


Is Alghero worth visiting? Top 15 must see
La cosa mes beglia de Sassar es la littorina pe l’Alghé.
Translated from the Catalan “The most beautiful thing in Sassari is Alghero”
Alghero, a wonderful city in northwestern Sardinia and one of the most tourist destinations on the island, is a mix of architecture, language, art, food and nature. If you plan a visit to Alghero, take a look at this list of 15 must-see sights:
#1 ALGHERO OLD TOWN
The old town of Alghero is a unique identity heritage in Sardinia and in Italy between civilization, language, history and anthropology. Alghero Vecchia, or Alguer Vella, was the royal city of the Aragonese centuries and is still marked by a Catalan imprint visible from the narrow streets, the architecture and the local daily life. Alghero is not limited to its memory: the surrounding land between nature, archeology and tradition is strongly linked with the ancient of the fortress city. You have 2 ways to see and visit the historic center of Alghero and we will help you:
Our Alghero walking tour is the best way to live the city: We will walk in the labyrinth of narrow streets, among ancient houses that echo the Catalan origins of the city. We will see, from a local craftsman, the working phases of the red coral starting from the visit to the only aquarium in Europe of live Red Coral.
Are you going to explore the area by yourself? No problem, we’re here. You can get, for free, an exclusive brochure of the “Old Town of Alghero” , an important starting point for visiting a muste see and wonderful heritage in a pleasant walk. To get it, just subscribe to our newsletter or contact us directly, Alghero is waiting for you.
Useful information:
- How to get there: We remind you that the historic center of Alghero is a ZTL (Limited Traffic Zone) and therefore it is possible to access by vehicle only through a special licence. Here more details Alghero ZTL.
- Where to park: Parking on the street in Alghero in the central areas is usually paid (delimited by blue lines) according to the following rules: Zone 1 List of streets: Via XX Settembre, Piazza della Mercede, Piazza Sulis, Via La Marmora, Via Catalogna e Via Giovanni XXIII for a fee every day of the year (holidays included) at the following times: from 1/10 to 30/4 from 09,00 to 14,00 and from 16,00 to 20,00 (holidays too); from 1/5 to 30/9 from 09,00 to 14,00 and from 17,00 to 24,00 (holidays included). Zone 2 list of streets: Piazzale in front of “Conchiglia”, Chalet Area , Piazzale “Palafitta”, Area OASIS 1 (square), Area OASIS 2, Zone “Le Bombarde”, Via Lido, paid from 01.06 to 30.09 (holidays included) from 09,00 to 21,00; Piazzale della Pace it is payable from 1/5 to 30/9 from 09.00 to 24.00 (holidays included)
#2 MACOR – RED CORAL MUSEUM
Alghero there are 2 great sights to visit that will allow you to understand even more how Red Coral is, and has been over the decades, important for the local people and for the economy of all of Sardinia. Corallium Rubrum (Mediterranean red coral) is an integral part of the identity, history and nature of Alghero. Legends, tales and mysteries link this animal, for a long time confused for a vegetable, to the Catalan city of Sardinia. You can find out more visiting MACOR – Red Coral Museum, on a fascinating journey through the history of the red heart of Alghero, to discover this precious gift of the Mediterranean Sea
Useful information:
- How to get there:
In the surroundings of the historic centre, you can easily reach the Museum via the main public transport systems. This is Google Maps link
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Opening time: The Red Coral Museum is open at the following times: Monday CLOSED Tuesday10:00 – 13:00 | 14:30 – 17:30 Wednesday 16:00 – 19:00 Thursday10:00 – 13:00 Friday10:00 – 13:00 | 16:00 – 19:00 Saturday10:00 – 13:00 | 16:00 – 19:00 Sunday10:00 – 13:00 | 16:00 – 19:00
- Cost: € 5,00 (per adult) or take Alghero Ticket to visit all must see sights in Alghero
#3 ACQUARIUM RUBRUM
You can discover the Red Coral inside the Museum but how about seeing it…alive? Well, know that in Alghero there is the first live Red Coral Aquarium in Europe. Is it not a wonderful must see sight to visit in Alghero? An exciting 50-minute journey on a guided tour, in the habitat of the most precious coral in the world: the Alghero red coral. You will discover the biology, the distribution, the habitat but also a fantastic marine world made up of further centenary specimens such as the Black Coral, the unobtainable O.Paddeui, life in the coral reef and many curiosities that will make you fall in love with this highly protected species .
Useful information:
- How to get there:The aquarium is located inside the Torre San Giacomo, along the ramparts.
