13 Best Day Trips From Alghero

You can go on many day trips from Alghero. If you want to use Alghero as your base to explore northwestern Sardinia, you won’t have troubles finding interesting places to visit.

Alghero is one of my favorite small towns in Sardinia. I visit all the time to enjoy the attractions, the views and even just the vibe. The Catalan enclave of the island has a lot to offer to fill your days. If you only have a weekend in Alghero, you won’t need to search for activities outside of town as there’s plenty to see and do.

My guide What To See And Do In Alghero highlights all the things to do in this lovely Sardinian town.

However, if you are spending longer in the area and wish to visit other unique places nearby, you will be glad to know that there’s lots to see.

Of course, as a local I know the best places to visit in the area and I am here to share all my tips on the best day trips from Alghero. There are places you can visit by boat or by bus, others for which you’ll need a car, and finally some best explored on a guided tour. You can even combine some of the day trips, so that you can enjoy more in just a day.

I recommend Discover Cars as the best site to look for car rental deals anywhere in the world. I also have a guide on How To Rent A Car In Alghero that you may want to read for useful tips.

Best Day Trips From Alghero

Neptune’s Grotto

Neptune’s Grotto is a sea cave located at the base of Capo Caccia, just outside Alghero. It’s one of the most popular day trips from Alghero and you can enjoy it in any season.

Discovered by fishermen in the 18th century, it’s named after the Roman god of the sea and stretches for about 4 km (about 2.5 miles). However, only a portion of the cave system is open to the public.

Inside, the cave is filled with dramatic stalactites, stalagmites, and a large saltwater lake. The formations are lit to highlight their natural shapes, creating a surreal, cathedral-like space.

You can reach the grotto in three ways:

• By public boat from Alghero (weather permitting) (no private boats are allowed);
• By car – it takes around 35 minutes to the parking lot, from where you’ll have to walk:
• By bus ARST 9321 to Capo Caccia – it takes about 45 minutes to the parking lot, from where you can get to Neptune’s Caves.

If you go there by car or by bus you will then have to climb down (and then back up) the Escala del Cabirol, a staircase of 654 steps carved into the cliff. The descent offers panoramic views of the sea and the cliffs, but the climb back up can be challenging.

If you visit by land, you’ll have to book your visit in advance via the app Alghero Experience.

Once you get to the cave, you have to join one of the tours that depart on a regular basis. Tours take around 45 minutes to one hour and run in multiple languages.

If you go there by car, you can easily combine your visit of Neptune’s Grotto with that of Porto Conte.

I have a dedicated Guide To Visiting Neptune’s Grotto that explains in more detail how to get there and how to visit.

Porto Conte

Porto Conte is a large natural bay and regional park just north of Alghero. It’s known for its calm waters, pine forests, and rugged cliffs. The area is protected as part of the Parco Naturale Regionale di Porto Conte, covering over 5,000 hectares of land and sea.

This mix of coastline, limestone hills, and Mediterranean scrub makes it a great spot for hiking, cycling, or kayaking. It’s also a great place for birding and in general to spot wildlife.

The bay itself is sheltered and shallow, making it popular for swimming and sailing. You’ll also find quiet beaches like Mugoni (one of my favorites in Alghero), which has soft sand and clear water, ideal for families.

Not far from Porto Conte you can also find the remains of the Nuragic village of Palmavera and military structures from World War II.

It’s a peaceful escape from Alghero’s busier center, easy to reach by car or bike, with enough variety to fill a relaxed day outdoors.

There are various ways to reach Porto Conte:

• By car – it takes about 25 minutes
• By bus 9320 – the bus stops at Hotel Maristella Porto Conte and it’s a 20 minutes walk from there. It’ll take around 45 minutes in total;
• By bike – around 45 minutes depending on your pace.

There also are guided bike or boat tours that go to Porto Conte. This means that if you don’t want to drive you don’t have to skip this wonderful place. On the other hand, if you have a car you can easily combine a visit with a trip to the Neptune’s Grotto.

I recommend this guided bike tour of Porto Conte that explores the park, Punta Giglio and the nearby beaches of Lazzaretto and Le Bombarde. The tour departs from Alghero by e-bike and lasts 4 hours.

There’s also this excellent boat tour from Alghero that goes to the bay of Porto Conte and includes snorkeling stops.

Boat tour

One of the best day trips from Alghero in the summer months is a boat tour along the coast. There are more options than you can imagine. Some are full-day tours, whereas others only last half a day. There are sunset tours. You will find tours that include lunch and others that don’t, and leave you to cater for yourself.

