A landmark for miles around, the hulking, silver-domed Basilica di Santa Maria della Neve marks the high point of the village. According to local tradition it stands on the spot where a bull-drawn cart deposited a statue of the Madonna that had mysteriously washed up on the beach at Santa Caterina di Pittinuri in the early 14th century. More than the church, though, it's the vast views down to the sea that are the real highlight here.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
28.83 MILES
Alghero's golden sea walls, built around the centro storico by the Aragonese in the 16th century, are a highlight of the town's historic cityscape…
-
22.83 MILES
The choppy blue waters of the Golfo di Oristano provide a magnificent backdrop to the ruins of ancient Tharros. Founded by the Phoenicians in the 8th…
-
12.25 MILES
Just off the SS131 north of Oristano, the sanctuary at Santa Cristina is an important nuraghic complex. The nuraghic village's extraordinary Bronze Age…
28.87 MILES
Rising above the historic centre, the Cattedrale di Santa Maria's 16th-century campanile is one of Alghero's signature landmarks. The tower, accessible…
-
19.76 MILES
Oristano’s elegant outdoor salon sits at the southern end of pedestrianised Corso Umberto I. An impressive, rectangular space, it comes to life on summer…
-
21.35 MILES
This landmark Romanesque church is one of Sardinia's architectural jewels. Dating to the early 12th century, it sports a severe sandstone exterior…
-
18.43 MILES
Cabras' cultural highlight is the Museo Civico, and the real superstars here are the so-called Giants of Monte Prama, a series of towering nuraghic…
8.21 MILES
Commanding huge views, this hilltop castle was built in the 12th and 13th centuries by the Tuscan Malaspina family. Little remains of the original…
Nearby Western Sardinia attractions
1. Chiesa di San Leonardo de Siete Fuentes
5.03 MILES
This charming 12th-century Romanesque church, which once belonged to the Knights of St John of Jerusalem, forms the centrepiece of the tiny woodland…
2. Museo della Tecnologia Contadina
5.44 MILES
Santu Lussurgiu has long been known for its crafts and remains a production centre for ironwork, woodwork and leatherwork. Explore the town's rural…
3. Cattedrale di San Pietro Extramuros
7.37 MILES
Two kilometres upstream from the Chiesa di Sant’ Antonio Abate is this 11th-century cathedral, said to be the oldest Romanesque church in Sardinia…
4. Santuario di Santa Maria Madonna di Bonacattu
7.63 MILES
According to an edict issued by Pope Pius VII in 1821, anyone who confesses at this tiny church between 14 and 28 September will receive full plenary…
7.82 MILES
On the northern fringe of the beachside community of S'Archittu, the Spiaggia dell’Arco features a dramatic stone arch that rises 6m above the emerald…
6. Chiesa di Sant’Antonio Abate
7.97 MILES
A short walk from Ponte Vecchio on the southern side of the river is the little Chiesa di Sant’Antonio Abate. Featuring a 16th-century Gothic facade in…
8.05 MILES
Spanning the Temo River near the heart of the old town, Bosa's main bridge is a handsome three-arched affair, built from the region's characteristic red…
8.09 MILES
Bosa's cathedral dates to the early 19th century when it was built over an earlier Romanesque church. A rare, if not overly riveting, example of rococo …