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SARDINIA
(The
Jewel of the Mediterranean)
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The first time I heard of Sardinia was in 1992, when the Bandits of the Barbargia Mountains, in the east of Sardinia, kidnapped the unfortunate eight year old, Farouk Kassan. The left ear of the poor boy was cut off and sent through the mail to his family. Included with this grizzly object was a ransom note demanding ten million lira for his return. Talks with the kidnappers went on for over seven months, while hundreds of soldiers searched the vast wilderness of Barbargia. Eventually after a tip off, the army arrested the kidnappers and found the young boy unharmed, but minus a left ear. We decided to visit this beautiful unspoilt Island just off the coast of Italy, when Ryan Air started to fly from Stanstead London to Alghero town. What really made our mind up was the cost of the airfare, £10 each way. At this price to hell with the kidnappers, we were broke anyway, and the May weather in Sardinia was a lot warmer and drier than Wales.
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| After a two hour flight we arrived at Alghero Airport and what a charming small airport it is. Our baggage arrived on the carrousel at the same time that we did, and the staff at the airport were very pleasant. At the Tourist Office just inside the Airport terminal the girl and the guy could not have been more helpful. Lists of accommodation and maps were distributed to the waiting crowd and we were even given a free walking guide to the best hikes in Sardinia. |
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| ALGHERO It is well worth the effort to stay in and around Alghero for a few a days and wander round the beautiful old town and harbour. Also there are some wonderful quiet unspoilt beaches within walking distance of the town. Just jump on to the Autobus at the airport, and within fifteen minutes you are deposited in the centre of town, at the Grand Park Via Vittoria Emanuele. Finding a place to stay is even easier, just stand around with your bags and within minutes a couple of gentlemen will approach you. They will offer to let you an apartment in the old town for about £28 a day. Most of these apartments, sleep up to four, are basic, but clean and are really handy to the central Piazza, which is a great place to buy a beer eat a pizza and sit late into the night watching the world go by. After spending three days exploring in and
around Alghero
we decided to hire a car from the Airport and head to the East coast and the
Barbargia mountains. Driving in Sardinia is a joy, wide-open roads with very
little traffic. The only thing you must watch out for are the numerous Police
speed traps, which appear with great regularity. The countryside we passed
through was really beautiful with rolling fields, high mountains and wonderful
hedgerows ablaze with colour from the profusion of wild flowers. |
NUORO
On our way East we passed through the strange town of
Nuoro. Set in a wonderful position under the high peak of Monte Ortobene and the
gateway to the high Sopramonte, you would expect this town to have some charm
and beauty, but as D.H.Lawrence wrote.” There is nothing to see in Nuoro:
which to tell the truth, is always a relief” and after visiting this town we
came to the same conclusion. As you enter the town, an estate of ugly concrete
apartment blocks confronts you and even the old centre has a rundown air about
it. After an hour we were glad to be on our way.
DORGALI
We found this small town, 10 miles from the coast to have
an air of quaint charm, with its old winding back streets and small family run
shops. With a selection of bars and restaurants there are plenty of places to
eat and drink at a reasonable price. On the outskirts of the town there is a
reasonable sized Supermarket, which carried a good selection of meats, fish,
fresh fruit and vegetables. Also Dorgali has two Banks, this is worth
remembering, because there are no banks or cash machines in nearby Cala Gonone
or the neighbouring villages. So if you need cash, get it while you can. When we
were there none of the banks would exchange English money for Euros. You could
only get money out of the cash point or draw Euros over the counter with a cash
or visa card. What really impressed us about Dorgali and the area was the
friendliness of the people, they would go out of their way to help you, with a
smile and a cheerful wave.
CALA GONONE
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You head south out of Dorgali on the winding main road that clings to the side the 900 metre high Monti Tului. On your right as the road twists and turns are spectacular views down into the Flumineddu Valley. Soon you come across a sharp left turn that heads into the blackness of a long narrow road tunnel to emerge into another world. Way below you in an azure blue bay sits the village of Cala Gonone sparking white against the backdrop of the sea. The road now plunges and corkscrews its way ever downward through the pine trees, giving you tantalising glimpses, if you dare look, of the blue sea, way below. |
| The village consists of a few hotels and apartments that huddle around the harbour. The side streets have a few tourist shops selling the usual “made in china” holiday kish, but on the whole most of the shops still sell useful goods for the locals. There is a reasonable sized supermarket to the south of the village where the prices are very reasonable. The biggest disappointment is the restaurants. Though there are a few around the village we found most of them to be expensive and not very good. The best place to spend an evening was at the Ice Cream parlour situated on the right as you enter the village. Here all the walkers and climbers gathered late into the night to swap tales of their exploits, exchange routes, have a few beers and gorge themselves on the wonderful ice cream made there. |
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Cala Gonone is an ideal base to explore the wild
Sopramonte massif. You can either take a boat trip along the coast and then trek
back along some of the most beautiful rugged tracks, or you can drive further
afield and explore the high Barbargia mountains only 10 miles away. If you want
to spend a lazy day sitting on the beach there is a nice sandy cove south of the
harbour. If you have the nerve to drive north out of the village, on the
mountain road over Monti Irveri, you will come to Calletta di Osalla and one of
the most beautiful unspoilt stretches of golden sand anywhere in the world. You
can walk along this incredible series of bays for about 10 miles to the town of
Orosei. All you will find along the way is a handful of people and two small,
very welcome bars. |
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When we went to Sardinia in May and October the weather was superb. The average daytime temperature was about 23deg, sunny with just the odd fluffy cloud. In four weeks it only rained for about five hours and then most of this time it was at night. We are certainly heading back to this wonderful island to trek and explore the south. The Sardinia people really made us welcome wherever we went and even the bandits of Barbargia told us, over a beer in the bar, that we weren’t worth kidnapping.
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| SARDINIA
LINKS and Useful address |
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Airline
Alghero
Airport
Car
Hire
Ferry
Walking
Guides
Sardinia,
by Andreas Stieglitz a Sunflower Landscape book The
Rough Guide to Sardinia by Robert Andrews Maps
They
also stock all of the above walking guides. |
Tourist Information Sassari
Tourist Office. Alghero
Tourist Office. Olbia
Tourist Office Hotels
in Cala Ganone
For
other Hotels Contact the local Tourist Board.
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