There are sailing boat tours, catamaran tours and sunset tours. You can also opt for a tour by zodiac that moves swiftly and quickly and is perfect if you want to snorkel.

The most popular full-day boat tour from Alghero is by far the Andrea Jansen Sailing Trip. It’s a vintage sailing boat that goes from Alghero to Capo Caccia and also stops in the bay of Porto Conte. It includes plenty of stops for snorkeling, lunch and drinks.

It’s a small boat tour (it only carries up to 12 passengers), and since it is quite popular I recommend booking well in advance.

You can book your Andrea Jansen Sailing Trip online in advance. By booking online, you will enjoy free cancellation up to 24 hours before the tour takes place.

I have a post on The Best Boat Tours In Alghero that you could read for even more options.

Beaches near Alghero

For a fun, summer day trip from Alghero, opt to visit one of the nearby beaches. There are many to pick from, and depending on how you plan to move around you can even visit a couple in a day.

A coastal town like Alghero is bound to have a great selection of beaches. Some are literally in town – you just walk along the waterfront to get there. Other beaches are within easy driving distance, and you can get there by public transport too.

Le Bombarde, Lazzaretto and Mugoni beach are all easy to reach from Alghero, and you have the option of either driving, biking or taking the bus (lines 9320 and 9321 both stop there).

Another option is to join an e-bike tour that goes to many small coves on the same day. It’s a fun, eco-friendly way of exploring perfect for solo travelers and families with children too.

I recommend this small beaches e-bike tour from Alghero that stops at the bay of Porto Conte and Capo Caccia and also includes an aperitif with local products. You will also stop at some interesting military ruins from World War II.

My post The Best Beaches Near Alghero shares more information on beautiful beaches you could visit nearby.

La Pelosa Beach

With so many beaches in Alghero, you really do not need to travel far to find a perfect spot to sunbathe or snorkel. But of course, if you have a car La Pelosa, one of Sardinia’s most famous protected beaches, is one of the most popular day trips from Alghero.

This day trip requires a bit of planning. As the beach is protected, visitors are capped and you will have to book your spot in advance. Even then, it can get terribly crowded in the peak summer months.

You will also have to bring a straw mat as you can’t lay regular towels on the sand (that’s to prevent erosion).

The beach itself is special. Shallow, transparent waters overlook the Isola Piana and Asinara Island in the distance. There’s an Aragonese watchtower (the Torre della Pelosa) that adds a dramatic backdrop to the bay. It’s just a stunning spot.

It takes about one hour to drive from Alghero to La Pelosa – there are no feasible public transportation options. There’s a small fee to pay for the beach, but be prepared to shell out quite a bit to park your car.

I have guide on How To Visit La Pelosa which explains how to get La Pelosa tickets and helps you plan your day.

Asinara

Foreign tourists usually ignore Asinara, which for this reason remains one of the lesser visited islands of Sardinia.

Asinara Island sits just off Sardinia’s northwest coast and is now a national park known for its wild, untouched landscape. For over a century, it was first a prison colony and then a high-security prison (were mafia bosses were detained) so public access was restricted. That isolation helped preserve its natural beauty.

The island is home to rare wildlife, including the famous albino donkeys, and offers a mix of scrubland, cliffs, and quiet coves. You won’t find beach bars or big crowds here —just silence, clear water, and rugged terrain. There are a handful of hiking trails on the island too.

Today, nobody lives in Asinara other than park rangers and seasonal workers. The national park is open to visitors but the entire island is strictly protected. You can spend a few days there. You will find a basic hostel where you can sleep, as well as a nicer guest house. Otherwise, you can visit on a day trip, either independently or guided.

You can’t bring your own car, but guided tours run daily from Stintino and Porto Torres, often by boat, bike, or off-road vehicle.

To get to Asinara from Alghero, you’ll have to drive to Stintino and hop on a ferry from there. You can then rent a bike (or, even better, an e-bike) or a golf-cart to explore, but you need to book in advance.

Alternatively, once in Stintino simply join a boat tour that goes around the island to visit the best coves and swimming spots and stops at Cala d’Oliva (the only village in Asinara) to allow you to visit the former prisons.

I have been to Asinara many times and one of my favorite ways of exploring is on this catamaran tour that includes lunch too. Keep in mind that boat tours don’t run if the wind is too strong.

My Complete Guide To Asinara further explains how to get there, and the many things to do on the island.

Anghelu Ruju Necropolis

The Anghelu Ruju Necropolis is one of Sardinia’s most important prehistoric burial sites, located just outside Alghero. Discovered by chance in 1903 during vineyard work in the nearby Sella e Mosca, it dates back to the 4th millennium BCE and includes over 30 domus de janas—rock-cut chamber tombs used by Neolithic and early Bronze Age communities.

