Exploring the Enchanting West Coast of Sardinia: Flamingos, Black Rice, and Candlelit Festivities

Astrid Ruffhead takes us on a scenic drive along Sardinia’s west coast, from the lively capital of Cagliari to the coastal resort of Alghero, with a stop at the candle festival in Sassari.

Cagliari, located on Sardinia’s southern coast, has been a key trading seaport in the Mediterranean for centuries. The oldest part of this bustling city is the Castello, perched atop a hill in the town center. Park your car outside the city walls and enter through Porta Christina. Immediately to your left is the former Arsenal, now home to the city’s most important museums: Archaeology, Oriental Art, and the Municipal Art Gallery.

The city’s grid-like layout makes navigation easy. Walk along Via Martini, and you’ll soon reach the Town Hall, which houses a helpful tourist office. On the first floor, you’ll find the Sala Della Rappresentanza and Sala del Consiglio Comunale, adorned with paintings depicting significant events in Sardinian history. The openness of the place, with no security checks or guards, was striking.

Continuing down the same street, you’ll encounter the impressive Romanesque façade of the Cathedral on Piazza Palazzo, built by the Pisans in the 12th century. Dedicated to Santa Maria, the cathedral is richly decorated in various types of marble in the Baroque style. On Sundays, the cathedral is packed, with many locals and visitors sitting on the steps outside to listen to the ceremony and music in the sunshine.

One of my passions is antiques, and I had planned my visit to coincide with the antique market on Piazza Carlo Alberto, held every second Sunday of the month. Unfortunately, I didn’t realize it doesn’t take place in August. Instead, I found a lovely trattoria in one of the narrow alleyways within the Castello, serving wonderful seafood.

From Cagliari, we took the motorway towards Oristano. The coastal road from there is unforgettable, with breathtakingly beautiful sandy beaches and rocky outlets embraced by the clearest waters, ranging from dark ink and celestial blues to shimmering turquoise. As the cliffs get higher and the roads narrower, we were surprised to see long-legged pink flamingos around the salt plains, now vast nature reserves.

Heading north, we stopped at the charming town of Bosa on the river Temo. The Wednesday morning market here is excellent for sampling local produce like fruit, cheese, and bread. Arrive early, as the market and most other activities close at lunchtime. Evening boat trips on the river offer views of old tannery buildings from the turn of the last century.

Closer to Alghero, the landscape becomes more fertile, with many vineyards producing Sardinia’s favorite grape, Vernaccia. Alghero has been a popular resort since the 1960s, thanks to its long sandy beach. South of Alghero, you can find remnants of the Nuraghi people, who lived on the island in the 10th-12th century BC.

Via Garibaldi runs along the seafront and marina, filled with trendy bars and restaurants. I prefer the oldest parts of town, where the Spanish influence is evident. Street names are in both Italian and Catalan, reflecting the city’s capture by the Aragonese. The 14th-century San Francesco cloister is a reminder of this era and serves as an open-air concert venue in the summer. Via Calberto is known for craftsmen selling local coral jewelry, admired for its deep red color.

While Alghero is picturesque, especially in the evening, the scenery outside the town is even more captivating. Don’t miss the Capo Caccia peninsula, which appears like a huge sculpture as you travel north of the city. You might spot one of the few surviving Sardinian Griffon vultures or more common peregrine falcons nesting on the white cliffs. If you decide to take the 654 steps down the Escala Cabriol (the goat’s steps) to Neptune’s Cave, filled with remarkable stalactites and stalagmites, be prepared for the climb back up. A hop-on-hop-off sightseeing bus makes it easy to reach Capo Caccia, with a two-hour trip costing 18 Euros.

Sassari, Sardinia’s second most important city, features Neo-Classical municipal buildings surrounding the large Piazza Italia. In the center stands a huge statue of Victor Emanuel II, the first king of a united Italy, who also lends his name to the main shopping street, Corso Vittorio Emanuel, winding through the old town. My main reason for visiting Sassari was the annual Candelieri festival. From around lunchtime, music and singing fill the streets, growing louder as the Candelieri practice for the evening.

The festival dates back to the 13th century, when the city was under Pisan rule, and a candle was offered to the Madonna on the eve of the Assumption. In the 17th century, after numerous plagues, it became a form of religious thanks from the town guilds. Today, nine guilds, including blacksmiths, farmworkers, carpenters, tailors, and greengrocers, parade through the city, each carrying a huge wooden column with colored ribbons, representing a candlestick. It takes 8-10 men to carry the 100-kilo candle while walking, singing, and dancing in a procession through the city. The celebration ends in the evening when the wooden candles are ceremoniously placed at the church of Santa Maria.