A continuation of a trip which started on Sept 10 .starting with the UK, then Corsica
A Ferry service is offered by MOBY company, from the very near-by port, below Benifacio historic town.
It takes an one hour sail (check schedule) to Sardinia's Northen tip, embarking in a small town of Santa Theresa di Gallura
The elongated narrow sea passage is bordered by spectacular white Rock formations
MOBY Ferry service transports passengers, merchandise and Vehicles
Sailing through the Strait of Bonifacio and leaving Old Town behind
The elongated narrow Bonifacio Strait is 11 km (6.8 mi) wide and divides the Tyrrhenian Sea from the western Mediterranean. It is notorious for its weather, currents, shoals, and other obstacles. On the sunny clear day that we boarded, it was a calm smooth sail.
Getting closer to the Northern tip of Sardinia which is an hour sail away from Corsica
It is amazing to realize the proximity of these 2 large islands.
The Norther tip of of Sardinia can be seen from Southern French Corsica and
the southern coast of Corsica can be
seen from the Northern beach. of Sardinia
In between there are several small rocky islets.
7.5 miles (12 km) in distance between
It lies 120 miles (200 km) west of the mainland of Italy,
Entering Sardinia's Galurra's Porto Longone - the tourist port,
Galurra is characterised by long and narrow inlet
SARDINIA
Sardinia is a large Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea, the second-largest after Sicily, and one of the twenty regions of Italy. It has nearly 2,000km of coastline, sandy beaches and a mountainous interior with over 1..65 Million inhabitants.
The capital of the region of Sardinia — and its largest city — is Cagliari.
Sardinia is united geologically with Corsica, both being aligned along a mountain belt rising over 13,000 feet from the surrounding seafloor, with a continental slope deeply fretted by submarine canyons. and dominated by mountains of granite and schist.
Its rugged landscape is dotted with thousands of Nuraghi – mysterious Bronze Age stone ruins shaped like beehives, truncated conic structures/forts of huge blocks of basalt taken from extinct volcanoes, built in prehistoric times without any bonding.
In addition to vestiges of the Nuragic civilization. which flourished from the 18th BC to either 238 BC or the 2nd AD remains of Phoenician , Roman Muslim and other invaders footprints, can be traced all around the island.
Parts of the island were conquered by Carthage in the late 6th BC, and by Rome in 238 BC. The Roman occupation lasted for 700 years.
Beginning in the Early Middle Ages, the island was ruled by the Vandals and the Byzantines.
The Italian maritime republics of Pisa and Genoa struggled to impose political control over Sardinian's indigenous four kingdoms known as Judicates , but it was the Iberian Crown of Aragon which, in 1324, succeeded in bringing the island under its control, consolidating it into the Kingdom of Sardinia. which endured until 1718, when it was ceded to the Alpine House of Savoy, and until the Italian unification, renamed into the Kingdom of Italy in 1861, later reconstituted as the present-day Italian Republic in 1946.
Furthermore, the island's landscape reveals, stretches of largely uninhabited territory, long sandy beaches and mountains, rocky coasts, woods, plains, streams, cultivated farms, and many deserted mines.
Since ancient times Sardinia has been known as 'the island of the veins of Silver".
Its subsoil was full of precious metals and minerals. thus it has had a long history of mining
Sardinia is home to nearly four million sheep, almost half of the entire Italian assets and that makes the island one of the areas of the world with the highest density of sheep.
Olive, Grapes, Citrus and Oak Cork, in addition to other agriculture produce are the main sources of its economy along with old tradition of horse breeding, and modern age tourism.
Amazingly the average life expectancy in the island is slightly over 82 years (85 for women and 79.7 for men. Sardinia is the first discovered Blue Zone, a demographic or geographic area in the world with an oversize concentration of centenarians and supercentenarians.
Some of the suggested by a guide we met to the existence of such life longevity are:
*No use pf pestesizers in growing agricultural products on the island.