Carved directly into sandstone, the tombs vary in shape and size. Some show symbolic carvings of horns, false doors, and eyes—possibly linked to rituals or beliefs in the afterlife. Excavations uncovered pottery, tools, and decorative items that suggest contact with other Mediterranean cultures, including Iberia and the Aegean.

There is a small fee to visit the site, and you will find panels near the tombs that explain their construction and their significance. Not many people visit, so it’s a quiet and relaxing experience.

It’s easy to get to Anghelu Ruju Necropolis. Here’s how to get there:

• By car – it takes about 15 minutes and there’s a large parking lot;
• By bus – buses 9322 and 9325 both stop there. The ride takes about 25 minutes;
• By bike – it takes about 35 minutes depending on your pace.

You can easily combine a visit to Anghelu Ruju Necropolis with a wine tasting experience of Sella e Mosca winery right across the street.

Wine tasting

There are lots of places where you can go wine tasting in Sardinia. One of them is Cantine Sella e Mosca, which is conveniently located near Alghero.

They are the biggest wine producers in Sardinia, and they make some of the best Sardinian wines, and they happen to be located just across the street from Anghelu Ruju Necropolis (in fact, it was Sella e Mosca workers who discovered the ruins), so you can visit them on the same day.

Sella e Mosca offer a wide variety of wine tasting experiences. When I visited, I opted for the Territorio Tour which runs in both English and Italian. It’s the most expensive one, but it includes all the signature wines and tastings of some local produce, as well as a tour of the cellar.

To get to Sella e Mosca, follow the same directions you’d follow to Anghelu Ruju. From there, it’s a quick walk.

You could even consider completing your day with a cooking class near Alghero. This cooking class will teach you how to make several kinds of Sardinian pasta, while enjoying fantastic local wines at the same time.

I have a detailed guide on Wine Tasting In Sella E Mosca Winery that you should read.

Bosa

Bosa is a small riverside town on Sardinia’s west coast, about an hour south of Alghero. It’s one of the prettiest small towns on the island, known for its colourful houses stacked along the Temo River, the only navigable river in Sardinia.

There’s quite a bit to see and do here. Start your exploration from the Castello Malaspina, the medieval castle that overlooks the town—Castello Malaspina. From there, you get sweeping views of the terracotta rooftops, the river, and the sea beyond.

The historic centre, Sa Costa, is a maze of narrow stone alleys, old churches, and pastel facades. Many buildings still show signs of traditional crafts like gold filigree and leather work. Along the riverbank, old tanneries—once central to the town’s economy—stand as reminders of Bosa’s working past.

A few minutes away from Bosa there’s Bosa Marina, a long sandy beach. But there are more beaches nearby you should visit. Cumpultittu is a small rocky cove you can hike to (it’s not difficult, don’t worry), and Cane Malu, on the way from Bosa Marina to Alghero, is a fantastic natural pool (best not to visit on windy days as the sea is really rough).

The one that connects Alghero to Bosa is among the most scenic drives in Sardinia. It’s a windy road that goes along the coast – perhaps not the easiest drive, but the view is stunning and it makes for one of the nicest day trips to Alghero.

Getting to Bosa from Alghero is easy. Here’s how:

• By car – it takes about one hour;
• By bus 9312 – it that takes you to Bosa in about one hour.

My post A Useful Guide To Bosa will help you better plan your day.

Castelsardo

Castelsardo is a medieval hilltop town on Sardinia’s northern coast, perched above the Gulf of Asinara. You will recognize it by the stone houses stacked up the slope, crowned by a 12th-century castle – the Castello dei Doria, one of the most famous castles in Sardinia.

The views from the castle stretch across the sea, and on clear days, you can even spot Corsica.

The old town is compact but lovely to explore: narrow cobbled streets, weathered archways, and artisan shops selling traditional basket weaving and hand-carved wooden goods.

Must-sees include the Cathedral of Sant’Antonio Abate, with its bell tower facing the sea. There you can see a striking 15th-century retablo.

Down below, Castelsardo Marina offers beaches and a small harbor. For a fabulous lunch, stop at Il Cormorano. It’s one of my favorite restaurants in Sardinia, but you will need to book in advance.

The easiest way to get from Alghero to Castelsardo is by car. It takes around 1 hour and 10 minutes. Traveling by bus isn’t convenient as it takes more than 2 hours and 30 minutes and you need to change at least once.

I have a Detailed Guide To Castelsardo that shares more information on the many attractions of this lovely small town.

