When we booked the Grimaldi Lines ferry from Barcelona to Porto Torres in northern Sardinia they were running a “camper offer” for winter so we got an excellent fare. The ferry was scheduled to depart at 10.30pm and we arrived around 7, checked in and waited to board. We were still waiting at 11pm and kept getting pushed to the back of the queue. We were a bit confused and then slightly worried that they may forget us, but finally we were loaded – the last on. We soon realised Sardinia wasn’t the final destination for the ferry, it continues to mainland Italy, so there was a reason we were last on, we were to be first off. Despite the “camper offer” we were the only campervan on board and our poor camper was squeezed between giant TIR trucks on the lower deck. We patted her fondly, told her she’d be alright, and headed to the upper decks. The ferry was more like a cruise ship than a ferry, with lounge bars and restaurants and even a pool on the upper deck, albeit empty. The sailing was supposed to take 12-13 hours and already being an hour late departing it was going to be a long night, so we were pleased we’d opted for a cabin. Many people, including a young dad with his 2-year-old son, were sleeping on chairs and bench seats in the public areas. We hunkered down for the night in our modest cabin and tried to get some sleep. Unfortunately, the huge swell and sudden jolts didn’t allow for that. Luckily neither of us get seasick. The next morning, all set to go, we were told that because of the storm we wouldn’t be arriving until after midday, and as the morning progressed that time was steadily pushed out to 1.30 and then 2.15pm, 4 hours after we were supposed to arrive.
Finally, we were on dry land and ready to explore Sardinia. We didn’t have any preconceived ideas about this island and only knew the bare basics of its history and identity. It’s the second largest island in the Mediterranean behind Sicily and, like it’s larger neighbour, is a region of Italy. With a population of 1.6 million and an area of 24,100 square kilometres there is plenty of space and we were taken aback by how empty and wild Sardinia is.
I had read that Sardinia is one of a few regions in the world where residents often reach the age of 90 or older and there is an unusually high number of centenarians. Perhaps we would find the secret to a long life during our 10 days in Sardinia.
From the ferry we set off towards the seaside town of Alghero, 50km southwest of Porto Torres. We were amazed by how much this place looks like New Zealand – lush green countryside, two lane roads with grass growing right up to the tar seal, and sheep, lots of white woolly sheep.
Alghero is one of Sardinia’s most popular tourist towns and it is obvious why. It is a pretty, medieval walled city sitting on a beautiful deep blue harbour. We spent a couple of hours walking around the historic centre, through the cobbled lanes lined with pastel yellow and pink townhouses, across the empty piazzas scattered with closed cafes, and along the sea walls with the obligatory fortification towers. Apparently, the population of Alghero swells considerably in July and August, but at this time of year it is very quiet. We wandered along the marina admiring the yachts and came across one flying an Australian flag. The skipper was on board and we got talking. He was a Kiwi and more surprisingly was from Tauranga, but now lives on the Gold Coast. He bought a yacht in Spain and, along with his wife and two kids, is planning to sail back to Australia over the next year.
Walking back to the van I was reminded we are no longer in Spain. Italians do not stop at pedestrian crossings. In Spain you just need to be in the vicinity of a pedestrian crossing and a car 100 metres away will start slowing down. Here they seem to speed up.
Being the low season, most campsites are closed, but we found one not far from town that let us stay, although we were the only ones there, and there was no hot water.
The next morning, we drove along the coastline to the top of the Capo Caccia headland. The views along the bay were beautiful, but we were here to see what lay at the base of the cliffs, the famous Neptune’s Grotto limestone cave. To reach the cave you take the footpath from the top down the panoramic ‘Escala del Cabirol’ (Roe Deer Staircase) with its 656 steps clinging to the side of the cliff. In summer a boat service runs from Alghero taking passengers directly to the mouth of the cave. We were the only ones there and our guide told us that in the peak season 250 people are in the cave at any one time – one of the many benefits to travelling in the low season. Neptune’s Grotto is magical. Stalactites and stalagmites dating back two million years grace the inside of this spectacular cave, the limestone formations reflecting in the mirror lake. Traces of human life which date back 12,000 years have been found here, in the back of the caves where it is warm and dry. Sardinia has been populated for a very long time and the presence of people long gone is everywhere.
We climbed back up the 656 steps and headed off across the island in search of more history. The centre of Sardinia is mountainous and the roads across the island are windy and narrow, but nothing we hadn’t experienced before. It was raining, and as we got to top of the ranges the rain turned to sleet, and fresh snow lay on the ground. The similarity with New Zealand continued, now the scenery looked like the Coromandel – scrubby bush covered hills and glimpses of the blue sea in the distance.
It was still raining when we arrived at Coddu Vecchiu, the Giant’s Grave, a burial place for the ancient Nuragic people. Made up of a 4-metre high slab of stone at the front of a 10-metre long grave, this monument dates back to 2,500 BC. It’s called the Giant’s Grave because it is big enough for a giant to be buried there, but in fact was the burial place for many people. Although, there are plenty of rumours that Sardinia was once the home of giants. Near Coddu Vecchiu is the Nuraghe La Prisgiona, a Nuragic village occupied from the 14th to 9th century BC. A Nuraghe is the round tower in the centre of village made of stones piled on top of each other in ever decreasing circles. This was the first Nuraghe we saw, but certainly not the last. There are 8,000 bronze-age Nuraghes dotted across the Sardinian landscape, all various sizes and in different states of ruin. The Nuragic people sure liked building.
