Porto Ferro 

General Data

Features

Dock Services

Description

The anchorage of Porto Ferro is situated in the province of Sassari, on the north-western coast of Sardinia. The natural bay is beautiful and well-sheltered; however, mistral can provoke an annoying undertow which makes the access to the bay practically impossible. The beach raises between Alghero and Argentiera, another among the most beautiful coves of the island.

The bay of Porto Ferro borders to the South with the Regional Natural Park of Porto Conte, a protected natural reserve officially established in 1999, and with the nice hamlet of Argentiera (Sassari) to the North. The beach of Porto Ferro is about 2 km long and is made of subtle dark sand; just behind it, a rich Mediterranean forest offers an interesting landscape while a wonderful sea bottom gently slopes before becoming very deep off of the coast.

On the shore, nature and history merge together thanks to the presence of three Spanish watchtowers that date back to the 17th century. The anchorage raises in a deep natural bay surrounded by cliffs and sheltered by a large pine forest linked to the sole natural lake of the region, Baratz Lake, a basin which extends over a 4-kilometre coastline and with a surface of 0.6 square kilometres.

During the World War II, the German Army had a military base here and, during the conflict, threw in the lake a great amount of weapons and bombs which were founded in '90s. Then, a considerable recovery intervention was carried out and the ancient military arsenal was brought to light.

The beach of Porto Ferro is well-sheltered; however, when mistral blows, it is very crowded with surfers and windsurfers: On the contrary, on windless days, boaters can easily explore the surrounding small coves or dive in these wonderful waters. Behind the beach there are a large car and caravan parking lot and many services, including coffee bars, restaurants and beach rental places.

Visitors can even rent small boats to sail free in the anchorage which, especially on windless days, is extremely crowded. In addition to a breath-taking panorama and a pristine crystal-blue sea, visitors can also admire the remains of some blockhouses dating back to the World War II or have a walk in the wood.

The stretch of coast between Alghero and Porto Ferro is particularly appreciated by underwater fishing enthusiasts: sea bottoms range from 4 up to 12metres and there's a large amount of sargos, mullets and sea basses.

 

 

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