Villa Las Tronas Hotel & Spa
Why we like it: Five stars in a villa from around 1880 on its own promontory on Alghero's seafront, with a seawater pool, spa and 24 rooms.
Duration2 nights, Friday to Sunday
From OlbiaAbout 2 h by car
From CagliariAbout 3 h 15 by car
Direct flight to AlgheroNo, from Spain
Best timeMay, June and September
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to arrive in Olbia or Cagliari on Friday, cross the island by car and return on Sunday afternoon, from April to October, when there are boats to the cave. Both nights are in the old town, to do the city on foot and leave the car parked outside the walls.
Friday
- 115:00From Olbia or Cagliari to Alghero
Two hours from Olbia, three and a quarter from Cagliari. Park outside the walls and walk in to the San Francesco; check-in is from 16:00 to 23:00.
- 218:30Walls and old town
The Marco Polo, Pigafetta, Magellano and Colombo bastions at sunset, with the sun going down behind Capo Caccia. Free.
- 320:00Dinner at Il Pavone
On Piazza Sulis, with a veranda over the sea. Three-course menu at €50. Book by phone.
Saturday
- 109:45Boat to the Grotta di Nettuno
Navisarda from the Banchina Dogana, about 40 minutes along the coast. Cave entry €18, separate from the boat.
- 214:30Palmavera nuraghe
By car towards Porto Conte. €7, guide €3 more.
- 316:00Snorkelling or an introductory dive at Capo Caccia
With Capo Galera Diving Center, next to Palmavera: boat snorkelling from €35 or an introductory dive for €100, from age 10. Book it beforehand.
- 420:30Dinner at Al Tuguri
Sardinian cooking in a stone house from 1973. Menus from €40 to €75.
Sunday
- 110:00Anghelu Ruju necropolis
The 38 domus de janas, on the airport road. €7.
- 211:30Sella & Mosca
A guided visit by reservation or the wine shop, open from 15 May to 31 October.
- 313:30Lunch at Sa Mandra
A €60 fixed menu at a Nurra farm stay. Online booking only; confirm that they are open that day.
- 416:30Back to Olbia or Cagliari
You reach Olbia around 18:30 and Cagliari around 20:00.
Alghero calls for two nights: a walled city that is enjoyed at night, a cave you reach by sea and, around it, the Sardinia of the nuraghi and the vineyards. This getaway sleeps both nights in the old town, in a former convent, to do everything on foot and use the car only for Capo Caccia and the Nurra.
How do you get there from Spain?
There is no direct flight from Spain to Alghero, although the city has an airport. Fly direct to Olbia (OLB), from Barcelona, or to Cagliari (CAG), from Barcelona and Seville, and hire a car at the airport. From Olbia it is about two hours via Sassari; from Cagliari, about three and a quarter hours on the SS131. If you arrive via Cagliari, leave early on Friday: you will reach Alghero in daylight.
Where to stay?
| Accommodation | Where | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| San Francesco Heritage Hotel | Old town, in a former convent | To do everything on foot; no parking or lift |
| Villa Las Tronas | Seafront, on a promontory | Five-star with a spa and free parking |
| Hotel El Faro | Porto Conte, facing Capo Caccia | To have the cape and the sea in front of you |
Both nights at the San Francesco Heritage Hotel, with breakfast in the cloister. It has no parking: leave the car outside the walls. If you prefer to sleep by the sea and facing the cape, swap for the Hotel El Faro, and for a treat, Villa Las Tronas.
Where to eat
Three different tables. Il Pavone is the fish of Piazza Sulis, since 1979, with a veranda facing the sea. Al Tuguri is seasonal Sardinian and Alghero cooking, in the stone rooms of the old town. And Sa Mandra is the long farm-stay lunch, with what the estate produces.
What if you change a day?
The cave on foot. If there are no boats (from November to March) or you fancy the cliff, go down the Escala del Cabirol: 654 steps and the same €18 entry.
More sea. Swap Palmavera for a boat day with the Navisarda mini-cruise, which leaves at 9:30 for the coves of Capo Caccia.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Alghero and Capo Caccia, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Alghero and Capo Caccia
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Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
Flying to Olbia or Cagliari and Driving to Alghero
There is no direct flight from Spain to Alghero. The city's airport, Alghero-Fertilia (AHO), is about 10 km away, but from Spain you can only get there with a connection. The practical thing is to fly direct to Olbia (OLB), from Barcelona, or to Cagliari (CAG), from Barcelona and Seville, and cross the island by hire car: from Olbia it is about two hours by road and from Cagliari about three and a quarter.