Sassari and Monte d’Accoddi

Sassari isn’t my favorite place in Sardinia (I find there are much better places to visit). It certainly isn’t a touristy place. However, it’s has its charms and it’s a good place to visit on day trips from Alghero.

Sardinia’s second-largest city, it has a distinct local energy and a strong cultural identity. Here you can explore the historic center. It is filled with narrow alleys, baroque churches (my favorite is San Nicola da Bari Cathedral), and faded palazzi that reflect its mix of Spanish, Pisan, and Genoese influences.

The heart of Sassari is Piazza d’Italia, a large square surrounded by 19th-century buildings and a good place to get a feel for the city’s rhythm.

If you happen to be in Alghero towards the mid-end of May, consider going to Sassari for the Cavalcata Sarda. It’s a parade in traditional dress of a selection of towns and villages in Sardinia (they change every year).

If you have a car, you can also visit Monte d’Accoddi, which is another 20 minutes drive northwest of Sassari. It’s one of the most interesting archeological sites in Sardinia, a unique prehistoric site often called Sardinia’s “ziqqurat” (however, it is not a ziggurat).

It dates from 4,000 BCE and it features a stepped platform with a ramp. Researchers believe it was used for ritual or ceremonial purposes. It’s immersed in the countryside, and makes for a pleasant visit.

You have several ways of getting to Sassari from Alghero:

• By car – it’s an easy 35 minutes drive;
• By bus ARST 9323 – it takes about 1 hour;
• By train – ARST runs the train service between Alghero and Sassari. It takes about 35 minutes.

I have a post on The Best Things To Do In Sassari that you can read for more information.

Nuraghe Santu Antine and Basilica di Saccargia

Alghero has its very own nuraghe that’s easy to visit from the city. It’s called Nuraghe Palmavera and you can easily get there by bus.

However, you want to visit more of these unique sites, you can opt to go to Nuraghe Santu Antine, and stop at other places along the way such as Saccargia Basilica in Codrongianus for an interesting day trip.

Nuraghe Santu Antine is near Torralba, a small town in the northwest of Sardinia. Built around the 16th century BCE, it features a central tower over 15 meters (50 feet) high, surrounded by 3 smaller towers and a complex network of corridors and chambers.

The nuraghe likely served both defensive and ceremonial functions. It’s a great example of the advanced engineering skills of the Nuragic civilization. It is immersed in the countryside, in what we in Sardinia refer to as “Valley of the Nuraghi,” where there are dozens other nuraghe.

The Basilica of Saccargia is one of Sardinia’s finest Romanesque churches, set in the countryside near Codrongianos in a blissfully isolated setting. Built in the 12th century by Pisan monks, it stands out with its striking black and white striped facade made from basalt and limestone. Inside (if you find it open), the apse still has frescoes from the 13th century.

The only way to reach Nuraghe Santu Antine and the Basilica di Saccargia is by car. The overall driving distance is about 1 hour one way.

My Guide To Nuraghe In Sardinia shares more nuraghe that you should consider visiting.

Lake Baratz horseback riding and Porto Ferro

Finally, another easy day trip from Alghero is to Lake Baratz, a place most tourists in Sardinia never get to see.

Lake Baratz is Sardinia’s only natural freshwater lake. You will find it just inland from the coast near Alghero. The lake is surrounded by pine forests and Mediterranean scrub, and beautiful sand dunes separate it from Porto Ferro beach. While the nearby beaches are busy (if not crowded) during the summer, the lake is a blissfully quiet place.

The area where the lake is located is part of a nature reserve, which means it is protected and you won’t find anything like cafés, boats etc.

The lake is alsoused for environmental education, with local schools visiting regularly. It’s a quiet, low-key alternative to Sardinia’s better-known natural attractions.

The lake is small – don’t expect anything remotely similar to Lake Garda or Lake Como. It’s fed by underground springs and rainwater, with no outflow to the sea and no emissaries. Lake Baratz is about 6.5 meters (21 feet) deep but swimming isn’t allowed there.

The area of Lake Baratz is a nice place for birdwatching. You can also go on an easy hike: there are a few trails, the most popular one goes along the coast by an Aragonese tower and through the Prigionette forest. There’s also a circular trail that goes around the lake.

Here’s how to get to Lake Baratz:

• By car – it takes about 25 minutes;
• By bus 9320 – it takes almost 1 hour.

I recommend this lovely horseback riding tour in Lake Baratz that also goes to the nearby Porto Ferro beach. It’s a great, alternative way of experiencing the local landscape. You will see sand dunes, cliffs, a gorgeous beach and even a pine forest.

Pin It For Later!