About 3 months ago – at the beginning of summer – Cat and I took a short trip. Sardinia seemed like a good option, so the two of us hopped on a Ryanair flight to Alghero for next to nothing, then found a sweet little B&B called Aigua, with split-level rooms inside the old town walls: all dark, rich wood, exposed beams and wrought iron railings. A non-intrusive B&B even; breakfast was provided but fixing it was self-service. Excellent for a quick journey to Sardinia with kids.
It had one of those large, shiny coffee machines they have in coffee bars, so now I know how to make my own barista quality espresso. Not latte, though; couldn’t seem to get the milk right – it always turned out lukewarm. Takes more practice, I suppose.
Alghero is a pleasant town of 42 000 inhabitants, beautifully (as well as strategically) located. The old town is built around a 900-year-old fort and has tall city walls. We walked, took a little train, walked, rode in a horse drawn carriage, and then walked some more. I can safely say we know Alghero’s old town pretty well.
Sardinia with kids
Sardinia with kids is easy, and Alghero with its old town and city walls is fun and exciting. At the edge of the old town is a park with a good playground, essential for a child friendly holiday. There was even a small fair one night. Alghero also has good beaches.
And a non-descript aquarium. It’s small, dark and dank and probably bad for the sea creatures. One redeeming quality is a mirror with L’animale piu’ pericoloso della terra written above it. Humans are indeed the most dangerous creature of all. We saw sea turtles, a couple of forlorn sharks and a surprisingly scary-looking large green eel, a murena verde. But I suppose I would look scary, too, crammed into that little tank. The Humane Society should probably have a look.
On a more cheerful note, Alghero Bay is home to heaps of undiscovered caves – above and below water – and good opportunities for diving, trekking and climbing in caves. One cave that is most definitely not undiscovered is Neptune’s – or Grotta di Nettuno. A large rock seemingly in the middle of the Med, it’s a large, deep cave with cool acoustics. Stalactites abound. When we visited, people abounded, too. Even though it was the beginning of tourist season (in Sardinia, a mere 3 – 4 months long), we walked in a queue for much of the visit. But worth it.
Tomorrow: More about Sardinia. And Sardinians.
I’ve always wanted to visit Sardinia, it looks so beautiful and interesting. Thanks for this glimpse of Alghero.
@Marie – Do visit! It’s a lovely island with friendly people.
Ahhh that green eel is freaky!! It looks like Cat is on top of the world… What a fun trip.
I really like the photo with the colorful boats.
That eel looks vicious! I wouldn’t want to run into him underwater. Sardinia looks very enticing.
Sardinia is my next stop in Europe after Spain. I always love visiting island locations because their isolation from other areas usually give them a unique edge. Sardinia and its food have been calling to me for a long time now. I’m really intrigue by sound of that B&B. Sounds like a place I would really like to try.
@Sherry – It was a nice, little B&B. I wrote a review on Aigua for UpTake and have now updated the post above with a link to that review, in case you’d like some more info.
Gorgeous place!
I love cheap Ryanair flights that allow you to discover little gems like this! I’m so used to plane tickets being prohibitively expensive in the U.S. and I’m just discovering the beauty of cheap flights in Europe. I’m a fan. 🙂
Sardinia looks nice, worth a visit. I like the children friendly holiday moment. Nice post!
Regards.
http://www.jakpost.travel/
Thanks for this post! I’m going to spend some days in Sardinia and I will definetly stop in Alghero. And, of course, I will visit the playground you mentioned. Playground are perfect solutions for nice breaks in our trips.. Children play and we can rest and plan the rest of the travel. I will keep follow this blog, very Interesting!
Ciao Mary
Definitely worth a visit. Been also there with nephews when I accompanied my sister. Hard to forget with warm welcome from friendly people.
I think it’s so wonderful you have chosen to show your children the world! What a fantastic education they are getting, they’ll be well rounded and more acceptable as a result. Good for you!
Thanks for such a lovely comment. Much appreciated 🙂