It’s no coincidence that it’s called the pearl of the Mediterranean. And when Ryanair starts flying there, it’s the perfect combination for a low-cost trip in a beautiful setting. Yes, we’re talking about the enchanting Sardinia. After Sicily, it’s the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Our extended trip headed to the town of Alghero in the northwest of the island. Initially, we considered accommodation through Slovaks on the alghero.sk website, but since we had a tip about a beautiful pine beach Maria Pia with white sand, we decided to stay right by it 🙂
Contents
Day 1 – Sunset on Maria Pia Beach
Day 2 – Tour of the city walls and again Maria Pia
Day 3 – Cape Capo Caccia and the Grotta di Nettuno cave
Day 4 – Farewell to Sardinia
Day 1 – Sunset at Maria Pia Beach
We arrived at Fertilia Airport on Thursday afternoon. We had about an hour to spare, so we took out our homemade supplies: sausages, bread, and the traditional welcome drink Becherovka. A funny situation occurred in the bathroom when we couldn’t figure out how to flush the toilet 🙂 It wasn’t a broken photo booth, but rather us trying to find the pedal under the sink. We bought tickets from the machine and headed out to the bus stop. The bus took us through the town of Fertilia and we got off at the Don Minzoni stop in Alghero. It was just a few meters from our accommodation Aloe B&B. It was owned by an elderly gentleman and it basically occupied the entire floor of an apartment complex reminiscent of a shipwrecked pentagon. The man welcomed us warmly and we offered him some of our Becherovka. He seemed to think it was all for him, so we had to chase him around the kitchen to get it back 🙂
We packed our things and headed to Maria Pia beach while it was still not completely dark. We arrived just before sunset and managed to capture a beautiful scene with Becher. The water seemed very fresh at first glance, but we dared to swim. Fine white sand and pine forests all around, it was definitely the most beautiful beach we visited. On the way back home, we stopped for spaghetti, white wine, and successfully concluded the first day.
Day 2 – Tour of the city walls and back to Maria Pia
In the morning, we woke up with the sunrise and were already looking forward to a mega breakfast buffet. It was in stages, first we ate, then our uncle replenished the food, and more people joined in. We packed up and set off for a tour of the city of Alghero. Along the way, we admired beautiful flowers, palm trees, banana plants, and when we reached the sea, we continued along the coast. We arrived at the harbor and proceeded along the city walls. After a short walk, it was time for a good coffee and a piccolo 🙂 Italians indeed favor small but strong coffee. We wrote postcards and enjoyed sitting outside. To top it all off, there was a pleasant breeze blowing.
The journey continues. We wanted to buy tickets for a trip to the cave at the station, as recommended by a local, but the bus only ran in the morning, so we bought tickets for the next day instead. Change of plans, seafood in our bellies, and a search for the post office. Along the way, we freshened up with a pomegranate 🙂 It’s worth noting that Italians have an afternoon siesta, so everything was more or less closed. We only threw postcards into the mailbox and, in an effort to shorten our route, we had to jump over a fence.
It’s afternoon and we’re heading to our little beach Maria Pia along the coast. We’ll have some food and then into the water. The beers and wine are chilling in the sand for now. Once we’ve had enough swimming, it’s time for some acrobatics – handstands, somersaults, and jumping from the hill into the sand. We took some photos, left our spot, and moved a bit further. Along the way, we pass by a sand castle and about two restaurants, but since we didn’t have a corkscrew for the wine, Tomáš had to sprint back quickly to fix it. It’s slowly getting dark, and our private picnic by the sunset is about to start. Sunset photos are truly amazing. To top it all off, we play music on our phones and external speakers, so the people around us probably couldn’t understand us. Camping is not allowed at night, and when we can barely see our noses, we head back home.
Day 3 – Capo Caccia and Grotta di Nettuno
After a hearty breakfast, we set off on a bus trip to the cave. The scenic drive provided us with magnificent views of the nature, cliffs, and bays, until we reach the impressive southern tip of Capo Caccia, which is known mainly for the underground labyrinth of caves discovered in 1700. The most famous of them, Grotta di Nettuno, or the bat cave, is accessible by boat from the sea, or by descending 656 steps. We opted for the latter. The entrance fee was 12€ and for a tour of less than 45 minutes, where we had to return the same way, it was more than enough. And considering the cave is supposedly 2.5km long, we must say that we have more beautiful ones in Slovakia 🙂 On the way back, we stopped at Le Bombarde Beach, as recommended by a local. A pretty nice little beach, the entrance was a bit rocky, but we didn’t let that deter us and refreshed ourselves a bit with a Heineken. We board the bus and couldn’t resist visiting Maria Pia at sunset today. We ate a lot, so we also did a bit of exercise, each in their own way, cat stretch, swallow or handstand, Alenka practiced. It’s getting dark, and another day is behind us.
Day 4 – Farewell to Sardinia
We start the day with a short walk into town, wandering through its narrow streets, doing some last-minute shopping, and peeking into the church for mass. We head to Maria Pia for one last time. The sun was shining, it was Sunday, and the beach was busier than usual. We went for a swim and collected plenty of seashells. We enjoy our last moments of relaxation on the beach before slowly heading back home in the afternoon. The journey home was smooth.
