Porto Ferro

Porto Ferro anchorage is in the province of Sassari, on the northwest coast of Sardinia. The natural bay is beautiful and quite sheltered, however, when the mistral wind blows there is an annoying undertow and it is impassable. The shoreline beach is between Alghero and Argentiera, another wonderful cove among the most beautiful on the whole island.

The Porto Ferro cove is bordered to the south by the Porto Conte regional nature park, a protected natural area officially established in 1999, and to the north by the Sassari hamlet ofArgentiera, which is also splendid inland as well as on the coast. Porto Ferro beach is about 2 km long and consists of fine, dark sand; behind it it has dense Mediterranean scrub vegetation, and the seabed decreases steadily until it reaches a considerable depth off the coast.

On shore with the beautiful nature also blends history, as there are three Spanish watchtowers dating back to the 17th century. The anchorages are in a deep natural inlet surrounded by rocks and protected by a pine forest connected to the only natural lake in all of Sardinia, Lake Baratz, a basin that stretches for about 4 km of coastline and has an area of 0.6 km².

During World War II, the German army had a military base in these parts and in the course of its retreat threw weapons and ordnance into the lake, which were found in the mid-1990s as the water level decreased. A thorough cleanup was later done, uncovering a real military arsenal.

Porto Ferro beach is in a sheltered location, yet when the wind blows it is popular with surfers and wind-surfers; when there is no wind it is also possible to inspect the changing and beautiful coastline by boat for scuba divers. Behind the beach there is ample parking for both cars and RVs, and all amenities are available, including bars, restaurants, and sunbed and umbrella rentals.

Boats and patinos can also be rented to wander around the anchorages, and on nice windless days the crowding is maximum. In addition to enjoying wonderful views and a clear, pristine sea, one can go ashore and admire the ruins of World War II forts or take a healthy walk in the greenery.

The stretch of sea between Alghero and Porto Ferro is also frequented by spearfishing enthusiasts; the depths range from 4 to 12 meters and there is an abundance of bream, mullet and bass.