Alghero

Aragon took Alghero in 1353 and settled it with people from Catalonia, and Algherese, a variety of Catalan, has been spoken here ever since; street signs are bilingual and the language has official recognition, though speaker numbers have fallen. The sea walls and bastions survive and are walked as a promenade above the water. Along the coast at Capo Caccia, Neptune's Grotto is a large sea cave with a saltwater lake inside, reached either by boat or by the Escala del Cabirol, a stair of over six hundred steps cut down the cliff face. Red coral has been fished off this coast for centuries.

History

The town kept the language of its rulers of the Crown of Aragon from the end of the Middle Ages, when Sardinia belonged to that crown, and Algherese, the Catalan dialect spoken here, has official status (Wikipedia, Alghero).

What to look for

• The Catalan language - Algherese still spoken and used on street signs.
• The sea walls - bastions walked as a promenade above the water.
• Neptune's Grotto - a sea cave with an interior saltwater lake.
• The cliff stair - over six hundred steps down Capo Caccia.

When to go

May to September; the grotto boats and the cliff stair both close in rough weather. August is crowded. The old town is pleasant year-round.

What to expect

Boat access to the grotto is cancelled in swell, and the stair is a hard climb back. The old town is heavily geared to visitors. Coral sold is often not local.

Nearby

Capo Caccia lies west; Bosa is south along the coast.

Key facts