Messinia
Holidays to Alghero are all about sandy beaches, old Italian charm and a tasty mix of Sardinian and Catalan cuisine.
This Mediterranean beauty's nestled on the north-east coast of Sardinia, an island belonging to Italy – and it's got ancient credentials. Its first settlers, the Ozieris, made it their home over 6,000 years ago. Nowadays, Alghero's a bustling town with a cobbled centre and plenty of gotta-go-back restaurants and bars.
Stick romantic Neptune’s Grotto on your list of places to visit. This vast system of caves is crowded with softly lit stalactites and stalagmites, and there's a spooky chamber with a dark, underground lake. It's half an hour's drive outside Alghero – or 45 minutes if you travel by boat.
Hemmed in by 16th-century walls, Alghero's packed with charming remnants of its life as a Catalan colony. The eagle-eyed will notice street signs in Italian and Catalan, as well as taste bud-tingling fusion food. Spanish tapas alongside a crusty Italian pizza make for an enjoyable meal.
Head up north for the island's best beaches, including Valledoria's sand dunes – you'll find them sandwiched between the sea and a river. For classic Sardinian scenes, the sugary-white coastline of Badesi Mare fits the bill nicely, while sleepy Isola Rossa's the prime place to try and catch some rays.
If long walks on the sand tickle your fancy, nine-kilometre Le Saline beach will be just your thing. In between coves on Sardinia’s north coast, this pine tree-backed shore gets its name from the old salt mines nearby. It's a bit on the blowy side and a big hit with windsurfers.
Drive half an hour north of Alghero and you’ll reach Porto Ferro. This hidden gem's a chilled-out escape from the usual noise and chatter – picture a bay enclosed by two rocky headlands. Gentle green hills in the background make it a proper rural retreat.
For cheap eats, make like the locals and get yourself over to the sweet-smelling food stands on Via Corsica. On Wednesdays, market stalls set up shop and create a bargain-lover's paradise in Viale Sardegna. They're packed with everything from fabrics to Sicilian ceramics.
The area behind the marina's the go-to spot to pick up artisanal-style foods such as pickled veg, alongside some fancy local liqueurs. Piazza Civica's full of postage-stamp-sized boutiques selling all kinds of local treats that can fit in your luggage.
If you're in the market for a statement piece, look out for Alghero’s iconic red coral jewellery. These sustainably sourced gems are known locally as 'red gold', and they're often found in swish shops around the old town.
For a mellow evening, pop into one of the bars on the Spiaggi di San Giovanni promenade – it hosts a cool night market in the summer, too. It's a great place to sip a cocktail while soaking up the beachfront ambience.
Aside from a handful of bars south of Alghero, there aren't many places that stay open late. If you're after some drinks, try a beachside cocktail bar on Via Lido.
This potato gnocchi-like pasta started as a special occasion dish, but nowadays people tuck in to it whenever they can. Find it in casual trattorias, drenched in bacon-and-olive tomato sauce.
Seafood's the go-to in this fishing port – sliced, fried or grilled whole. Spaghetti bottarga's a local classic – Sardinia's take on caviar gets grated on top of a tangle of pasta, then drizzled with olive oil.
A deep-fried pastry stuffed with ricotta or lemon-soaked pecorino cheese, seadas get drizzled with honey and topped with a citrus twist. Sweet, tangy, crunchy and smooth – this is prime snacking.
The Sardinian highlands have been home to shepherds and their woolly herds for generations. Mainland Italians come here to stock up on huge wheels of locally produced pecorino sardo, a distinctively sharp-tasting ewe's milk cheese.
Alghero's got its own vanilla-tasting version of grappa – 'barricata'. Most restaurants keep it stocked, so don't be afraid to ask. Topping off a meal, Sardinian-style, means whipping out some cheese and a shot of the stuff.
Our top deals tailored to you, straight to your inbox Sign up for offers
Holiday Types
Mid/Long haul
Short Haul
Popular Destinations
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and National Travel Health Network and Centre have up-to-date advice on staying safe and healthy abroad.
See gov.uk/travelaware and follow @FCDOtravelGovUK on Twitter and Facebook.com/FCDOtravel - for the latest general FCDO travel advice, including coronavirus travel guidance, security and local laws, and passport and visa information.
See gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice - for FCDO travel advice about individual destinations.
See Travel Aware page - for travel advice from First Choice.
See travelhealthpro.org.uk - for current travel health news.
The advice can change so check regularly for updates.
All the flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it. If you do receive an ATOL Certificate but all the parts of your trip are not listed on it, those parts will not be ATOL protected. Some of the flights on this website are also financially protected by the ATOL scheme, but ATOL protection does not apply to all flights. This website will provide you with information on the protection that applies in the case of each flight before you make your booking. If you do not receive an ATOL Certificate then the booking will not be ATOL protected. Please see our booking conditions for information, or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate go to: www.caa.co.uk. ATOL protection does not apply to the other holiday and travel services listed on this website..