A continuation of a trip which started on Sept 10th with visit to the UK, then Corsica
Corsica to Sardinia 9/29 (here)
Ferry, (MOBY ) (ARST )Public Bus, and ( FT) Train rides, finally transported us from the Southern tip of Bonifacio Corsica to Santa Teresa Galura (here), at the Northern tip of Sardinia. From there a public bus ride, got us to the next and larger town, where we took a train ride to the southern part pf Sardinia.
Schedules of Bus and Train . Taxi / car rental (locally only)
We ran into a problem .
The small seaport at Gallura village where the ferry dis-barked us in Sardinia, is 320 km (over 4 hours car ride) from Gagliari, -the capital of Sardinia.
Car rental was not viable due to no drop-off option.
Taxi ride costs over 800 euro to get to Cagliari .
There are no direct buses nor train from Galurra. .
So we had to work a combination of bus and train rides to get first to Oblia (1.5 hours) where the train station is, as to make it to Cagliari.
Due to unexpected Rail Road Work at Oblia's segment, the train company loaded the incidental passengers, who showed up like us, at the newly built Olbia railway station, (2021) onto another bus, that diverted and dropped us after another (1.5 hours) ride, at the station of the next town - Ozieri .
In Ozieri and after (2 hours) layover we finally boarded the FT Train which arrived (3.5 hours) later at Cagliari's Alamas airport at the Southern tip of Sardinia,
Scenery from the the Bus which visits few villages on the way to Olbia
Palau by the sea 30 km Northwest of Olbia
Daze and Confused on the Bus Ride
That was an “eventful “day.. riding buses and train all day.. from Northern tip of Sardinia to its southern point, .shlapping luggage on an off into busses and trains..
There are no trolleys nor porters.. at any station, so relying on the good hearts of some youngsters to assist us., made the journey more challenging, but still manageable.
The RFI Train's stops from Ozieri Chilivani station, in the North going down South, through central Sardinia includes:
Macomer ,Borore Abbasanta, Oristano San Gavino. and finally
Once we finally could pick up the pre-ordered rental car, at Cagliary airport we drove further down south, and arrived, randomly but luckily at this fantastic Sant Efi's hotel, in Pula ,
late evening. ,
It was a truly a crazy day .but we made it…
Scenery of Central Sardinia from the Train Ride
The center of the island from North to South is rocky and in between mainly farmlands
Since the arrival in the South, we were able, to freely roam around Sardinia without depending on unpredictable public transportation.. or self-shlapping.....
The drive along the Southern coast from Cagliari to Pula takes only 4o minutes
The free-floating plan was to first explore that Southern coastal part of Sardinia for a week, and later to drive up North, explore and stay in Cagliari town.for a few days
Pula -Nora
Located about 25 km southwest of Cagliari,. Pula is a holiday resort, with several hotels long starches of white fine sand beaches, pine groves, wetlands, back country for walkers and bikers, as well as archeological treasures site.
Pula is located near (5 minutes away) the ancient city of Nora
by the Phoenicians next to a preexisting Nuragic ancient settlement, on a spit of land in the peninsula, jutting out to sea, The location's protrusion was perfectly suited for sailing off in all directions
This Sardinia's first official city is a treasure chest of natural, archaeological and cultural wealth, without equals on the Island.
Furthermore the Southern part of Sardinia has been a center of mining since 5000Bc when the island's early inhabitants discovered how to extract and smelt Copper and Silver. The industry played an important role with the arrival of the Phoenicians who established Nora as a base, from which to trade and ship mined Ore across the Mediterranean.
Pula according, to legend, was settled by Iberians brought to Sardinia by Norax (an ancient mythological hero of the Nuragic mythology. who was the son of the god Hermes and Eriteide (Erytheia), the daughter of Geryon)
The city was also ruled by the Carthaginians, and then by the Romans.
Thanks to its privileged geographical position it was one of the most commercial Ports of the ancient world.
After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, Nora, like many other Sardinian coastal cities, suffered continuous raids from the Vandals and later the Saracens, and eventually ceased to exist from about the 8th century AD.
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On the Promontory of Capo di Pula
are the ruins of the ancient city of Nora -
the first one built by the Phoenicians which then became a flourishing Punic town. After a period of Carthage, domination, and following the conquest of Sardinia in 238 BC.by the Roman and their control. the island was taken by the Eastern Romans in 535, who ruled it for 300 years.
Nora was caput viae, the starting point of all of the roads on the islands, being
an important trading town in its time, with 2 protected harbors
After the Arab conquest of Carthage in 698 AD, Nora lost its economic function and became a simple village.
The ruins of the ancient city of Nora are among the most important archaeological sites of the island.
The ruins were discovered accidentally when a violent storm uncovered part of a funerary Tophet., Roman temple.
