Car Hire Alghero

Mini guide to Alghero

Alghero, with its Aragonese buildings, surrounding walls and towers, beaches, caves, cliffs and entertainment, is a unique and exciting place to visit.

Because of its compact size, the town is best discovered on foot. An interesting walking tour that takes in all the main sites begins in the Piazza Sulis, where the massive shape of the tower of Espero Reial looms large. From the Tower of Espero Reial, walking clockwise along the seafront, you come to the tower of San Giacomo, then the tower of Sant'Elmo, followed by the towers of Magdalena and Porta Terra, and finally the tower of San Giovanni. The church of Santa Maria and the church and cloister of San Francesco are also memorable stops on any walk.

The main streets in the old town, via Roma, via Carlo Alnerto and via Principe Umberto, play host to numerous small shops, restaurants and bars, but if you are a wine enthusiast, visit the Sella and Mosca Wine Museum where you can both learn about and sample the product.

Just 6kms outside Alghero lies the necropolis of Anghelu Ruju, which houses 38 fairy tombs - small burial chambers carved inside the rock and dating from 3000 B.C. Also 24kms by car or a short trip by boat are the Caves of Neptune which boast a salt lake, huge stalactite columns, and intricate rock formations. Also worth an excursion is the village of Palmavera on the road to Porto Conte. The settlement dates from about 1500-1000 B.C. and consists of a tower-like structure, known as a nuraghe, surrounded by more than 50 predominantly circular huts.

The international airport at Fertilia 10kms outside Alghero is connected frequently to Italy’s major cities and has a daily flight from London Stansted (3 hours), among other services from Europe. If arriving by car, take the SS 131 from Cagliari to Sassari and then follow the signs for Alghero.