20 Attractions to Explore Near Costa SMERALDA

Capriccioli is a famous seaside resort on the Costa Smeralda, in the municipality of Arzachena, in Sardinia. Its two beaches, divided by a passage of granite rocks, are of fine white sand, easily accessible and served by a large parking lot. During the summer they are the destination of hundreds of vacationers attracted by the beauty of the place which is immersed in Mediterranean scrub and enriched by the view of the islands of Mortorio, Soffi, and Camere, islands included in the Maddalena Arc

The Maddalena Archipelago is located on the north-western coast of Sardinia, off the Costa Smeralda. It consists of 7 major islands (La Maddalena, Caprera, Budelli, Santo Stefano, Santa Maria, Spargi, Razzoli) and other smaller islands surrounded by the beautiful clear and transparent sea. It is a popular tourist destination especially among boaters. In 2006 it was placed on the tentative list for consideration as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

The La Maddalena Archipelago National Park is a geomarine park established in 1994. The park covers a land area of ​​5,100 hectares and a marine surface of 15,046 hectares , on a front of 180 km of coastline, extending from the Strait of Bonifacio and including all the islands belonging to the Archipelago of La Maddalena and also The Park's includes some beautiful beaches.

Marinella is a gulf located a few kilometers from the tourist village of Porto Rotondo, in the municipal area of Olbia, north-eastern Sardinia, consisting of a long beach of fine sand. It is a bay used for pleasure boating; in the gulf, there are two marinas, Porto Marana, which falls within the municipal area of Golfo Aranci, and Palumbalza. The bay, thanks to its orientation, is sheltered from the mistral, predominant wind in Sardinia, and from the winds of the third and fourth sector of the

The nuraghe La Prisgiona is a nuragic archaeological site, located in the Capichera valley in the municipality of Arzachena, in the province of Sassari. The complex consists of a nuraghe and a village of about 90-100 huts, spread over five hectares. Due to its large extension and the number of buildings, the site is considered unique in the Gallura nuragic context. Nearby is also the tomb of the giants of Coddu Vecchiu.

GIANTS’ GRAVES, OR TOMBA DEI giganti, are megalithic gallery graves that were used as public tombs during the Bronze Age. The tombs are made of a central stele, a stone or wooden slab, which has a hole cut into it that functions as the entrance. It was built in local granite between 1800 and 1600 BC and renovated between 1600 and 1300 BC. It has a gallery approximately ten meters tall and four meters wide.

L'Isuledda is an area of ​​about 180,000 m², almost totally surrounded by the sea, joined to the mainland by an isthmus of sandy soil, and is, therefore, a peninsula. Administratively it is part of the municipality of Palau and is located near the towns of Porto Pollo and Barrabisa. L'Isuledda overlooks the protected marine park of the La Maddalena Archipelago, in turn part of the Marine Mammal Sanctuary.

Pittulongu is a small seaside town in the province of Olbia-Tempio in the northeast part of Sardinia. The largest beach is around 800 meters long, and all four beaches feature tantalizing views of Isola Tavolara located 12 kilometers off the coast. From the beach, ferryboats can also be seen entering towards the harbor of Olbia all throughout the day, and the area is also particularly ideal for both surfing and snorkeling.

The basilica of San Simplicio, in Olbia, is the most important and ancient religious monument in northeastern Sardinia and a testimony to the spread of Christianity on the island. Cathedral until 1839, parish church since 1955, it was awarded the title of minor basilica in 1993 by Pope John Paul II . It is dedicated to Saint Simplicio, proto-bishop of the city and martyr under the emperor Diocletian, today patron saint of the diocese of Tempio-Ampurias and Olbia.

Tavolara is an island of 5.9 km² in north-eastern Sardinia, part of the municipality of Olbia in the subregion of Gallura. Rich in history and ancient and modern legends, this island with a very singular conformation is proposed on the scene of classical mythology to represent the ship of the Phaeacians petrified by Poseidon, with its rudder facing the open sea, guilty of having brought Ulysses back to his homeland. Since 1991 it hosts the film festival "Una Notte in Italia".

