Anyone who thinks of Sardinia as an island of beaches is surprised to discover how many castles it has. In the Middle Ages the island was divided into four independent kingdoms, the Giudicati of Cagliari, Arborea, Torres and Gallura, and along their borders fortresses rose on hilltops, often built or captured by the great families of Pisa and Genoa: the Della Gherardesca, the Malaspina, the Doria. Then came the Aragonese, who ringed Cagliari and Alghero with bastions. And from the 16th century, to defend the island against Barbary pirates, the Spanish crown built a chain of watchtowers all around the coast, which you can still see on almost every headland.
This eight-day itinerary runs from Cagliari to Olbia via the most spectacular castles, from Acquafredda, linked to Count Ugolino of Dante's Divine Comedy, to Sanluri, the only one still habitable, and from the Malaspina's Bosa to the Doria's Castelsardo, with the finest coastal towers along the way. It suits history lovers but also families, because children love castles.
Itinerary at a glance
- Duration: 8 days, 7 nights
- Distance: about 800 km, from Cagliari to Olbia
- Transport: hire car
- Best time: April to June and September to October; in August many towers can only be reached on foot under a blazing sun
- Indicative budget: about €950 per person sharing a double room, flights and ferries excluded
- Ideal for: families with children, lovers of medieval history, photographers
- Cagliari: the Pisan towers of Castello
- Villasimius: the Porto Giunco tower
- Siliqua: Acquafredda castle
- Chia: the Chia tower
- Sanluri: Sanluri castle
- Las Plassas: the hilltop castle
- Oristano: Eleonora of Arborea's city
- Bosa: the Malaspina castle
- Alghero: the Catalan ramparts
- Burgos: Goceano castle
- Castelsardo: the Doria castle
- Santa Teresa Gallura: the Longonsardo tower
Giudicati, Pisans and Aragonese
After Byzantine rule ended, around the year 1000, Sardinia organised itself into four kingdoms, the Giudicati, each ruled by a sovereign called a judike. Pisa and Genoa, the great maritime powers, competed for influence over the island, and their families built castles and fortified towns. The longest-lived Giudicato was Arborea, which under Eleonora of Arborea issued the Carta de Logu, a code of laws in Sardinian that remained in force until the 19th century. In 1409 the Battle of Sanluri marked the Aragonese victory, and Sardinia entered the Spanish world for almost four centuries. See the history of Sardinia.
- 1112The Malaspina found Bosa castle, according to tradition
- 1134Gonario II of Torres builds Goceano castle
- 1305Giovanni Capula builds the San Pancrazio tower in Cagliari
- 1392Eleonora of Arborea issues the Carta de Logu
- 1409The Battle of Sanluri: the Aragonese win
- 1420The Giudicato of Arborea comes to an end
- 1587The Royal Administration of Coastal Towers is founded
- 1720Sardinia passes to the House of Savoy
Day 1: the Pisan towers of Cagliari
In Cagliari climb into the Castello quarter, the citadel built by the Pisans in the 13th century. Its two great white limestone towers, the San Pancrazio tower and the Elephant tower, with a small elephant statue on its façade, were built in the early 14th century by the architect Giovanni Capula; when open you can climb them for views over the city and the gulf. Then walk along the walls and bastions to the Saint Remy bastion, built much later on top of the Spanish fortifications.
Where to stay: in Cagliari, for two nights.
Day 2: Villasimius and the Porto Giunco tower
Follow the coast east to Villasimius (about an hour): on the headland between Porto Giunco beach and the Notteri lagoon, where flamingos winter, stands one of Sardinia's most photographed coastal towers. A fifteen-minute walk takes you up for the view over both waters. In the afternoon swim at Simius or Punta Molentis and return to Cagliari.
Day 3: Acquafredda and the Chia tower
Head towards the Sulcis to Siliqua (about three quarters of an hour), where the ruins of Acquafredda castle crown an isolated volcanic cone in the plain. In the 13th century it belonged to Count Ugolino della Gherardesca, the Pisan whom Dante placed in Hell, in Canto XXXIII, condemned to gnaw his enemy's skull. A path leads up to the tower, with views over the plain. In the afternoon drive down to the south coast at Chia (about an hour), where the 16th-century Chia tower overlooks the dunes and beaches: a few minutes' climb for sunset. See Cagliari and the South.
Where to stay: in Pula or Chia.
Day 4: Sanluri and Las Plassas
Drive up into the Marmilla to Sanluri (about an hour), where the castle of Eleonora of Arborea is the only medieval castle in Sardinia still habitable: a square building with four towers housing a museum of furniture, weapons and memorabilia from the Risorgimento and the world wars. Here in 1409 the battle that ended Arborea's independence was fought.