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Opening time: The acquariumit is open only and exclusively with 2 daily guided tours in the period from 01/05/23 to 15/10/23 at 09:00 and 19:00. From 16/10/23 to 30/04/23 at 17:00
- Cost: € 5,00 per person
Alghero: The Red Coral town
#4 MUSA – ARCHAEOLOGICAL MUSEUM
A wonderful museum, which preserves and communicates the cultural and historical memory of the city of Alghero through finds attributable to the first human settlements in the area, from the Neolithic to the Middle Ages, discovered during urban excavations and outside the town.
Useful information:
- How to get there: In the surroundings of the historic centre, you can easily reach the Museum via the main public transport systems. Google Maps Link
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Opening time: The Archaeological Museum is open at the following times: Monday: 10:00 – 13:00 | 14:30 – 17:30 Tuesday: CHIUSO Wednesday: 10:00 – 13:00 Thursday: 16:00 – 19:00 Friday: 10:00 – 13:00 | 16:00 – 19:00 Saturday: 10:00 – 13:00 | 16:00 – 19:00 Sunday: 10:00 – 13:00 | 16:00 – 19:00
- Cost: € 5,00 per person or take a look Alghero Ticket , an amazing experience to visit different Alghero must see with one click
#5 BEACHES
We know very well how the beaches and the sea in Sardinia are the main attractions and for this reason it is important to enter and see in Alghero what are some of the most beautiful beaches in Sardinia. This small list includes some of them, many are easily accessible by car and have a nearby car park, in other cases you have to make a small journey on foot. It goes without saying that in case you want to discover and see remote beaches with white sand, crystal clear sea, stretches of coast with breathtaking views, I suggest you take a look at our Wild Beaches & Snorkeling Tour, all together in this great tour. Back to us, the most important factors for choosing a beach are parking, services, exposure to the wind and popularity. Here is a list that will be important for choosing your beach in Alghero:
This wonderful beach is located along the coast from Alghero towards Fertilia. For me it’s one of the most beautiful beaches , located in the city, in Sardinia and in optimal weather conditions it represents a real paradise. To see the color of the crystalline water, the fine white sand and all in a coastal outline, but not only, behind the beautiful dunes with Mediterranean scrub.
- PROS:: Easily reachable on foot even from the center of Alghero (about 35 minutes), it has services of all kinds from small kiosks to bathing facilities; The sand is very white and fine; particularly suitable for families and children; possibility of paid parking 20 meters from the beach; it has a magnificent pine forest where it is pleasant to have a picnic especially during the hottest hours.
- CONS: Despite being a small town, it is possible to find your place even in the most touristic months such as July and August, but you have to go early in the morning especially to find parking; The sea usually gets “dirty” in the early afternoon; Exposed to the mistral (north-west wind).
Probably the most visited beach during summer 2022, it is of extraordinary beauty even if in the last decade it has seen a substantial reduction in size due to coastal erosion
- PROS:Reachable by car, bike or public transport; suitable for everyone, even people with disabilities; It has 1 bar and a bathing establishment; Paid indoor parking; Magnificent Mediterranean scrub behind; Fairly protected from the mistral
- CONS:Crowded in the months of July, August and early September;
One of the symbolic beaches of the area and certainly among the things to see in Alghero and in the Capo Caccia area. Surely beautiful and with the possibility of doing various activities in the area including kayaking, SUP, diving at Capo Caccia or relaxing peacefully in the white sand and being kissed by the sun.
- PROS:Easy to reach by car, bike or public transport; suitable for everyone, even people with disabilities; It has 2 bars and a beach service; On-site activities such as Kayak, SUP rental; Paid internal parking and “free” external parking; Magnificent Mediterranean scrub behind; Fairly protected from the mistral
- CONS:Crowded in the months of July, August and early September;
A magnificent expanse of sand with different shades from ocher to orange, and behind it a forest of pines and eucalyptus trees, where you can have a picnic and shelter from the sun. In front of an emerald water, and calm thanks to the position that guarantees constant shelter. This is a tropical setting where beach, sea and nature merge, creating a splendid postcard.
- PROS: Reachable by car, bike or public transport; suitable for everyone, even people with disabilities; It has several bars and small bathing establishments; There are numerous activities on site such as Kayak rental, SUP but also dinghy rental; The internal parking is large and subject to charges; Magnificent frontal landscape with the Capo Caccia cliff and an area particularly appreciated during sunset; Fairly protected from the mistral.
