Looking for an itinerary to visit Alghero in 4 days and don’t want to get ripped off by car rentals and the outrageous parking prices in Sardinia?
Let’s discover here a low-cost itinerary to visit Alghero and the beaches nearby, for those traveling for a few days alone or in a group. All using just public transport which, by the way, is particularly convenient and cheap in this area!
Disclaimer: obviously it’s not the only possible plan, but it’s an itinerary already personally tested with satisfaction. 🙂 Always pay attention to bus schedules (which I discuss better in the specific guide) to avoid unexpected issues!
You might also be interested in:
Best areas to stay in Alghero for easy travel
Guide to Alghero’s beaches
Alghero: 4-day sea itinerary
For this Alghero itinerary, we’ll use some public bus lines and other private bus companies. We’ll go over the details of each bus used as we go.
To catch these buses most conveniently, it’s best to stay in the areas north of Alghero’s historic center, where almost all urban and intercity public transport passes through. I recommend taking a look at the guide on where it’s best tos stay in Alghero before booking.
How to save money in Alghero
Here are some tips to save (quite a bit) during your stay in Alghero:
- Get around using Alghero’s public transport which has quite reasonable prices: an urban ride costs €1, a round trip for destinations 50km away costs less than €8.
- Don’t rent a car! Besides the significant cost of the rental itself, Sardinia is full of paid parking lots at absolutely exorbitant prices (from €1.50 to €2.50 per hour), not just in the city but also at most beaches, even those in the middle of nowhere. Such prices would heavily impact the budget (it’s easy to rack up twenty euros a day). Last but not least, when you return towards the center, it could be a problem; both for the time spent seaching for parking and because a car becomes a burden if you’re staying right inside Alghero’s historic center.
- Bring a packed lunch: I like going to bakeries in the morning to grab something ready (like piadinas, sandwiches, or other daily products) to keep in my backpack for lunch right on the beach watching the sea. You’ll hardly spend more than €5-8 per person, including a small treat or chocolate croissant 🙂 .
Besides the relaxing feeling of eating while looking at the water, you also have the advantage of not wasting time leaving the beach in search of a restaurant or beach bar, waiting for your turn while they prepare your meals or the bill. - Find cheap accommodation in areas close to bus stops: find out which ones in the guide on where to stay in Alghero;
Alghero itinerary Day 1: Center and beaches
The Alghero itinerary for the first day will vary greatly depending on your arrival time. If your plane lands late in the afternoon, you’ll probably want to settle in and head straight to visit the historic center and its bastions around sunset time (when the view is truly worthwhile) and in the evening. No need to follow a specific route: get lost in the little streets that attract you the most at the moment. 🙂
Those arriving in the morning or just after lunch could start by visiting some beaches in the immediate surroundings. In the guide to Alghero’s beaches, you’ll find a map and photos of all those worth visiting, which we’ll also talk about here.
If you have little time, you could consider Lido beach, which is the closest to the historic center and the port, but it’s not among the most interesting in Alghero; in fact, sometimes it risks being a huge deposit of algae and posidonia.
If this lido doesn’t excite you, go back to the road right behind the beach (via Garibaldi) and look for the first stop for the ARST urban lines AF or ALFA. These buses cross the northern coast of Alghero up to Fertilia. The ticket, which costs only €1 each way, can be purchased directly from your smartphone using the Dropticket app (for Android or Apple), even just moments before boarding.
Get off at one of the stops on viale 1° Maggio, near Maria Pia beach where, seeing the number of cars, you’ll really appreciate not having to look for parking.
After crossing the narrow pine forest bordering the beach, you’ll arrive at a shoreline with fine, very white sand, much more attractive than the Lido. This area alternates serviced areas with free beach areas: by walking a bit, you won’t have trouble finding some space for yourself even during the busiest months.
The pine forest also offers shade and some benches here and there, for a possible packed lunch in the shade or a snack without going to the kiosks.
In the evening, after settling back into your hotel, Alghero’s center will again be an excellent stop for the evening. Get lost among the center’s avenues or stroll along the bastions.
If you’re traveling alone, don’t delay too much in looking for a restaurant for dinner, as (excluding the obviously empty ones) a good number of restaurants will turn you away, saying they can’t seat you because you’d occupy a table for 2 or 4, causing them to lose too much money. I’ve heard this phrase like 3 or 4 times in the same evening: something that has never happened to me outside Italy.
Day 2: Beach tour with the Beach Bus
Ready to start a beach day? 🙂 The Alghero itinerary for the second day involves buying the daily ticket for the city’s Beach Bus (costing €8, purchased directly on the bus, here are the schedules).
