Caves and Coral

It’s a 40-minute journey by ferry along the stunning Alghero coast to Neptune’s Grotto, where a place on the guided tour has been reserved as part of the ferry ticket. The entrance fee can be paid upon arrival.
Discovered by a fisherman in the 18th Century, Neptune’s Grotto is Sardinia’s largest and most famous cave. The complex is around 4km long but only a small part is open to the public. Nevertheless, there is plenty to see including the largest saltwater basin in Europe, and several rooms and passageways, beautifully decorated with stalactites and stalagmites – one of which is over 2 metres high.
Note the ferry needs to be booked in advance, click here to see the ferry timetable and reservation details.

From the ferry dock, you can walk around the town’s honey-coloured sea walls to the Coral Museum. Known as the ‘bastioni’, the walls and defensive towers were built to protect the town from coastal attacks. Today they are lined with bars and restaurants and offer stunning views of the historic centre and out to Capo Caccia on the horizon.
Heading first towards the port, the pedestrianised path takes you to Torre di Sant'Elmo, and along the edge of the port, before you turn South and walk to Torre di San Giacomo and on to Torre di Sulis and Piazza Sulis. From here, you walk down Via XX Settembre to the Museum.
Known as the Coral Coast, Alghero is famous for its Corallium Rubrum, or ‘Red Coral’. This coral has been prized since Roman times when it was used to create jewellery and other decorative objects. A coral branch even appeared in the city’s Coat of Arms, dating from 1355. By the 1900s, there were over 200 coral fishing boats in Alghero’s harbour, as ‘red gold’ fever reached its peak. These days, the coral is protected, with only 25 licences granted per year, and there are regulations governing how it is collected and volumes that can be harvested.
Note the museum closes from 1pm-5:30 and is only open in the evenings on Mondays and Wednesdays.

Café Latino has an interesting selection of ‘street food’ with a lovely view of the harbour. Worth trying are the mixed cheese & meat platters, and the fried squid. Don’t order too much as small platters are included with this afternoon’s wine tasting.

Santa Maria La Palma winery is located outside of Alghero but has a tasting shop in town. Here you can try their range of red, white and sparkling wines and learn more about the winery and their production methods including the Akenta Sub; their sparkling wine which is aged 40 metres underwater in a marine protected area.
There are 4 tasting experiences available, each including 3 or 4 wines. Reservations should be made in advance. Book online.

This is a good place to stretch your legs and check out another ‘fairy house’. Surrounded by residential houses, this one is quite small, with only one chamber.

JVJ is a good seafood restaurant, very popular with the locals, that has good value set menus and generous portions.
Note the restaurant opens at 8pm for dinner.

Before heading back to the car, check out the nearby Giardino Megalitico. It’s a garden of sculptures inspired by menhirs, created by Pinuccio Sciola, the artist responsible for many of the town’s murals – and it’s lit up at night.