Twenty minutes away, on top of a perfectly conical hill, you see from afar the ruins of Las Plassas castle, built in the 12th century on the border between the Giudicati of Cagliari and Arborea. It is a ten-minute climb, and at the foot of the hill a small multimedia museum tells the story of life in the castle. Nearby is Monreale castle at Sardara. In the evening reach Oristano.
Where to stay: in Oristano.
Day 5: Oristano, Eleonora's city
Oristano was the capital of the Giudicato of Arborea. In the main square stands the statue of Eleonora of Arborea holding the Carta de Logu; visit the tower of Mariano II, a gate in the old walls, the cathedral and the Antiquarium Arborense. In the afternoon head out to the Sinis: the 16th-century tower of San Giovanni di Sinis looks over the ruins of Tharros and the sea, and further north the Capo Mannu tower watches over cliffs beloved of surfers. See Oristano and the Sinis.
Where to stay: in Oristano or Cabras.
Day 6: Bosa and Alghero
Drive up the coast to Bosa (about an hour and a quarter), a town of colourful houses on the banks of the Temo river, dominated by the Malaspina castle of Serravalle. Inside the walls, the little church of Nostra Signora de sos Regnos Altos holds a cycle of 14th-century frescoes discovered by chance in 1972. From the top you see the whole valley. At the river mouth, the Bosa Marina tower stands on the Isola Rossa.
In the afternoon take the panoramic coast road to Alghero (about three quarters of an hour), one of the most beautiful drives in Sardinia. In Alghero walk the Catalan ramparts at sunset, past the towers of San Giacomo, La Maddalena and Sulis.
Where to stay: in Alghero.
Day 7: Goceano castle and Castelsardo
Head inland to Burgos (about an hour and a half), where Goceano castle sits on a rocky peak above the village, built in 1134 by Gonario II of Torres. Here lived and died Adelasia of Torres, the last giudicessa, whose sad story is still told in the village. At the foot of the castle a small museum explains medieval Sardinia.
In the afternoon drive back towards the sea to Castelsardo (about an hour and a quarter), a fortified town on a headland founded by the Genoese Doria family. The castle at the top houses the Museum of Mediterranean Basketry, devoted to the dwarf-palm baskets that local women still weave on their doorsteps. At sunset the town lights up above the Gulf of Asinara.
Where to stay: in Castelsardo.
Day 8: Longonsardo and Olbia
Follow the Gallura coast to Santa Teresa Gallura (about an hour and a half): on the headland above the harbour, the 16th-century Longonsardo tower looks across the Strait of Bonifacio to the white cliffs of Corsica. Then drive down to Olbia (about an hour), where the ruins of a 13th-century fortress crown the hill of Pedres castle. Leave from the airport or the port.
How much it costs
| Item | Indicative cost per person |
|---|---|
| Accommodation, 7 nights sharing a double room (mid-range hotels) | €420-630 |
| Hire car for 8 days shared by two, plus fuel | €180-270 |
| Admissions (Cagliari towers, Sanluri castle, Las Plassas, Oristano Antiquarium, Bosa castle, Goceano, Castelsardo castle) | €40-60 |
| Meals | €240-320 |
| Total | about €880-1,280, flights and ferries excluded |
To save money: many coastal towers and Acquafredda castle can be seen from outside for free; Oristano and Bosa cost less than the beach resorts. See car hire.
Practical information
- Opening hours: castles are run by local cooperatives with variable hours; in winter some open only at weekends.
- Paths: Acquafredda, Las Plassas and the Chia and Porto Giunco towers need comfortable shoes; the paths are short but steep.
- Coastal towers: some open only in summer or for events; many can only be admired from outside.
- Festivals: in February Oristano holds the Sartiglia, a medieval-style horseback joust; see Sardinian festivals.
Variations
- Chiaramonti: the ruins of the Doria castle above Chiaramonti, in the Logudoro.
- Osilo: the Malaspina castle above the village, with views to Asinara; see Osilo.
- The towers of Ogliastra: the San Gemiliano tower at Arbatax and the Bari Sardo tower; see Ogliastra.
What to read before you go
A good history of medieval Sardinia and the Giudicati, a book on Eleonora of Arborea, and a guide to the island's coastal towers. For Ugolino, Canto XXXIII of Dante's Inferno.
Final tips
- Pace: the castles are often on isolated hills; plan one climb in the morning and one in the late afternoon.
- Combinations: from Oristano you can link up with the Nuragic civilisation itinerary; from Castelsardo with the Romanesque churches itinerary.
- A tip: climb to Las Plassas castle at sunset: the Marmilla turns gold and from up there you can see the Giara and, on clear days, Su Nuraxi.
Where to stay
Tours and activities in Sardinia
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