“As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was going to happen.”
~Winnie the Pooh
During our recent trip to Italy, one of the places we knew we had to visit was Sardinia. The vibrant blue waters we had seen in pictures was something we had to experience for ourselves. We decided to stay in Alghero as our home base and rent a car to explore the island!
Check out our 3 favorite activities in Alghero.
NEPTUNE’S GROTTO
If you searched for activities in Alghero, Neptune’s Grotto is sure to top the list of attractions. There are 2 ways to get to the grotto, either take a boat ride or walk down 654 steps. Naturally, we took the steps to add to the adventure!
Our journey began as we parallel parked the car on the side of the windy street on the edge of the cliff.
Next we began the descent down the steps. That is not a typo above, there were 654 of them!
The walk is not for those afraid of heights, you are literally walking on the edge of the cliff!
But seeing the vibrant blue water against the rock formations made it worth it. It took us nearly an hour to descend, mostly because we stopped every few steps to admire the view and take photos!
Once you get to the grotto, there is a small entrance fee for the guided tour of the caves. While it was impressive, we found the true star of this journey to be the walk down!
The worst part? The hike back up 654 steep steps! We promise it’s worth it.
BOATING DAY TRIP
Of course we had to experience the waters in Alghero. We chose a sailing day trip with Andrea Jensen. It leaves from the port right in downtown Alghero.
The journey out was gorgeous with all of the shades of blue! Additionally it was fun to weave through some of the rock formations as well.
We stopped in a vibrant cove for swimming and snorkeling!
Brian is a 5-year-old at heart and he LOVES having an opportunity to jump in the water. When the guide pointed out that anyone interested in climbing the sail could jump from there, Brian was first in line!
While we swam, the crew prepared a delicious lunch. After a few drinks, full bellies and a couple hours of refreshing swimming, it was time to head back. On the return, the weather was right and we were able to sail back. Brian put his boy scout training to good use and helped to get the sails up!
Overall it was a lovely way to spend the day and we would highly recommend the friendly staff of Andrea Jensen!
OLD TOWN ALGHERO
Every evening we would head to old town Alghero for dining, shopping and an amazing sunset! The old town restricts car access therefore it makes it a nice area to stroll through the narrow streets.
The town is especially unique as it is surrounded by walls. This makes for an interesting setting to dine out and catch the sunset!
We found the seafood to be incredible here. The other favorite dish of the region is suckling pig. One of us would order seafood, the other suckling pig and we would share each night! The restaurants were so kind, if there was even a short wait they would give us a glass of Processo to enjoy as we waited on the house!
After dinner we would walk through the narrow streets wandering into shops and of course enjoying some gelato!
We were very happy with our choice to stay in Alghero as our base during our time in Sardinia. We found there to be a nice balance of restaurants and activities as well as a nice base to explore neighboring areas.
7 comments
How beautiful are all these places! The cave and cliffs are spectacular. I am sure this has to be one of the most beautiful islands in the Mediterranean.
Thank you for sharing such a beautiful area with us at #TheWeeklyPostcard this week. Your beautiful photos are such an inspiration to visit such a breathtaking area in the Mediterranean.
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I had my eye on Sardinia for a while, but I didn’t know much of it. I see it looks quite similar to Malta (which I absolutely loved), so I’m sold! Your photos are gorgeous! 🙂
Highly recommend Sardinia! It was so relaxed and unspoiled. We hope to return and explore the southern part of the island someday. I have to check out Malta if it’s similar, we’ve never been!
I’ve always wondered what Sardinia is like and wow – from your photos it looks absolutely stunning. The sea is so blue. Mmmm now I think I may have to look into a trip here 🙂 654 steps with a toddler though might be a no no! Thanks for linking up with #MondayEscapes
Brilliant article and photos!
As a non beach person, these are much more the type of activities I really enjoy. I was blown away with Neptunes’s grotto – especially as it had a cave with a stage and seating over the water and perfect acoustics for classical music concerts, apparently! I struggled with those steps on the way back up, though.
Alghero used to be a strategic Spanish naval stronghold due to it’s harbour and strategic position in the Med. There’s evidence of this Spanish influence in many of the buildings when exploring the delightful old town.
You sure had a great-and busy time on this beautiful island! 🙂