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Olbia - San Teodoro, view
The province of Olbia Tempio opens to the Sardinian Sea (a narrow channel that separates the island from Corsica) to the north, and to the Tyrrhenian Sea to the east; it borders on the Sassari province to the west and the Nuoro province to the south.
The province was established recently, thanks to a 2001 regional law that included a new subdivision of the Sardinian territory, doubling the number of provinces from four to eight.
The area has a surface of 3397 square kilometres (14.1% of the total) and includes 26 municipalities among which Olbia and Tempio Pausania, as well as the Maddalena archipelago, now a geo-marine national park. The historic Gallura territory, which is on the north-eastern side of the island, belongs to the province from the Coghinas River to Monte Nieddu in S. Teodoro (with the exception of Viddalba and Erula), maintaining the Limbara range as a border to the south.
The land presents different environments, such as sea, plains, hills, mountains, cultivated fields and desert areas. One of the unique elements, especially evident in Gallura, is the granite rocks sculpted by wind and rain to become extraordinary natural sculptures. There are also several oak forests from which cork (locally named ‘soft gold’) is extracted and used in many ways.
And for the archeology enthusiasts, there are remains of the pre-nuragic, nuragic, Punic, Roman and medieval civilizations. Another distinctive feature is the presence of scattered rural settlements called ‘stazzi’, small family-owned, agro-pastoral activities originally established by shepherds in the 17th-18th century. Flourishing until not long ago, the ‘stazzi’ have progressively been abandoned when the people moved to the cities that, over the past few decades, have spread throughout the area following the development of the tourism.
This phenomenon hit particularly the area surrounding Arzachena, which until the mid 20th century was inhabited only by few farmers and shepherds.
In 1962, the Arab Prince Aga Khan IV decided to embark on an exceptional touristic and real estate endeavour with the creation of the ‘Costa Smeralda Consortium’, taking advantage of the natural beauty of the area to make it a paradise for high-budget tourism. Today, this part of Sardinia is one of the most exclusive destinations not only of the country, but of the whole world.
The center of Olbia holds many interesting monuments: among them, the 1747 church of S. Paolo, the Palazzetto Umbertino, home of the municipal library and of a collection of finds from the nuragic period, and the church of S. Simplicio, one of the most fascinating examples of Romanesque architecture of the island, erected in the 11th-12th century using only granite. Just a short distance from the town there is the Cabu Abbas nuragic complex and the Sa Testa sacred well from the 8th-6th century BC, one of Sardegna’s most interesting monuments.
In the Bay of Olbia there is Tavolara, a huge slab of limestone that maintains its unspoiled conditions thanks to the building ban imposed by the Olbia municipality. Regarded as one of the busiest summer destinations, the island is included in the Marine Protected area of Tavolara-Punta Coda Cavallo.
Moving from Olbia to the inland there is Arzachena, a town that has experienced an extraordinary success since the second half of the 20th century. The area around Arzachena displays many archeological sites of great interest, such as the Lu Coddhu ‘Ecchiuj and Li Lolghi giant funeral monuments, the Li Muri necropolis, the temple of Malchittu and the Ladas dolmen, a monument from the 2nd-3rd millennium BC. In the nearby village of Luras one should stop by the Museo etnografico Galluras, where the characteristic environment of the ancient Galluran civilization has been reproduced for the visitor.
Tempio Pausania is 40 kilometers from Olbia, towards inland; the town is located on a granite plateau with the peaks of the majestic Monte Limbara range in the background, a trekker’s dream; an important cork and wine production centre, it is also a vacation destination famous for the therapeutic properties of the oligo-mineral waters of the Rinaggiu Springs and its spa center.
Although the interior of the province is charming, undoubtedly the coast gets most of the attention. From Olbia, northward to the tip of the island, past the luxurious village of Porto Rotondo and the Bay of Cignana, the visitor arrives at the legendary Costa Smeralda, whose name refers to the colour of the sea by the green-turquoise shades. The heart of the Costa Smeralda is Porto Cervo, nestled in a secluded cove and home of great tourist accommodations, a well-equipped marina with space for over 700 boats. The village revolves around the ‘piazzetta’ and the Stella Maris church. There are many beaches worth visiting: Cala di Volpe, Poltu Quatu, Baja Sardinia, Cannigione, the magnificent Capriccioli and Liscia Ruia beaches.
