Useful tips and information
We arrive at Porto Torres from Genoa at 8 in the morning and we head with our old Panda to the Hotel Ancora a Stintino, which we had booked, via the internet (even the ferries at 90 euros).
The hotel, surrounded by trees and greenery, is a complex of small buildings, two floors high, well camouflaged in greenery, located between Stintino e Capo Falcone about 15-20 minutes walk from the famous Pelosa beach.
Upon arrival we pay the club card (compulsory), which costs 37,14 per person for the entire period, which allows you to use, among other things, the shuttle to the Hairy(keep in mind that parking at the Hairy it costs 1,5 euros per hour and it is difficult to park), for the stay we paid about 1100 euros for two (full board) plus of course the extras.
While we wait for the room to be assigned we take an exploratory tour, in front of the hotel a large tree-lined garden with elegant tables and chairs, next to a playground for children, then the arena where entertainment takes place in the evening.
Stintino where to eat well and spend littlePlaces to visit and beaches
We go towards the beach, we see the swimming pool with sea water, deck chairs available, a bar-restaurant, a marina.
We are assigned the room, it is complete with air conditioning, television, perhaps placed too high, the bathroom is complete, large terrace with sea view, equipped with tables and chairs, linen is changed every day, the hairdryer is delivered against payment of a deposit, same thing for the key to the safe, no wifi, but in the evening you can use the computer for free reception.
I Easter they are served in a large dining room or in garden outdoors, serving dishes are placed on tables, the self-service, except for the pasta and meat that are served in special spaces, of course the menu changes with each meal and always includes excellent typical Sardinian dishes, the choice is very wide, the cuisine is excellent, in the evening the choice is enriched with a choice of meat and fish chosen on the spot and placed on the plate by the cook.
The staff is very young and knowledgeable.
In the afternoon, after a short rest (we were awake for over 30 hours), we go on foot to the famous one La Pelosa beach (20 minutes), you can get there along a comfortable and wide asphalted sidewalk (under the sun), which we will then discover starting from Stintino and finish at Capo Falcone.
The beach (very crowded, it is difficult for me to think how it could be in August), one of the most famous ofSpain, it is very wide with very fine white sand, the slope is gentle, so it is very suitable for children (in fact there are many), it is almost all free beach.
The sea has fantastic transparency and reflections, you can see the bottom even with deep water, almost always very calm being protected from the winds thanks to the natural protection provided by the Capo Falcone, From 'Piana island and by 'Asinara, which make this place almost a swimming pool.
About 200 meters away is the Pelosetta, beach of sand and rocks placed in front of the small one island of the Torre della Pelosa and the island of Piana.
Stintino beachesThe view is magnificent.
September 2: Stintino
Morning spent at La Pelosa beach.
In the afternoon we use the bicycles available for hotel guests to go to Stintino.
The road is a continuous alternation of uphill and downhill sections, the journey is safe thanks to the very wide sidewalk that runs along the road and reaches the town.
Unfortunately, the change of bicycles does not work, and in the climbs with a higher slope we have to go down and do the stretch on foot, a problem because the day is very hot and the road is all in the sun (about 4 km)
On both sides of the road there are low Mediterranean scrub bushes, typical of the island.
Stintino it's a small town, it has an interesting museum (Tonnara Museum), the core of the old city has the typical low houses, the most touristic part is the one in front of the old port, we will often come there in the evening to sit in the two bars and restaurants on the Colombo seafront (in this period there is the village festival), the prices are very fair (coffee € 1,3 per table), in the evening they are crowded, there is also some music, in the evening there are people, but don't expect a lively nightlife.
Saline beach
3 Settembre: Morning at La Pelosa, in the afternoon we go to Saline beach, with the convenient public bus service that leads from Capo Falcone to the Country Village.
The service is very convenient and convenient (€ 0,70, fixed price for any destination).
La Saline beach the bus stop in front of the hotel is about 2-3 km from Stintino (therefore about 6-7 km from the hotel).
The route winds through streets surrounded by Mediterranean vegetation, small ponds, coves.The route lasts 15 minutes, we stop about 200 meters from the beach, to reach the beach we cross the ancient basins where the salt was dried, in the small salt marsh pond. you should also see some flamingos, but I only see a few seagulls.
La beach, whose name is due to the salt pans is characterized by the presence of the tower of the same name, is very long, it would seem to reach the vicinity of Porto Torres, however, in exploring it we discover that walking towards it Pond San Nicola, also takes on different names (Puzzona beach, Punta d'Elice beach, beach of Ezi Mannu etc.
We will come there many times.
Behind the beach there are several ponds, a little further away pond of Casaraccio, we will see it better a few days later by passing by bus.
We settle down with the mats, the beach is very beautiful, made of very small white gravel (the stones look like rice grains) and smooth, it is less wide than the Pelosa, certainly much less crowded, practically all free, the water is transparent and tending to the green color, the slope is sweet, albeit less sweet than the Pelosa.
After dinner we walk to the Capo Falcone, at the restaurant bar we enjoy the view of the Pelosa and the islands from above, the bar is quite nice and has a magnificent terrace overlooking the sea, it is also a free hotspot, nice convenience to be able to use the free wifi (coffee at the table 2 euros ), we will come there more than once.
