Hotels near Castelsardo

Perched on a rocky headland on Sardinia's north coast, Castelsardo is one of Italy's official Borghi piu Belli (most beautiful villages) and the view from below explains why. The medieval old town cascades down from the Doria Castle at the summit, a jumble of narrow lanes, stone stairways, and terracotta-roofed houses that have barely changed in centuries. The castle itself houses the Museo dell'Intreccio Mediterraneo, dedicated to the traditional basket-weaving that Castelsardo is famous for - you will see women weaving on their doorsteps in the old town.

The views from the castle terrace extend across the Gulf of Asinara to the Asinara island and on clear days to Corsica. Below the old town, the harbour area has several good seafood restaurants. Nearby, the Roccia dell'Elefante (Elephant Rock) is a natural trachyte rock formation shaped like an elephant, containing pre-Nuragic tombs called domus de janas (fairy houses) carved into its base. The beaches at Lu Bagnu, just west of town, are excellent and uncrowded.

Pro Tip: Visit Castelsardo in the late afternoon when the day-trippers leave and the sunset lights up the old town. Stop at the Elephant Rock (3 km east on SS134) on your way in. For dinner, the restaurants on the harbour do excellent seafood at reasonable prices compared to the Costa Smeralda.