We stayed two nights in the east coast town of Porto San Paolo. It rained off and on, but we managed to get some good walks in and got to appreciate the beauty of the wild coastline and crystal-clear bays. We stayed at a camper stop where there was electricity but no facilities, and for the first time saw some other campervans, one German and two Italian. Like Alghero, Porto San Paolo was quiet and many of the houses looked empty. The owner of the campsite told us they are all holiday homes and in summer the place is packed.
From Porto San Paolo we headed back across to the West Coast, stopping in the mountain city of Nuoro for lunch. The temperature had plummeted as a cold blast from Siberia slammed Europe and the wind in the mountains was biting. We didn’t stay long and headed down towards the coast to the Nuraghe Losa. This Nuraghe isn’t round like many, but a trapezoid shape, almost like the prow of a ship. We were the only ones there and clambered through the ruins and up the tower for a view across the bright green countryside. It’s incredible to think that 3500 years ago people were capable of building elaborate stone structures like this. If you left me alone with a pile of rocks I certainly couldn’t build a tower, and not one that lasts 3500 years.
Just down the road from Nuraghe Losa is the Nuragic complex of Santa Cristina which includes a Nuragic sanctuary, or sacred well, of the 11th & 12th century BC, a Nuragic village of the 14th century BC and a fairly new Christian settlement from 1200AD. Andrew was starting to wonder how many of these historic sites he would be expected to visit, and I assured him that after this one there was only a couple more. To his credit, he doesn’t complain and genuinely finds most of them interesting. The Nuragic village of Santa Cristina was particularly lovely – all overgrown with moss, sitting in a grove of ancient olives and with daisies sparkling in the grass, it was like a fairy dell.
For the next two nights we camped by the beach in another of the very few campsites that are open over winter. We were miles from anywhere and surround by forest. It was very beautiful, and we spent our day there walking along the golden sand beach and through the woods.
Our next stop was the Peninsula of Sinis to see the ancient Greek city of Tharros, as mentioned in Homer’s Iliad. The Phoenicians founded Tharros in the 8th century BC and it had been a Nuragic settlement prior to that. We parked the van and walked through the very small and deserted village of San Giovanni, admiring the 6th century church with its ochre dome, then along the peninsula and up to the Spanish tower where we could look over the excavation of Tharros. You get the impression that Sardinia was busier in times gone by than it is now. It is so quiet here.
I had left the best Nuraghe to last. This one was the UNESCO World Heritage listed Nuragic complex of Barumini, or Su Nuraxi, and is the most well-known on the island. Here a guide took us through the ruins and explained the history and answered our general questions about life in Sardinia. It was just us and a Dutch couple on the tour, but we were told that in summer the tour buses from the cruise ships are lined up and four tours run simultaneously, each with 50 people. I wouldn’t fancy being inside a Nuragic tower with 50 people in 40-degree heat. What makes this Nuraghe special is the size and complexity of the structure. It is 15 meters tall and is surrounded by a border wall composed of four adjacent towers fused into the wall itself. The entrance is 7 metres up the wall and we had to climb up and then down to the ground floor where a courtyard in the shape of a half-moon lets light into the tower. In the middle is a 20-metre-deep well with an underground river running beneath. Our guide told us that opinions are divided as to whether the Nuraghe was a defensive tower or a religious structure. Maybe it was built to protect the vital supply of water in the well. Amazingly the towers are built from basalt rock that is only found in an area of Sardinia over 40kms away from Barumini. The village sprung up around these main constructions, mostly huts in a circular plan, and used specifically for domestic and ritual activities. There are a couple of sauna rooms with water baths still intact. Little is known of the Nuragic people, historians expect they were simple shepherds and peasants, but they’ve left the landscape littered with these extraordinary stone structures, the true purpose of which keeps people guessing.
We finished our tour of Sardinia in the capital city Cagliari in the far south of the Island. 430,000 of the island’s population live in and around this city. Every bit an historic Italian town, Cagliari had plenty for us to see and do. We spent our days exploring the narrow lanes of the historic quarter, walking up to the highest point where Il Castello perches on a rocky cliff overlooking the city, visiting the 13th-century Cagliari Cathedral, walking for miles along the waterfront and through the city parks, and enjoying our much-loved Italian cuisine and the very good Sardinian wine. Cagliari is a bit run-down and graffiti mars the walls, even in upmarket areas. There’s a sense that it relies heavily, maybe too much, on those all-important summer months and the influx of tourists.
We’re now back on a ferry awaiting another 13-hour journey. Our destination, Sicily.
Being here in winter we got to see Sardinia for what it really is, it’s rustic charm, and old-world feel. There’s nothing flashy or new here. Island life is simple, still relying on the land and the sea after the tourists leave at the end of summer. Not much has changed from centuries ago – perhaps that’s the secret to a long life.