- COS:Crowded since June during the weekend and in the warmer months; It is necessary to have a vehicle and arrive early in the morning to take the place, the beach is long but very narrow; In case of wind, very often the sea gets “dirty”;
#6 CALICH POND
The shape is that of a goblet, hence the name , a magnificent natural area of Alghero to see where endemic plants grow, numerous varieties of fish and rare waterfowl live. The Calich lagoon (or pond) is an integral part of thepark of Porto Conte, and one of the most significant naturalistic sites of the Riviera del Corallo. The lagoon is dominated by the ruins of a Roman bridge, then rebuilt in the Middle Ages. Ten of its 24 original arches were demolished in the 1930s during the reclamation works of the then malarial territory. The opening to the sea that transformed the pond into a lagoon also dates back to that time. It is now open to all, pleasant to visit on a bike ride or just a morning walk, with the first rays of sunshine warming the day.
Useful Information:
- How to get there: Around the small village of Fertilia, you can easily get to the pond via the main public transportation systems. Here is the link Of the location on Google Maps.
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Hours: The site is always open
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Cost: Completely free.
#7 PALMAVERA COMPLEX
Do you know anything about the Nuragic period in Sardinia? This site is among a must see in Alghero for many reasons; in fact, you will have the opportunity to visit the majestic Nuragic village of Palmavera, which stands as one of the most important and significant sites that the Nuragic civilization built on the island. This complex consists of two towers made of large limestone and sandstone, positioned in the center of a surrounding wall that is pentagonal in shape and also incorporates within it three towers and the majestic Meeting Hut. To find out more visit the site, perhaps with a local guide who can engage and stimulate your interest in Sardinian history even more.
Useful Information:
- Directions: Along the SS127 bis road at Km 45 , you can easily get to the site through the main public transportation systems Here is the link of the location on Google Maps.
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Hours: The site is open every day of the year except Christmas Day. Opening hours are as follows: November to March: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April to October: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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Cost: € 5.00 (Full) otherwise discover Alghero Ticket to explore all major attractions in the city.
#8 MASE – ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPERY MUSEUM
Alghero is not only to be seen, it is to be discovered among striking landscapes and hidden attractions. Foreword: Antoine De Saint-Exupéry lived in Alghero from May 1944 until July of that year in the Bay of Porto Conte, in a villa set on a slight rise in front of the Torre Nuova, built in 1572. As a pilot he flew for the U.S. Allied Air Forces stationed at the Fertilia military base, where he was assigned reconnaissance flights over the coast of France to locate and photograph German outposts. Author of such masterpieces as.The Little Prince, the most widely read book in the history of literature after the Bible and the Koran, lived the last significant months of his life in the city, also celebrating his last birthday. Inside the museum is the exhibit that traces the entire life of writer Antoine De Saint-Exupéry and focuses on the period of his stay in Alghero
Useful Information:
- How to get there: It is located in Porto Conte near the El Faro hotel. Here is the link Of the location on Google Maps.
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Hours: Tuesday through Sunday | 10 am-1 pm and 3:30-7:30 pm. Visit the site for the most up-to-date information
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Cost: € 5.00 (Full) otherwise discover Alghero Ticket to explore all major attractions in the city.
#9 M.A.P.S. – PUNTA GIGLIO
Punta Giglio is an extraordinary place within the Porto Conte Natural Park, yet another top location and thing to see in Alghero. A cliff overlooking the sea and, all around, the scents of the Mediterranean. In the same area also The M.A.P.S., the Punta Giglio Environmental Museum in Sardinia, an open-air museum concerning World War II that through explanatory panels will show you the various military constructions accompanying you to an unfortunately not-so-distant world, but one where the sound of war has been replaced by the sounds of nature.
Useful Information:
- How to get there: It is located in the locality of Porto Conte. Here is the link Of the location on Google Maps.
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Hours: Saturday and Sunday from 09:30 – 17:30
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Cost: €5.00 (Full) otherwise discover Alghero Ticket to explore all the city’s major attractions
#10 ROMAN VILLA SANT’IMBENIA
Built in the late 1st century B.C. and early 1st century A.D., it was used by the Romans as a place of rest and “villeggiatura.” The villa consisted of a manor part and a rustic part, used for agricultural production. Located a few meters away from the sea, it enjoys an extraordinary view of Porto Conte Bay, the ancient Portus nympharum (water lily port). Visiting this site is a way to also see and discover the Roman history of the Alghero area.
Useful Information:
- How to get there: It is located in Porto Conte, along pronviciale road 55 toward Capo Caccia. Here is the link Of the location on Google Maps.
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Hours: Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. . Saturday and Sunday from 9:30 to 11 a.m. and 12:30 to 2 p.m.
