Cobbled streets in Alghero's Old Town

We don’t get off to a particularly good start with the locals on our arrival in the town of Alghero in the north of Sardinia. The troubles are with the hire car; we can’t pay the deposit because of our credit card limits, and are reduced to begging and bribery while trying to placate an increasingly long queue of people behind us.

With the car finally bargained for, we head out of the airport followed by threats of deposit cancellation should they find so much as a speck of sand on the seats, and gracelessly direct the right-hand drive straight towards the sandiest beach we can find.

Beach Bathing

Within minutes of laying out my beach towel though, I’m in heaven. Although it was early June the gloom-laden BBC had predicted rain and clouds all week, but the skies could not be brighter. The beaches that line the coast on the road leading up to Alghero’s Old Town are covered in that perfectly soft variety of sand, and are still far from full at this point in the season. The cafe next to us is serving a sweet iced coffee called shakerati, ice-creams are just a stagger away, and among the various touting beach salesmen we have spotted a masseuse advertising €5 back massages. Life is good.

Some hours later, sufficiently sun-glazed, we head up into the Old Town to explore. It is an imposing site; thick stone walls topped with rusty cannons rise up from the sea to protect the centuries-old district.

The Old Town

For hundreds of years, Alghero’s strategic position in the Mediterranean made it a key site for defence. Three of the Old Town’s sides face outwards to the horizon, letting tourists benefit from the beautiful views that were once coveted by defending rulers.

Inside the city walls, we turn down narrow cobbled streets, cool and shady after the heat of the beach. Every new lane is picture-worthy; bright washing hangs high up from windows and the sinking sun throws diagonal rays down through the buildings.

The Old Town is dotted with little squares for sitting and watching the world go by, in between exploring the shops. We are particularly tempted by the gelaterias with their bulging ice cream boxes; there is a flavour the colour of a Smurf’s complexion called puffi (we aren’t brave enough to try it) and another purple one called mirto, which the owner explains is made of myrtle, a local speciality.

We spend the evening doing what Sardinians do best, sitting for hours over a meal of delicious pizzas and wine from the surrounding hills. At about 11pm, just when we’re thinking we might turn in, a group of about 20 Sardinian pensioners comes and sits down in the neighbouring restaurant, finally ready to start their meal after a long afternoon siesta and early evening drinks. I expect the waiters to turn them away grumpily, but they greet the group like old friends and are soon heating up the ovens again and whisking baskets of bread out to the table.

Fishing boats along Alghero harbour

My companion Hannah, who lives in Venice, had been warned by her Italian friends that Sardinians are not renowned for their friendliness. Maybe it was something to do with her impeccable Italian skills smoothing the way for us, but throughout our stay we were never met with anything other than kindness and extreme patience.

This went for the owner of our brightly coloured hostel, the waiters who plied us with complimentary shots of grappa brandy, and the average Sardinian who we asked for directions in the street. The whole town is run at that Mediterranean pace of living, in which time slows down to a casual amble, making visitors want to stay just that little bit longer.

Gastronomically minded visitors to Alghero will be delighted; the town specialises in sumptuous fresh fish which you will find served at every other restaurant in town. For the brave, the waiters will recommend caballo, or horsemeat, but our fainthearted British group wasn’tt up for tasting it. The local liqueurs must be sampled too; besides grappa the waiters hand out sweet limoncello (which tastes like distilled lemon sherbets) and mirto, the myrtle-based spirit, with gay abandon. Try at your own risk before moving on to dance in one of the numerous cocktail bars. Be warned though, the town is sleepy and quiet on all week days; it is only Friday and Saturday nights that the locals go out in any numbers.

What to do around Alghero

We attempt to break away from the bars and beaches by hiring bikes and cycling inland – a hot, tiring journey that we felt had to be accompanied by a trip to one of the many agri-tourism farms. Dropping into one, we were just in time to sample the owner’s freshly baked biscuits and tour her wine-processing cellar before buying a couple of bottles to rattle around in our bike baskets on the way home.

That evening we drove back round the coast to Capo Caccia, a cliff top with incredible views over the nearby coves and islands. This is one of the reasons why a car is vital for a trip to Alghero; Capo Caccia is only five minutes’ drive away but the steep hills would make it a real trek to walk if, like us, you feel that any kind of exercise is just beyond you on holiday.

On advice from the locals we spent the next day on a trip to what is claimed to be Sardinia’s most beautiful beach: Stintino. Google it to see the stunning colour of the water more accurately than I can describe. The drive is about an hour from Alghero, but must be included in any trip for the deliciously warm, shallow waters and view of the Gothic-looking Torre Falcone watchtower; a nearby island, Asinara, used to house one of Italy’s highest security prisons.

The jagged peak of Capo Caccia

After a long hard day of sunbathing interspersed with the odd refreshing iced tea, we head back towards Alghero for the next adventure recommended by our hostel owner, riding. I try not to show my nerves at being on the same side of a fence as a horse for the first time in about 15 years, but my friends are keen and it is a traditional part of Sardinian life, so I acquiesce, begging the lovely owners to put me on a plodder rather than a racer.

We start off by cleaning our charges (mine is worryingly called ‘Hellfire’, but I’m assured it’s ironic) before riding them gently round a paddock to get used to them. For the nervous rider, it is very reassuring. In fact, we do no more than walk all the way through the olive groves and over the sand dunes down to the beach, the most calm and beautiful ride I’ve ever done. I even dare to let my horse paddle in the sea shallows, ready to leap off in case he decides to go for a quick roll.

Back at the stables the owners extend their hospitality to slices of delicious Sardinian salami and cheese washed down with red wine from what looks like a petrol bucket. If this isn’t ‘The Good Life’ then I don’t know what is.

Further Details

● We stayed at the Mama Juana Bed and Breakfast, 75 Via Roma. The hostel is comfortable and the price reasonable for budget travelers at €20 per night.

● Bikes can be hired from several shops in town; ask any shopkeepers to direct you to the nearest. Hire costs about €8 for the day.

● We went riding at the TreStelle Sa Mandra equestrian centre. A two-hour ride costs €40.

Sugar-white sand and azure sea at Stintino beach: a must-visit on any trip for the deliciously warm, shallow waters...