The Strait of Bonifacio is an international strait separating Sardinia from Corsica. Located in the south of Corsica the commune of Bonifacio. The strait is notorious among sailors for its weather, currents, shoals, and other obstacles. This urbanized area is currently a natural reserve and niche tourist destination, popular internationally as a diving location. Its maximum depth is 100 metres.

Capo Testa is a small peninsula located in the north of Sardinia, a few kilometers from Santa Teresa di Gallura. It overlooks the Bocche di Bonifacio and is connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus, along which two beaches extend. The promontory is made up of the typical Gallura granite rocks eroded by the wind and has a perimeter of about ten kilometers. On the promontory of Capo Testa, there is a lighthouse of fundamental importance for navigation in the stretch of sea of ​​the Bocche di

Molara is an island in north-eastern Sardinia and constitutes, together with the island of Tavolara, Molarotto, the peninsula of Punta Coda Cavallo, and other minor rocks, a protected marine park. Granite in nature, it has an area of ​​3.411 km² and reaches, with Punta la Guardia, 158 m asl. The toponym, of medieval attestation, is probably due to the rounded and uniform shape of the island, similar to a millstone.

Cala Grande is a small valley, about 500 m long, located in the western area of ​​the Capo Testa promontory, in the municipality of Santa Teresa Gallura, in Sardinia. "Valley of the Moon" is the name given to this place around the '60s by a hippy community. It is characterized by the presence on both sides of the valley of granite rocks with unusual shapes which, although not unlike those present in the rest of the promontory, here form a straight valley that runs down to the sea.

Capo Coda Cavallo is a granite promontory located in northern Sardinia, in the historical region of Gallura. It extends over the Tyrrhenian Sea south of the Gulf of Olbia, in the municipality of San Teodoro, in the province of Sassari. The entire peninsula is enclosed in the natural marine protected area Tavolara - Punta Coda Cavallo and is characterized by a succession of inlets with sandy beaches and cliffs covered by a luxuriant Mediterranean scrub.

The Sperone golf course is an 80-hectare golf course located in the town of Bonifacio, in the territorial community of Corsica. It was created in the early 1960s by Jacques Dewez, a former fighter pilot passionate about motorsport, recycled in real estate. An archaeological site of 4 hectares, including a vast Roman villa and a dry dock, is present not far from the golf course.

A famous majestic lighthouse with a size of 16.5 m, masonry stone walls, overlooking a rectangular-shaped building overlooking the sea to a height of 99.50 m. Phare de Pertusato is automated, not guarded, and not open to visitors. Walk along the cliffs of Bonifacio to the Pertusato lighthouse offers really stunning views back towards the town and out over the Straits towards Sardinia.

The Cap de Pertusato is the southernmost point of Corsica. It is a high limestone plateau with an area of ​​6010 ha, with a maximum altitude of 95 meters and a minimum of –50 meters. Among the peculiarities on the cliffs, we will notice the lapiazs : limestone surfaces dug with grooves and channels a few centimeters wide and separated by limestone blades. One of the natural locations where you can see the nature's wonder.

The Balistra pond is a lagoon in Corse-du-Sud located north-east of Bonifacio, extending over 99 hectares. This pond is located north of the Gulf of Santa Manza , at the mouth of the Francolu stream. It is home to many species of birds such as great cormorants, diving ducks and great crested grebes. The pond is located in a wild area covered with scrub where one can observe the Hermann's tortoise and so more.

The Monte Limbara is a mountain range located in the Sardinia north-east. Located in the municipalities of Tempio Pausania, Calangianus, Oschiri, Berchidda, of granite nature, it represents the border between the historical and geographical regions of Gallura to the north and Logudoro to the south. Characterized by modeled peaks, in the past, it housed a USAF radio base, while the highest peak, Punta Balistreri, rises to an altitude of 1,359 meters above sea level. Work is underway for the estab