Between the Torre di Sulis in the south and the Porta a Mare in the north, the ramparts afford a superb panorama over Capo Caccia and the horizon. The fully pedestrianised promenade is particularly pleasant at dusk. At the foot of the ramparts lie th..

This national park created in 1997 encompasses the Isola dell'Asinara and the sea surrounding it. Inland, the Mediterranean scrubland boasts some 30 endemic plant species and more than 80 wild mammal species, not to mention the Sardinian Partridge an..

With its long white sand beach enclosed to the north by the Torre della Pelosa (17C), La Pelosa is a genuinely natural oasis. It is the most famous – and busiest – of Stintino's beaches and with good reason: views over Isola Piana and Isola dell'Asin..

This rocky beach, enclosed to the north by Capo Falcone, has an extraordinary location opposite the little Isolotto della Pelosa, which is reached by a ford surrounded by an absolutely magnificent sea. This popular destination has all facilities (bar..

Asinar Island's beaches are truly fabulous, in particular Cala d'Arena, the furthest north on the island and one of the most beautiful thanks to its white sand and 16C tower; Cala Sabina in the northeast, at the foot of the granite headland of Punta ..

The second largest Nuragic site (9C-8C BC) after Su Nuraxi de Barumini , this showpiece of proto-Sardinian architecture dominates from a height of 17m. Solemnity and power characterise this labyrinthine complex made up of a fortress with a central t..

San Pietro di Sorres is one of the principal sites in Sardinia for the Romanesque. You have to try and overlook the cumbersome looking Benedictine monastery (extended in 1953) to appreciate the size of the building, which served as the cathedral from..

The path between Capo Frasca and Capo Pecora (47km) offers fabulous walks along this wild and steep coast, with a few forays into the foothills of Monte Arcuentu (785m) to the east, with its volcanic relief. A series of sandy beaches, fringed with du..

Welcome to the mini-Sahara of Sardinia. The dunes stretch over 5km and are around 60m high, lining the emerald sea and pushing inland as far as the woods of the hinterland; only the robust scrubland, dotted with olive trees bent by the mistral's wind..

The coastal road leads up to a sheer cliff dropping into the sea, a natural bastion of sorts; out at sea, coral reefs sticking out from the water have been colonised by birds and nicknamed "Sparrows' Nest" by inhabitants. On still days, thr..

The fabulous Tuerredda beach (good facilities) is located in a gorgeous cove between Capo Malfatano and Capo Spartivento. With its impeccable white sand, a backdrop of exquisite valleys and a sea veering between azure and emerald green, it is indispu..

The Norman palace stands at the centre of a series of squares, in gardens laid out at the end of the 19C. Previously seat of the emir of Palermo, the old qsar was enlarged and improved by the Norman kings, then abandoned before being restored under..

The district developed under Arab rule, around the citadel of the emir. It retains its Arabic name “ al haklisah ”, meaning “the chosen one, the pure one”, and its oriental atmosphere, emphasised by its Arab-Norman monuments. Centred on Piazza della ..

This private chapel is a Baroque masterpiece, attributed to Giacomo Serpotta . During your visit, you will be surrounded by putti , the small cherubim that were so dearly loved by Italian Baroque. The entire interior is sculpted in the stucco, to a..

The chapel is the masterpiece of Baroque sculptor Giacomo Serpotta who worked here from 1686 to 1718. Angels and joyful putti cavort with total liberty of movement and expression; playing, sleeping, crying, laughing, climbing up the window frames..

The aquarium is both modern and informative. Luminous panels describe the exhibited species and their reconstructed natural environments. A video and computers make the visit “interactive” with the underwater world, whilst the numerous viewpoints giv..

The cathedral was built in the 13C and substantially reworked between the 17C and the first half of the 20C. In its current incarnation the cathedral is a veritable palimpsest of styles. Take a look at the two pulpits depicting scenes from the life o..

Housed in a 16C building, this museum’s collections are essentially composed of works from the Farnese collection ( Greco-Roman sculpture ), and objects found at Herculanum and Pompeii. This makes it one of the world’s richest selections of Greek and..

The Pantheon is the best preserved Classical building anywhere; a pagan temple, it was converted into a church in the 7C. It is entered through a portico supported by sixteen monolithic granite columns, all original save the three at the left-hand en..

This Baroque masterpiece by Bernini (1651) stands at the centre of Piazza Navona . The statues represent four great rivers (the Danube, the Ganges, Rio del Plata and the Nile), symbolising the four corners of the earth.