With this bus run by the Cattogno company, the daily ticket allows unlimited boarding and alighting for any stretch in any direction on the Beach bus routes.
The convenience of this service is that it reaches almost all the beaches in the Alghero gulf and you can see the real-time location of the buses on your smartphone, making it super easy to get to the stops.
Besides the Beach Bus, there’s also the ARST intercity line 9321 which follows a similar route. Decide which one suits you best, also based on the month of the year you’re visiting, as this intercity line has slightly fewer runs during the middle hours.
Before setting off, if you like, I recommend grabbing something for a packed lunch as mentioned earlier. Besides saving money, you also save a lot of time (which on a short trip is even more precious than money).
Back to the itinerary, starting from the Via Garibaldi stops marked with the Cattogno logo, hop on the bus and stay on it until Mugoni beach, which I consider one of the most worthwhile in the area.
The central area of the beach is the busiest; I recommend moving towards the two ends (or taking a walk there later) for more tranquility and to see two different types of scenery as well as the pine forest.
After exploring this beach far and wide, return to the stop (or rather, to the point where you got off, as many stops have neither poles nor signs), get on the next Beach bus, and head to Torre del Porticciolo beach.
This is a very peculiar beach due to the reddish colors of its waters (I explain why here): if you like it, stay here for a swim in the bay. If it doesn’t appeal to you, admire the view from above with the tower in the background and then head back on the first bus to go to Lazzaretto beach or Le Bombarde beach.
These two beaches are among the most popular in the area, so keep in mind that you might not find a free spot for yourself. If that’s the case, however, there are paths starting from Lazzaretto beach that run along the sea and reach other small, interesting coves to see.
If you still have time left, try heading to another beach among the many reached by the beach bus, otherwise return to base for dinner in the center.
Tonight, instead of staying within the walls, try continuing along the seafront south of the historic center. Along a road that is often pedestrianized in the evening, you’ll find numerous bars and pubs with music, a market, and occasional live performances. This is also the slightly more “active” area in terms of disco bars and clubs, with music a bit louder than the average in the quiet historic center, suitable for all ages anyway.
Day 3: The town of Bosa
Had your fill of the previous day’s beaches and want to continue the Alghero itinerary with an alternative trip a bit further out? Then take the ARST intercity line 9312 (Sassari-Alghero-Bosa), departing from via Catalogna (the avenue near the center walls that acts as the “terminus” for all Alghero buses) towards Bosa.
In just over an hour’s journey, you’ll arrive in Bosa, a peculiar town worth visiting for its colorful houses, narrow and quiet alleys, the river passing in front of it and the two small bridges, the small Malaspina castle over the hill with a beautiful view all around.
A few photos can easily show you what it’s about. However, I don’t recommend giving in to the temptation to stay here, because the town itself can be comfortably visited in 2-3 hours, while staying even for a night or a whole day might become boring (or tremendously hot on scorching days).
So, to go towards Bosa, take the bus on line 9312 from via Catalogna and buy the “daily ticket” for less than €8 (also purchasable via the Dropticket app). Even though the name “daily ticket” suggests something expensive, it’s actually the equivalent of a classic round trip but also allows you to hop on and off in both directions as many times as you want.
Precisely for this reason, if before arriving in Bosa you’re also in the mood for a beach stop, you can get off at the Cumpoltittu beach stop, where by descending a short path that requires some attention, you can reach another small but beautiful cove surrounded by curiously smoothed rocks. Bring shoes for descending the path and reef shoes to avoid slipping on the smooth rocks!
Or, a little further on, getting off at the “Abba Drucche” stop, you can walk towards the coast and reach the beach where there’s also a really beautiful beach bar to see. And if you feel like strolling along the coast, you can reach other adjacent beaches that are very different from each other and not very busy. Given the limited number of runs on this intercity line, calculate carefully which beach to visit, so you don’t risk losing the bus in the evening.
After your swim, return to the stop (or rather, to the point where you got off, because here too many stops have no sign), and continue to nearby Bosa.
When you arrive in Bosa, there are two options: you can get off at a stop near the center (when the driver will probably call out “Bosa Centro”), or stay on board until the terminus, which is also equidistant but offers a more scenic entrance to the historic center by crossing one of the two small bridges over the river.
In the first case, remember the point where you got off and return there later to catch the return bus. In the second case, if you reach the terminus (which is just a dusty area where buses park), return there ahead of the departure time to make sure which bus to board and to prevent it from leaving early, leaving you behind.