*Constant walking up and down the hills and steps.
*Families and community members are taking care of the elderly, no nursing homes.
*Close live social network interactions
*Drinking red wine daily
So we may want to prolong our stay here...
Santa Theresa di Gallura (in short Galurra)
The small Italian Gallura village on the northern tip of Sardinia, nests on the Strait of Bonifacio among granite outcrops and jagged coastline,Its population of about 5,000, swells to 10,000 to 15,000 with summer tourism.
Upon getting off the ferry, the the only 2 Sardinian Taxi men driver who were waiting to provide service for the embarking tourists, refused taking us for the short ride into town, were we were staying overnight.
Luckily a wonderful women Taxi driver arrived with a van and were most hospitable helpful in taking us and provided needed info. Highly recommended
Taxi Service in Santa Theresa di Gallura
Driver : Monica Paduraru oo39 3209675694
We needed to get to Cagliari's Airport in the South of the Island to pick up the reserved rental car. (The ferry from Corsica doesn't sail to Cagliari and also renting a car in the north was impossible)
Furthermore the rate for private Taxi ride to the South costs insanely over 800 Euro.
Train and Bus services to the southern part of the island, are only provided, not from Galurra, but only from the next Northeastern larger town of Olbia (1.5 hours bus ride away)
The ARST public bus ride which takes an 1.5 from Gallura drop off at Olbia's airport or at the train station.
The continued Public Bus from Olbia to Calgari takes 6 our ride
The Train from Olbia (at 2:00pm) to Calgari takes only 4 hours ride.
There is also another option of a private TURMO Bus Service which only departs Galurra to Olbia at 2:00pm, drops (1.5 hours) at a Bus station where the connection with another private bus continues (4 hours) to the Cagliari bus station, but arrives much later.
As we missed the 2:00pm train ride the same day of our arrival, we stayed the night at Gallura and decided to depart Galura early next morning (9;30) to reach Olbia, by the public bus to the Train station and continue with the 2:00pm Train to Cagliari airpot.
Rena Bianca beach is one of the most famous in Sardinia. off the historic center
(for more beaches in the area)
The quint Italian Gallura village on the northern tip of Sardinia, on the Strait of Bonifacio nest among granite outcrops and jagged coastline,
Population of about 5,000, increasing to 10,000 to 15,000 with summer tourism.
Ruins of a very ancient history: the Nuragic village of Lu Brandali, immersed in nature and dating back to the second millennium B.C., is one of the near by most representative emblems.
The Longonsardo Tower controls the bay of Porto Longone (History)
The largest and most imposing one ever built on the island by the Spanish crown, the Granit made Tower stands on a promontory to the north-east of Gallura, not far from where a castle once stood in the Middle Ages.
It started appearing in documents in 1577, when it had become necessary to defend the harbour from attacks by Barbary pirates. The tower was classified as de armas, or 'strong', built to house a garrison and heavy defence weapons, part of a defensive strategy developed by King Filippo II, who instituted the “Royal administration of towers.”
Marbel statue of Magnon the founder of the village stands in front of Torre Longonsardo
The oldest attestation of the village name, Longonis, dates back about two thousand years later – during the Roman period – it comes from the shape of the fjord on which stood its port. Local people call Santa Teresa Lungoni still today.
located in the heart of the historic center of Santa Teresa Gallura, and next to the beautifult Rena Bianca beach
Thomas Restaurant - Great place
Via Valle D'Aosta, 22, 349 692 9613
Classic choice with a local menu spotlighting creative meat, seafood & pasta dishes, plus wine.
Best Ice Cream- Gala Gelatreia Artigianale- main street center (Via XX Settembre, 7/a)
The town has a small lively historic center with a small square doted with a few coffe palces , trincket stores and at laest 3 icecream parluers, of which Gala is the best.
Bye Bye Galura
To be continued...
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