Sardina

Sardinia Italy

One of the Mediterranean's most prized jewels, exquisite Sardinia is renowned for its idyllic countryside, rugged coastline, golden beaches and translucent seas. A showcase of natural beauty, this balmy, sun-blushed Italian isle plays host to arguably the clearest waters and finest sands in the Mediterranean. Sardinia's long, flower-fringed beaches give way to thick green woodlands and sweeping mountains dotted with whitewashed towns which seem almost untouched by the ravages of time. Sardinia's past is very much a feature of its present as scattered across the island are 7,000 or so 'nuraghe'. Dating back to about 1500B(, they are strange cone structures made from huge blocks of basalt rock. Little is known about the enigmatic civilization that made them and so the exact purpose of the nuraghe remains a mystery.

Although Italian, Sardinia was, for many years, a Spanish outpost colonized by the Catalans. As a result much of the island still retains a Spanish look and feel. The ancient fortified port of Alghero is one such example. Its architecture is distinctly Hispanic and many of the street signs are written in Catalan while the local dialect strongly resembles the language too. Indeed, locals still call the town 'Barcelonetta', meaning 'Little Barcelona'. A stroll through Alghero is like stepping back in time - explore its labyrinthine network of winding cobblestone alleyways and marvel at the battlements and defensive towers that have protected the town for centuries. Nearby Porto Conte is an area renowned for its natural beauty, which includes some spectacular cliffs, isolated beaches and the fabulous marine cave known as Neptune's Grotto.

The popular resort of Isola Bella overlooks the glittering waters of the Gulf of Asinara. This old fishing port has been turned into a picturesque tourist village. Red granite cliffs back inlets. of fine, white sands and not far away is the famous islands of the La Maddalena archipelago and Cala Esmerelda.