From Alghero to Bosa, Sardinia

It was a lifetime ago since we last step foot in Sardinia and I was beyond excited to be back. While we spent our last visit in La Maddalena, this trip took us from Alghero to Bosa, situated on the western part of the island. Sometimes things just sync up and by chance when we booked our tickets to Alghero, it coincided with several Invasioni Digitali events organized by Alessandra Polo from Instagramers Sardegna.

With only a long weekend in Sardinia we chose to fly from Rome instead of taking the ferry, which we took the last trip and it was a torturous 4 hour-experience due to rough seas. Flying to Alghero is more costly as you’d also need to take into account the cost of renting a car. However with only 3 days in Alghero, taking a ferry wouldn’t have made a lot of sense.

From Alghero to Bosa, Sardinia

Our flight got us into Alghero late morning and we were all checked in to Hotel Catalunya before lunch. We dropped off our bags and despite wanting to rush off to the beach, the view of the historic town in Alghero got our attention.

I know that as it is still May, the water is too cold for a swim but with the sun blazing overhead, it would have been a waste not to spend it by the beach. In Sardinia, though, you are spoilt for choice when it comes to beaches. In Alghero itself, there is a spectacular stretch from Bombarde and Lazzaretto with its many hidden coves.

However, the images of a La Pelosa Beach in Stintino that I have often come across in the past, with clear water and powder white sand was firmly ingrained in my mind and just an hour from Alghero, I couldn’t miss out on the opportunity to see this place in person.

Bar Milese

Before making the drive out to Stintino, a friend, who is from Alghero, suggested we stop at Bar Milese to try foccacia del Milese. When we got there, and it was only 12.30pm, we had an inkling that the place is renowned as there was already a crowd inside, all eager to get to the counter to place their order to takeway. While we waited patiently for our turn, and it was a good 20-minute wait, we saw some people leaving with huge stacks of foccacia and by the time we left the outdoor seating area outside was all filled up.

La Pelosa Beach, Stintino

The drive to La Pelosa was stunning as we passed by verdant landscapes dotted with macchia mediterranea (mediterranean scrub) and beautiful colors in bloom. I was pleasantly surprised as I had always thought of Sardinia with its arid, and dry terrain but was told by the locals we met that Sardinia is most beautiful in spring.  While it may not be the quite the perfect weather yet to hit the beaches, the wonderful scenery, not only on this route, but wherever we drove during our weekend, was jaw-dropping beautiful. Often times, we had the road to ourselves and not a single car in sight for kilometres.

Approaching La Pelosa, we got a glimmer of its beauty and I was awe. Mind you that having lived in Hawaii, few beaches impress me yet I was blown away by the beauty of La Pelosa. When we got there, as it was also a public holiday, we were lucky to even find a parking spot. There were a good number of people of the beach but it was far from packed. Locals told us that in summer, you could barely see the white sand.  Another reason to visit Sardinia in spring, as they crowds haven’t stormed the island.

Running short on time, we would have loved to visit the town of Stintino but aperitivo at the spectacular Blau Sky Bar in Hotel Catalunya had us rushing back to catch the spectacular sunset from the splendid Sky Bar.

Blau Sky Bar in Hotel Catalunya

Situated on the 9th floor of Hotel Catalunya, Blau Sky Bar boasts commanding views of historic center of Alghero and the harbour. This would be where we would kick off our Invasioni Digitali events that would take us from Alghero to Bosa over the next two days (check out the hashtag #fromalgherotobosa on Instagram). Hotel Catalunya and the Blau Sky Bar went all out to host us and what a perfect start to an incredible weekend.

It was wonderful to finally meet in person all the amazing people I have known on Instagram, especially the one and only super Polo (Alesandra Polo), the person behind Instagramers Sardegna. There are just too many people to name and I plan on doing a post on of these fabulous instagramers from Sardinia in the near future.

Stria Vermentino by Vigne Rada

As if one aperitivo in one of the most spectacular locations in Alghero wasn’t enough, we headed to Osteria Macchiavello of Hotel Angedras to enjoy another round of aperitivo. Located in the historic center on the ramparts while enjoying the last orange glow of the breathtaking sunset, we were introduced to Stria (Vermentino di Sardegna DOC) produced Vigne Rada, a relatively new player to the wine production scene in Alghero.

A family-run winery that was started up by their father who retired as a bank manager, their focus is only the highest quality of the wine and not the quantity of bottles. In addition to Stria, they also produce Riviera – Cannonau di Sardegna DOC and a passito dessert wine

Dinner at Osteria Macchiavello

Our dinners during our 3-day visit to Alghero were all feasts. We should have figured what was to come when our seafood dinner at Osteria Macchiavello started with 7 different appetizers from octopus to stingray to anchovies. There weren’t just bites, they were generous servings and in addition, we had a choice between two different types of pasta or a second course, followed by a dessert from a selection of 5 different choices. The sophisticated dishes, impeccable service, lovely ambiance and in great company, all made for an unforgettable evening.

A huge thanks to Hotel Catalunya, The Blau Sky Bar, and Osteria Macchiavello for hosting us during our visit to Alghero for the Invasioni Digitali events and to Alessandra Polo from Instagramers Sardegna for organizing an unforgettable event.  Stay tuned for post on our “invasion” of Alghero and for more photos from this event, check out hashtag #fromalgherotobosa on Instagram.