Northern Sarde

After the heavily touristed Maddalena's, we were fancying some solitude, and so headed along the northern coast of Sardinia.

Windsurfers and wind in Liscia 

At the most north-western tip of Sardina there is an island, Asinara, which is a declared national park. The island has served as a penal colony back in the 1885, when all the locals were obliged to move to the mainland (and founded the village of Stintino), and then as a POW camp during the first world war. Most recently, it was refurbished as a maximum security prison for Mafioso and terrorists. The prison closed in 1997, and the island has been largely uninhabited since then.

Cale Reale on Asinara.

Pavlov at anchor

Jetty leading to the prison complex

Pavlov at anchor

Asinara means Donkey, and there were many wild donkeys inhabiting the island.

Megan befriending a local

Slowly, slowly, catchee donkey 

Uninhabited town of Cale Reale

Having reached the most westerly point of Sardinia, we headed back along the coast, stopping at the charming towns of Stintino and Castelsardo. Stintino was built to house the refugee's from the island of Asinara, when the Italian King Umberto established the island as a lazaretto, a quarantine station for maritime travellers. We were able to anchor just outside the main port.

Bay outside Stintino

More windy streets

Top of the old town hill

Most of Stintino old town is built up this hill

Castlesardo on the other hand, was not founded by refugees, but by the Genoese. The Doria family of Genoa built their castle here, and the town that formed around it was originally called Castlegenovese. Castlesardo was an stunning town with one of the most pleasant and affordable marina's we've ever seen. We caught the bus from the marina up to the top of the castle, and enjoyed a leisurely stroll back to the marina.

Castlesardo marina from the old town hill

Medieval town of Castlesardo

The town has grown around the castle at its summit

Crystal clear waters at Castelsardo beach

We treated ourselves to lunch at a bustling restaurant

Town flavour 

Medieval clock tower

Watchtower at marina entrance

We sailed back to Cape Tessa to complete our Sardinian journey. Now we just need to bide our time to find a good weather window to cross the feared Bouche Bonifaccio, the windiest straits in the entire Mediterranean.