Gallura and Costa Smeralda
Heading east, the first village you come to is Trinità d'Agultu. This agricultural centre was originally a droving station which first grew to importance in the 18th century. There’s plenty to see in the environs of the village, especially on the coastal side. Isola Rossa (“Red Island”) is a small tourist centre with several beaches and its impressive Spanish tower overlooking the cliffs. But the main feature of the landscape is the “red island” itself, which rises not far from the shore. East of this point is the beach of Marinedda, not far from Punta Canneddi, an area still largely unspoilt and of great scenic and natural value stretching as far as the resort of Costa Paradiso - an enormous tourist development which has given its name to the surrounding zone, more properly known as Li Rosi Marini. Attractions here include the cliffs and beach of Li Cossi, at the mouth of a bay formed by a stream with walls of pink porphyry. Another unmissable spot a little further west is the secluded beach of Tinnari, its pebbles of red and grey porphyry tumbled smooth by the action of water and wind, set against the backdrop of the dense scrub which clings to the surrounding cliffs.
A little further on, in Aglientu, more beautiful beaches line the coast. These include Vignola with its vast stretch of shoreline, and the marvellous M. Russu, a picturesque red porphyry spur enclosing a splendid bay; in the adjacent cove of Cala Vall'alta is the beach of Rena Maiore, famous for its fine, dazzling white sand and fringed by a pine glade.
One place that’s very popular with tourists is Santa Teresa di Gallura, a small town founded in the 19th century and a favourite holiday location since the 1960s. Natural attractions such as beaches and coastline are accompanied by an intensive tourist industry with plenty in the way of services and entertainment. The harbour of the town is dominated by the Longosardo tower; right in the centre of the town is one of its busiest beaches, Rena Bianca. Another beach, Marmorata, lies a little further east and is worth visiting for its extraordinary views of the Corsican coast and the islands of the Maddalena archipelago.
To the west is the promontory of Capo Testa with its distinctive rounded shape and huge rocky masses eroded into fantastic shapes by the action of the wind and water. On the eastern side of the promontory lies the bay of Santa Reparata and the beach of the same name; a little further on is the beach of Cala Spinosa. From here a path leads to the northern reaches of the promontory of Capo Testa, with its lighthouse and some truly extraordinary granite formations, the grey rock eroded into the most extraordinary shapes and jutting spectacularly over the sea. Just west of Capo Testa is the interesting Valle della Luna (“valley of the moon”), a broad gash in the granite bedrock which forms an eerily majestic landscape.
A few kilometres further on you come to Palau. This town’s origins date back to the 19th century when a landing stage for boat links to the Maddalena archipelago opened here. Today, it’s still a busy port serving the islands, and an important tourism centre too. From Colle di Baragge, the hill overlooking Palau, there are marvellous views: around the town are the villages of Porto Raphael, Punta Sardegna a Mare and Porto Pollo, where the beach of Liscia is divided in two by the island of Gabbiani, connected to the mainland by no more than a narrow strip of dunes, and Cala di Trana, one of the more secluded beaches on this stretch of the coast.
On the other side of Palau, towards the east, is roccia dell'Orso or “bear rock”. A gigantic granite mass eroded by sea and wind, seen from up close the rock resembles a giant bear looking out over the archipelago.
A little further on, in Aglientu, more beautiful beaches line the coast. These include Vignola with its vast stretch of shoreline, and the marvellous M. Russu, a picturesque red porphyry spur enclosing a splendid bay; in the adjacent cove of Cala Vall'alta is the beach of Rena Maiore, famous for its fine, dazzling white sand and fringed by a pine glade.
One place that’s very popular with tourists is Santa Teresa di Gallura, a small town founded in the 19th century and a favourite holiday location since the 1960s. Natural attractions such as beaches and coastline are accompanied by an intensive tourist industry with plenty in the way of services and entertainment. The harbour of the town is dominated by the Longosardo tower; right in the centre of the town is one of its busiest beaches, Rena Bianca. Another beach, Marmorata, lies a little further east and is worth visiting for its extraordinary views of the Corsican coast and the islands of the Maddalena archipelago.
To the west is the promontory of Capo Testa with its distinctive rounded shape and huge rocky masses eroded into fantastic shapes by the action of the wind and water. On the eastern side of the promontory lies the bay of Santa Reparata and the beach of the same name; a little further on is the beach of Cala Spinosa. From here a path leads to the northern reaches of the promontory of Capo Testa, with its lighthouse and some truly extraordinary granite formations, the grey rock eroded into the most extraordinary shapes and jutting spectacularly over the sea. Just west of Capo Testa is the interesting Valle della Luna (“valley of the moon”), a broad gash in the granite bedrock which forms an eerily majestic landscape.
A few kilometres further on you come to Palau. This town’s origins date back to the 19th century when a landing stage for boat links to the Maddalena archipelago opened here. Today, it’s still a busy port serving the islands, and an important tourism centre too. From Colle di Baragge, the hill overlooking Palau, there are marvellous views: around the town are the villages of Porto Raphael, Punta Sardegna a Mare and Porto Pollo, where the beach of Liscia is divided in two by the island of Gabbiani, connected to the mainland by no more than a narrow strip of dunes, and Cala di Trana, one of the more secluded beaches on this stretch of the coast.
On the other side of Palau, towards the east, is roccia dell'Orso or “bear rock”. A gigantic granite mass eroded by sea and wind, seen from up close the rock resembles a giant bear looking out over the archipelago.