September 4: going to the peninsula
In the morning La Pelosa beach, in the afternoon we decide to take the bus and do the whole route (from Capo Falcone to the Country Village, about 35 km).
The route is quite interesting, you pass through all the places of some interest, on the sides of the road a very varied vegetation, you can see that the area is very built up, but at least the buildings, which are low down, are well hidden from view from the vegetation, it runs along the pond of Casaraccio, you then arrive at the Country Village, the inhabitants call it bagaglino.
The Country Village is a dense agglomeration of very colorful recently built houses, mainly inhabited by tourists, located near the Punta de su Torrione, are not integrated into the environment, the classic punch in the eye, they can be seen from far away, from the village you have a good view of the Casaraccio pond and the western part of the peninsula.
Punta Falcone
5 Settembre: In the morning we decide to explore Punta Falcone (the name derives from the homonymous tower that dominates it), we set off from the Pelosa beach, arrived at the top we head westwards, walking along stony paths, flanked at times by very low Mediterranean scrub, we arrive in the western part of the peninsula
Arriving at the sea, the steep rock coast appears, we do not see beaches, only steep slopes and cliffs, the landscape is very suggestive, the sea is of an intense blue color, in fact they are the same characteristics of the peninsula, the east side characterized from sandy beaches, the west side from high rocks that fall into the sea.
Asinara
6 Settembre: We arrive at 9 a Porto Mannu, the new port of Stintino, where the boats leave for theAsinara, we had trouble getting on board as we hadn't made any reservations, luckily some booked ones didn't show up.
The price of the ticket € 36 each includes the passage to the port of Asinara stoves and the guided tour of the island by coach (with air conditioning), the crossing takes about 20 minutes.
The visit starts from Fornelli, and with the former maximum security arm of prison.
On the island there is also the Center for the Recovery of Turtles (free visit).
The island is a natural park, almost uninhabited, used in the past as a maximum security prison, which we visit, then continue towards Cala D'Oliva, passing through an uncontaminated nature with a very varied vegetation, typical and sometimes rare bushes of Mediterranean flora, we stop in many places, we meet horses, wild goats, the white and gray donkeys we will meet them only on the return, the guide provides clear explanations and wide, we admire magnificent views, beautiful coves, the eastern part is full of coves where anyone would dream of taking a bath, while the western part is rocky and steep.
We arrive at the small town of Cala D'Oliva where another bus awaits us (4 euros each, extension optional) that takes us through a narrow dirt road to Cala Sabina, a magnificent beach, immersed in an incredible landscape, where we stop for a few hours.
Let's take a nice swim in a dreamy crystalline sea.
Let's go back to Cala D'Oliva, where we visit another arm of the discharged prison, I have the impression, however, that this paradise is about to end, in fact, currently there is also the possibility of staying in a guesthouse with twenty beds, but the expansion to 70 places is already planned , I don't want it to be the beginning of the end.
We take the bus back to Stoves and along the way we are lucky enough to see the small white and gray donkeys (the adults are about 1 m tall) that roam freely and when we see them go away, I photograph them from the bus.
At about 17 pm boarding for Stintino
Alghero and Porto Torres
11 Settembre: Early in the morning we walk the road that leads to Alghero, on arrival we park easily on the seafront, the first impression is that of a modern city, the seafront is equipped, there are ferries leading to the Neptune's Grotto and Capo Caccia, we prefer to visit the city.
We arrive at the walls of the old city, next to the famous Catalan train (picturesque tourist train for children but also for adults called "the tren de l'Alguer") there is also a train drawn by horses, both run through the historic center.
Passing through the Porta a Mar we reach the historic center, surrounded by high medieval walls, well preserved, we arrive in Piazza Duomo where the Cathedral of S. Maria stands, with a beautiful Catalan bell tower of the 500 with an octagonal shape and a remarkable portal, inside the Gothic apse .
We continue the tour through the lively streets full of life and shops, where you can see period buildings, in particular in via Principe Umberto, which starts from the Cathedral, where you can see the
Palazzo Doria and Palace of the Curia which have facades of considerable artistic interest.
Then along via Carlo Alberto we arrive at the Church of San Francesco whose construction dates back to 1300, but has undergone considerable changes over time, inside the cloister of the thirteenth century, on the outside it has an ocher color, the architrave of the entrance door is remarkable, the interior is a mixture of styles from Gothic to Renaissance, the bell tower with the dome of colored tiles is one of the symbols of the city. The Jesuit church of S. Michele with its majolica dome is also interesting.
After a short stop for a light meal, we continue the visit passing in front of the Albis Palace arriving at the Espero Tower o Sulis Tower (you can see many towers) then we return to the seafront passing through the ramparts, the day is clear and sunny and in the distance we see Capo Caccia.
We then leave for Porto Torres, along the "road of the two seas"
We take a tour of the most commercial street the Vittorio Emanuele, then we stop at a bar near Piazza C. Colombo, the center of the city, then we go to visit the Church of San Gavino, a remarkable Romanesque basilica (admission 1,5 euros), the church is very large and known for having two apses, the 22 columns come from ancient Roman temples, the church is dedicated to Saints Gavino, Proto e January, then we pass to visit the great crypt, we see the ancient five sarcophagi dating back to the III and IV centuries.
Photo gallery Stintino
