the name "Smeralda" was
chosen and the Costa Smeralda was born from this wild and Mediterranean land.
Day 2: Alghero
Breakfast
and a full day dedicated to visiting Alghero, affectionately called
"Barceloneta" by its inhabitants for the strong Catalan imprint that
distinguishes it. Capo Caccia, a limestone massif with sheer cliffs overlooking
the sea that hides beautiful caves including those of Neptune, reachable by sea
or by land with the breathtaking Escala del Cabirol (the roe deer staircase).
Built in 1954 to provide access to the Caves of Neptune, which until then were
only accessible by sea. It is a marvel carved into the rock consisting of 656
steps that descend to the sea. The route
is not tiring, enlivened by the blue sea and the green vegetation. The entrance
to the staircase is free.
Lunch in a restaurant. In the evening return to the hotel, dinner
and overnight.
Day 3: Castelsardo - Porto Torres
Breakfast
at the hotel. Morning dedicated to the visit of Castelsardo, ancient medieval
village clinging to a rocky spur overlooking the Gulf of Asinara and one of the
most beautiful villages in Italy. In the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie
there is an object of great veneration, the "Black Christ" (Lu Cristu
Nieddu) of the 13th century, named so because its juniper wood has darkened
over time. After lunch, visit of Porto Torres with the archaeological area,
called The Palace of King Barbaro, the Romanesque Basilica of San Gavino, one
of the most important and ancient monuments of Pisan forms of the island and
the Torre del Porto. The name: Porto Torres would come from the association
between the port of the time (the current port area known as the "ancient
pier") with the Aragonese tower built in 1325. During the nineteenth
century the name would change first in Portotorres and finally in the current
Porto Torres (Port + Tower).
In the evening return to the
hotel, dinner and overnight.
Day 4: Torralba – Tharros
Breakfast
and departure for the archaeological site of Torralba (from "turris
alba", or white tower), famous for the presence of numerous prehistoric
and nuragic remains. Visit of its most important monument, the complex of the
nuragic palace of Santu Antine. Continuation to Oristano. After lunch, visit to
the Punic-Roman town of Tharros, on the Sinis peninsula. The area is currently
an open-air museum and the excavations go on bringing to light more information
about the past of this city. What you can see dates back mainly to the period
of Roman domination or early Christianity. Among the most interesting structures
are the Tophet, the baths, the temple foundations and a part of the area with
houses and workshops. In the evening continue to Cagliari and arrival at the
hotel. Dinner and overnight.
The Sardinian saying: "e sa cittad'e Tharros,
portant sa perda a carros", literally "from the city of Tharros you
bring the carts and stones", as if to say that the nearby city of
Aristiane, today Oristano, was built with the stones of the ancient Phoenician
city.
Day 5: Barumini – Gesturi
Breakfast
and departure for the nuragic complex of Barumini, the most important
archaeological site in Sardinia, the "Su Nuraxi", which dates back to
the Bronze Age and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After lunch, visit of the
Giara di Gesturi plateau, covered by Mediterranean scrub and famous for being
the habitat of the last wild horses of Europe. The characteristics of the Giara
horse are: almond-shaped eyes, long mane, short stature that varies at the
withers from 120 cm and a weight ranging between 150 and 200 kg. In many
specimens there is also a particular tuft that descends along the forehead
almost hiding the eyes. The animal has adapted to the environment developing
small and particular hoofs, perfect for stony ground. They live in the wild,
with an average life expectancy between 15 and 20 years against the 40 of a
normal horse. In Sardinian they are called cuaddedus or achettas. They live in
packs of 4-6-8 females and 1 stallion. When the foals reach the fertile age of
around 3 years, they are driven out of the herd by the stallion; therefore it
is not rare to see small groups of 4/5 stallions looking for their own harem.
In
the evening return to the hotel. Dinner and overnight.
Day 6: Cagliari – Nora
After breakfast, visit the
city of Cagliari with its rich historical and artistic heritage: the old town,
the medieval quarter with the majestic cathedral of Santa Maria, the Elephant
Towers, San Pancrazio, the famous Roman amphitheater of the second century, the
church of San Saturno, a beautiful example of Romanesque style and the Terrazza
Umberto I, the most famous panoramic views of the city. After lunch, a visit to
the Archaeological Park of Nora, which today represents the largest evidence of
Roman times in Sardinia and which preserves a rich and original testimony of
mosaics, among the most important on the island and characterized by the almost
exclusive use of white, black and ocher colors.
In the evening return to the
hotel, dinner and overnight.
Day 7: Sant'Antioco
After
breakfast, full-day excursion to Sant'Antioco, an island rich in natural
beauty, which preserves an immense archaeological heritage: menhirs of
pre-Nuragic times, nuraghi, Phoenician-Punic necropolis, ruins of Roman
times.
Lunch
in a restaurant. In the eveningreturn
to the hotel, dinner and overnight.
Making bread in Sant'Antioco is
part of the local handicraft, a manual skill very common among the housewives
of Antioch, who bake bread directly in their own wood-burning oven. The "
coccoietti del santo" (also known as "pani pintau", the
decorated bread) are famous, real jewels made with bread dough, which every
year, on the occasion of the village feast, are taken in procession to the
basilica as a donation in honor of Sant'Antioco Martyr.
Day 8: Nuoro – Orgosolo
Breakfast and departure for
Nuoro. Visit of the city and the Museum of the popular Sardinian arts and
traditions.. Continuation to the city of the murals of Orgosolo and traditional
lunch with the shepherds.
Pecorino
Sardo is one of the oldest cheeses in Sardinia, produced with sheep's milk. Has
high therapeutic properties: it helps bone formation, improves immune
functions, contributes to the reduction of fat mass, is antioxidant and
prevents cardio-vascular diseases. The credit for all this is especially due to
the spontaneous essences that are mainly fed to wild grazing sheep.
In
the evening arrival in Olbia and return back home.