Because the southern part of Sardinia is sinking into the Mediterranean Sea, a substantial part of the former town is now under water
The Roman Amphitheater could seat about 1200
Excavated in 1952
The amphitheater now is a setting for the La Notte dei Poeti (Night of the Poets) festival.
An impressive vestige of the Carthaginian City
+Among the ruins are Phoenician-Punic tophet,- (Hebrew word) open air sanctuaries, used to deposit the urns with ashes of sacrifices, usually animals and also children, that were in practice by Carthaginians .
+A temple is dedicated to the goddess Tanit - chief goddess of Carthage ,mother goddess, and fertility symbol.
+Remains of Punic and Roman temples, a forum, noble dwellings, spa baths with mosaics spa complex. The size of its ruins suggest that it was a very impressive structure.
Located on the western side of the Nora promontory, near the archaeological site , it includes the branched system of canals and islets that characterize the mouth of its torrent, the Rio Arrieras, and is separated from the sea by a long artificial embankment and by the natural peninsula of Fradis Minoris, an ancient beach rich in fossil inclusions.
Its habitat of rare birds includes, Corsican Gull Herons, Kingfisher and flamingos.
is an ancient military structure (16C) built by the Spaniards to supervise naval
traffic to the west of the gulf of Cagliari
It stands on top of the promontory facing the archaeological site of Nora.
The little church of Sant'Efisio stands here and is the place of the martyrdom of the warrior saint commemorated every year on 1 May during the Festival of Saint Efisio - when a procession from Cagliari travels to Nora and back, paying homage to Saint Efisio.
Pula Town's Historic Center
The small colorful town's center of Pula is not that remarkable, and on the afternoon we visited , it was quite sleepy and absent of people.
It may get more rowdy during the summer months when the tourists volume swells or during festivals and Holidays, but we missed that.
La Cena in Terrezza Garden cafe and across is a great Ice-cream in Piazza del Popolo
The houses walls in town's center are decorated with a bit weird art
FOOD
The selection of very good restaurants in the Pula area is limited, and quite pricey.
Don Carlo - at Sant Efis Hotel
39 070 920 8181
Goof food and daily freshest fish
View of the beach from the hotel's restaurant
Mirage - Bar Restorante-Pizzeria
viale Chia 10 , Localite Chia, Domus de Maria 0709230249
From the small selection of the really good restaurants in the area, the one at the hotel we stayed - Don Carlo - at Sant Efis Hotel, and Mirage, which is in the next town - Chia (about 15 minutes drive)
were the best we enjoyed returning to.
The one at Pula's town center that is recommended , Da GianCarlo, we didn't like that much.
Da GIANCARLO Restaurant -Pula
The locals highly recommend the place
we were less enthusiastic about it
The Hotel we stayed at during the long visit in Pula and loved it
Sant Efis Hotel - Pula
+390709208181
This great 4 stars luxury boutique hotel set is located on the beach of Su Guventeddu between the ruins of Nora and the promontory of Santa Vittoria,
A great resort within a lush garden and private beach , great food and facilities, close to the archeological site, and Pula's old center, is highly recommended.
The beach in front of the hotel
The other close-by hotels/resorts that can be considered are:
NoHa Life Style Hotel Hotel - Pola/Nora
It is also a small 4 star hotel, newer and very close to the hotel we stayed in , but not as charming and a road must be crossed to get to the beach.
Hotel Baia de Nora - Pula/Nora
A huge resort outdated, which accommodate usually large organized groups.
It is recommended, only if all other resorts are fully booked.
A huge upscale resort highly recommended, but is very pricey
Visit to the near by beaches on the Southern coastal way from Pula toward Chia
The scenic drive on the SS195 takes a little over half an hour. and through some of the most beautiful views in Sardinia.
Santa Margherita di Pula Stretch
West of Pula town almost 10 kim of soft, golden sand lapped by shallow, warm waters in shades of green/turquoise.
The stretch is composed of a series of bays and beaches, almost uninterrupted, divided only by the rocks of small promontories
Monte Cogoni Beach
At the wetland by the beach
The landscape of this area lies mostly untouched, giving Teulada a distinctly wild and natural feel, and the views are stunning.
Along the Capo Malfatano stretch of coast, there is a combination of shallow water beaches with greyish sand, impervious cliffs and coves with amber-coloured sand, mixed with pebbles and rocks
Tuerredda Popular Beach
This is one of the most popular beach considered the ‘jewel’ of the southwestern coastline, one of the ten most beautiful beaches in Sardinia offering deep crystal clear blue water, against the surrounding's green shrubs and fine golden sand.
It is one of the rare beaches, in the area, that offers shade, chairs and a restaurant service
Unusual sign command:
:"No Smoking on the Beach"
The rugged area with the stunning scenery is also an attraction to many walkers and mountain cyclers who follow the suggested marked unpaved routes, as indicated in the map below
We loved exploring and staying in this magical part of Sardinia, which especially during this part of the year, is not loaded with tourists, and offers great beaches and scenery..
To be Continued...
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