For the record, near Bosa, there are two other noteworthy beaches, Cane Malu and Cala ‘e Moro. However, these are not reached by the bus; to reach them, you’d have to walk 3-4 km from Bosa or take a taxi.
Alghero itinerary Day 4: Stintino or center?
It’s the last day of this Alghero itinerary! Do you have a return flight in the afternoon or the whole day available?
In the first case, you could spend half-day to a final quiet visit to the city’s historic center, this time in daylight perhaps to visit some attractions like the Coral Museum, the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, or glimpse the colorful dome of San Michele Arcangelo.
If, instead, you have the entire day available, you could consider another trip out of town, thanks to a bus from the SardaBus company, which takes you from Alghero to Stintino and the famous La Pelosa beach. Which, in my opinion, should be visited “from above”, enjoying instead the adjacent beaches which are also interesting.
How to get to Stintino from Alghero
To catch the bus towards Stintino, go once again to via Catalogna and look for the stop with the Sardabus logo. An important tip: if you intend to leave with the first bus in the morning, be at the stop half an hour before departure, and when you see the bus arrive, try to position yourself near the entrance door to be among the first to board.
This is because there will definitely be more people than the bus can hold. The driver, who arrives well before the departure time, will only load the first 40-50 and tell the others to take the next bus. If you see some empty seats remain but the driver doesn’t let you board, don’t start arguing: the line also passes through Alghero airport, and some seats are reserved for those boarding there.
On days when there are too many people in the morning heading to Stintino, an additional afternoon run is also scheduled to bring everyone back, so travel assured that there’s no danger. The driver will inform you of the extra time, and you’ll also find it written on their Facebook page.
Back to the itinerary, after just over an hour’s journey, you’ll arrive at La Pelosa beach: my personal advice is to visit it from the sidewalk above and then go down to visit the two adjacent ones: Spiaggia del Gabbiano and La Pelosetta.
Why do I advise against visiting La Pelosa? There are several reasons.
- To avoid fueling the questionable business of paying a fee to enter the beach (if the real reason is environmental protection as stated on the sign, they could have just used online booking, without asking for money) or the crazy parking prices in the entire surrounding area.
- Because a wooden mat is mandatory under towels; if you don’t have one, you need to get it from the unlicensed vendors roaming the area.
- Because you have to book and pay for access online even several weeks in advance to find a spot, otherwise it’s always full. Or because despite the limited numbers, it’s still an anthill, and not just in August.
- They put a bracelet on you to allow the guards at the corners of the beach to distinguish paying visitors from trespassers.
- Because it’s easy to see arguments flare up between guards and beachgoers regarding what can be done and where one can stay. And all this to be on a beach where you don’t even have a square meter free in the water? No, thanks. The sea should be relaxation, not stress.
Spiaggia del Gabbiano
Starting from Spiaggia del Gabbiano, which is right near the Sardabus bus terminus, after taking a dip, take a walk along the path connecting various small coves with crystal-clear colors until you get close to La Pelosa beach, at which point you can go back up to the sidewalk above.
La Pelosetta
Then continue along the sidewalk until you reach La Pelosetta beach, the last one on the Stintino peninsula. It’s a particular rocky beach with an islet just offshore (“Torre della Pelosa”) reachable by walking or swimming in the shallow waters separating it from the beach.
Bonus for the Alghero itinerary: Neptune’s Grotto
The last suggestion for this Alghero itinerary is a visit to Neptune’s Grotto.
Why did I leave it for last? Because you can insert it at your discretion as a replacement for some stop from the previous days, if you don’t want too many consecutive beach days or if the weather is variable for a day. 🙂
How to get to Neptune’s Grotto
To reach Neptune’s Grotto by bus, you can take the ARST line 9321 for €2.50 by purchasing the ticket on the aforementioned Dropticket app. The stop to get off at is “Capo Caccia”.
Alternatively, if you include the caves as a stop during a day when you’ve already used the Cattogno Beach Bus, you can use the daily ticket you already have since that bus also passes by there.
How to access Neptune’s Grotto
Access to the grotto costs €14, purchasable also online to be sure you have a reserved spot.
The important thing to know is that to reach the grotto itself, you’ll have to walk down a path of 600 steps: the view that will reward the effort, but it’s still a considerable path (don’t go with flip-flops 😉 ).
If you don’t feel like climbing all those stairs, boats also depart from Cala Dragunara that, for an extra charge, take you directly to the grotto entrance. On youtube, you can find some videos to get a better idea!
Did you enjoy this Alghero beach itinerary? Leave a rating or write it in the comments! 🙂
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