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Cost: €5.00 (Full) otherwise discover Alghero Ticket To explore all the city’s main attractions
#11 MONTE DOGLIA
We have already discussed this in our article “What to Do in Sardinia”, but this beautiful location has so much to show you that relates to the history and nature of the Alghero territory. From 1930 to the early 1940s Sardinia underwent intensive fortification of the coast and the near hinterland aimed at hindering the landing of possible enemies. Even the territory of Alghero has not been excluded, and hundreds of masonry artifacts can be identified that bear witness to this historical period, such as that of Monte Doglia. You can walk along a trail among military forts and natural and geological features of enormous interest.
Useful information
Useful Information:
Directions:
From Alghero take provincial road 55 toward Capo Caccia and reach the main area where all the trails start.Here is the
link
of the location on Google Maps.-
Hours: The site is open access to all.
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Cost:
Totally free
#12 TIMIDONE MOUNTAIN
Mount Timidoneis within the state-owned area of Porto Conte, exactly at the
Le Prigionette Park
. It is a very naturally sensitive area and rich in plant and wildlife biodiversity. Through various activities that you can do on your own (trekking, biking etc..) you will have the opportunity to appreciate the typical scents and colors of the Mediterranean flora and be thrilled by the encounter of domestic animals such as the albino donkey of Asinara and horses that live in the wild, as well as fallow deer and wild boar in the plain of Sant’Imbenia. You can reach the top of Mount Timidone and enjoy a magnificent panorama of the entire bay of Porto Conte, note this other thing to see in Alghero.
Useful Information:
How to get there:
From Alghero take provincial road 55 toward Capo Caccia and reach the entrance to Oasi De Le Prigionette. Here is the
link
Of the location on Google Maps.-
Hours: June to September daily from 09:00-18:00, visit the website for additional information regarding the rest of the year.
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Cost:
€5.00 (Full) otherwise discover Alghero Ticket to explore all major attractions in the city
#13 HUNTING LEADER
The Capo Caccia promontory is one of the symbols of Alghero, characterized by impressive limestone cliffs that have been shaped over time and fall sheer to the crystal clear water. It is part of themarine protected area of Cape Caccia and this is an important destination for scuba diving enthusiasts who will be confronted with rare coral specimens, a totally enviable marine flora and fauna including lobsters and groupers, but not only that, also the possibility of swimming inside the most extensive underwater karst formation in the Mediterranean Sea called Nereus Cave. Not only that, you can reach the tip and enjoy extraordinary views, especially at sunset.
Useful Information:
How to get there:
From Alghero take provincial road 55 toward Capo Caccia. Here is the
link
Of the location on Google Maps.-
Hours: The site is open access to all. Beware in the summertime, there is not enough parking
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Cost:
Totally free
#14 CAVES OF NEPTUNE
One of the most important natural monuments around Alghero is definitely Neptune’s Cave, a karst formation in the northwest part of the Capo Caccia promontory and about 4 km long but only a few hundred meters is open to the public. The interior of the cave is nothing short of spectacularamong stalactites, stalagmites, salt lakes that have the same level as the sea outside, and think that the area was once a monk seal habitat, probably exterminated by humans. Things to see in Alghero? Neptune’s caves are at the top.
Neptune Caves in Alghero: What to Know
#15 ANGHELU RUJU NECROPOLIS
Absolutely one of the things to see in Alghero. A valley with38 sandstone-cut tombs dating from 3200-2800 B.C., inside which even the stone spikes used to dig them have been found. The hypogeic necropolis of Anghelu Ruju, discovered in 1903, occupies two areas, in which the tombs are unevenly distributed: in the first, flatter area there are 7, the second, on a small hill, includes 31. Domus de Janas (fairy houses) burials have two types of access and are decorated with reliefs related to the cult of the deceased: in walls and pillars are carved protomes and taurine horns, representing the deity who was supposed to protect eternal sleep. While the carving of false doors symbolizes the entrance to the afterlife. Welcome to the most extensive complex of burial ‘caves’ in northern Sardinia, a must-see archaeological site in Alghero and an extraordinary preservation of a civilization that lived five millennia ago.
Useful Information:
How to get there:
Along the SP 42 road the so-called “road of the two seas” in the direction of Sassari-Porto Torres, you can also get to the site via the main public transportation systems. Here is the
link
Of the location on Google Maps.-
Hours: The site is open every day of the year except Christmas Day. Opening hours are as follows: November to March: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April to October: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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Cost:
€5.00 (Full) otherwise discover Alghero Ticket to explore all major attractions in the city
We want to make your experience in Alghero and Sardinia unique, which is why we have a
Blog section
all for you with suggestions and tips. In addition to this, remember that we are experts in the area, with us you can experience emotional guided excursions and organize your tailor-made trip by relying on the experience of Travel Planner Family.
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Plan your trip to Sardinia: Travel Planner Family

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