- Getting thereOlbia Costa Smeralda (OLB), with…
- Getting aroundHire car at the arrival…
- Where to staySan Francesco Heritage Hotel, in…
- ServicesAlghero tourist office
Getting there
- Olbia Costa Smeralda (OLB), with a direct flight from Barcelona, about 2 hours by car
- Cagliari-Elmas (CAG), with a direct flight from Barcelona and Seville, about 3 hours and a quarter
- Alghero-Fertilia (AHO), 10 km from the city, only with a connection from Spain
Getting around
- Hire car at the arrival airport: you need it to cross the island and for Capo Caccia, Porto Conte and the Nurra
- Without a car in Alghero: the old town and harbour can be covered on foot and the boat to the Grotta di Nettuno leaves from the harbour
- ARST 9321 bus from Alghero to Capo Caccia, all year
Where to stay
- San Francesco Heritage Hotel, in the old town, if you leave the car parked outside the walls
- Villa Las Tronas, on the seafront, with free parking and transfer on request
Services
- Alghero tourist office
- ARST 9321 bus to Capo Caccia
Alghero and Capo Caccia by Car
A car is what makes this trip from Spain work: you fly to Olbia or Cagliari and cross the island. Once in Alghero, leave it parked outside the walls for the old town and the boat to the cave, and use it for Capo Caccia, Palmavera, Anghelu Ruju and the wineries of the Nurra.
110–200 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayVilla Las Tronas, on the…
- Getting aroundFrom Olbia to Alghero, about…
- Where to eatIl Pavone, fish facing the…
- ServicesCasa Gioiosa parking and shuttle
Where to stay
- Villa Las Tronas, on the seafront, with free parking in the park
- Hotel El Faro, inside the Porto Conte Park, at the gateway to Capo Caccia
- San Francesco Heritage Hotel only if you park outside: it has no parking
Getting around
- From Olbia to Alghero, about 2 hours; from Cagliari, about 3 hours and a quarter
- The old town is a limited-traffic zone: park outside the walls
- From June to October, you go up to Capo Caccia on the shuttle from Casa Gioiosa
Where to eat
- Il Pavone, fish facing the sea, open Sunday at lunchtime
- Al Tuguri, tasting menus from €40 to €75
- Sa Mandra, farm stay with a €60 menu in the Nurra
Services
- Casa Gioiosa parking and shuttle
- Alghero tourist office
How much does it cost?
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Where to stay
Where to stay if you're flyingif you're driving
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San Francesco Heritage Hotel
Why we like it: Hotel of 20 rooms in the former San Francesco convent, in the heart of Alghero's old town, with breakfast in the cloister. No car access or lift.
Hotel El Faro
Why we like it: Superior four-star inside the Porto Conte Park, above the bay with Capo Caccia opposite. Two seawater pools, thalassotherapy and a restaurant.
Services for this trip
Where to eat
Where to eat in Alghero and Capo Caccia
Al Tuguri
What to order: the week's tasting menu, three to seven courses (€40 to €75), or à la carte the roasted culurgiones with sheep broth and the cuttlefish in its ink; Sardinian cannonau and vermentino wines
Open every day at lunchtime and in the evening. Closed for holidays until 8 December according to its website. Book on the website.
Il Pavone
What to order: the Alessandrina fritto and the octopus salad to start, the fresh pasta with bottarga, artichoke and pecorino, and for dessert a wild fennel ice cream; if there is any, the owner's goat's cheese
Closed on Monday all day and Tuesday at lunchtime. Open on Sunday at lunchtime. Book by phone.
Agriturismo Sa Mandra
What to order: the Menù Degustazione 1990, the fixed menu of traditional Barbagia cooking with produce from the farm and the Nurra; tell them when booking if you are vegetarian or coeliac
Only with online booking and a card as a guarantee. The website does not publish the hours: confirm them when you book.
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Book the cave and the tables
Cave time slot, Il Pavone, Al Tuguri and Sa Mandra.
- 2Check the sea on Friday
If there is a swell on Saturday, swap the boat for the stairs or for Anghelu Ruju.
- 3Allow time to reach the hotel
Check-in at the San Francesco closes at 23:00.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How many nights do you need in Alghero?
Two for the city, the cave and a day of prehistory and wine; with three, you add a beach or diving.
Is it better to arrive via Olbia or Cagliari?
Via Olbia you are about two hours away; via Cagliari, about three and a quarter. Choose the direct flight you have from your city.
Do you need a car?
To get there from Olbia or Cagliari, for Capo Caccia and for the Nurra, yes. In Alghero, no.
When should you go?
From April to October, when there are boats; best in May, June and September.