Going north, past Porto Rafael, a sophisticated tourist village set in a small bay, one drives through Palau, one of the most popular destinations with the famous capo d’Orso rock, to arrive in S. Teresa di Gallura, the closest place to Corsica with the unique white limestone of the Bonifacio Coast. Other remarkable features of the area around S. Teresa di Gallura are Capo Testa, a massive granite promontory connected with the mainland by a narrow isthmus, the bay of Tindari with the coral-red rocks, Isola Rossa and Valle della Luna, a deserted land characterized by the presence of granite rocks carved by natural erosion into animal-like shapes.
Lastly, there is the spectacular La Maddalena archipelago, constituted by a group of granite islands the largest of which are La Maddalena, Santo Stefano, Spargi, Caprera, Budelli, Razzoli and Santa Maria. The wonderful environment of the islands and the surrounding waters, the variety of shapes, colours and fauna have turned this place (now a National Park) into one of the most breathtaking spots of the whole Mediterranean basin.
In addition to the innumerable natural wonders, the archipelago is famous for the Museo Garibaldino Nazionale on the island of Caprera. The Resurgence hero Giuseppe Garibaldi (1807-1882) spent the last years of his life on this island, with which he fell in love at first sight. He bought some land and built a house and some buildings: the complex has been used as a museum since his death.
The variety of landscapes of the Olbia Tempio province, made up of sea, plains, hills and mountains, makes this the perfect destination for outdoor activities enthusiasts. There are numerous opportunities for guided trekking: Monte Limbara for example, near Tempio Pausania, provides ancient trails that take through granite rocks, forests, streams, to the mouflon and fallow deer re-introduction reserve. Furthermore, the Capo Figari promontory near Golfo Aranci, where many species of birds such as buzzards, ospreys and peregrine falcons thrive and breed. There are many options for outdoor activities also in the La Maddalena archipelago National Park: boat trips to beaches such as the pink beach of Budelli, scuba diving and kayaking.
The reserve is also a photography and birdwatching heaven, where rare species such as Cory’s shearwater, Yelkouan shearwater, storm petrel and Audouin’s gull can be observed.
For those who are looking only for relaxation, the province offers some of the most beautiful beaches of the country such as Liscia Ruja, the small beaches of Punta Capriccioli, the Principe and the Romazzino beaches.
If fun is what one is after, during the summer (from June to September) the Costa Smeralda offers an incredible selection of clubs and bars open until dawn and frequented by VIPs and celebrities. In addition, there are many festivals and celebrations such as the ‘International Cork Fair’ that is held in September in Calangianus, the ‘Aggius Carpet Fair’ from July to September, and the ‘Tempio Pausania Carnevale’, with the traditional float parade that attracts thousands of people from the whole island.
The most characteristic dish of the Gallura area is the suppa cuata, a kind of soufflé prepared with sliced stale bread, grated fresh cheese, nutmeg and parsley; the ingredients are dipped in sheep broth and baked in the oven. Another local delicacy is the puligioni, half-moon shaped ravioli stuffed with ricotta and grated lemon peel served with tomato sauce and pecorino, and li fiuritti, handmade hard flour fettuccine.
Characteristic of the Oschiri area are the panadas, thin wraps baked in the oven stuffed with lake eel or pork and veal.
Fava beans are commonly employed in the recipes throughout the province: first they are boiled, then sautéed with butter, bacon, garlic leaves, mint and some whip cream. Other traditional dishes are lu pulceddu di latti, a pig weighing 6-10 kg baked or grilled, and the rivea, lamb or kid entrails cut and cooked slowly on a spit.
As for the rest of the island, there are many kinds of cold cuts and cheeses such as pecorino, canestraio, ricotta, peretta and caprino.
The coastal areas of the province offer fish-based recipes: Santa Teresa di Gallura, for example, is famous for the local lobster.
Lastly, there are many desserts such as seadas, fried pastry wraps filled with cheese and covered in honey, papassini, rhomboidal shaped biscuits made with flour, lard, eggs, almonds, grated orange peel and glazed, and the casciatini (or formaggelle), pastry stuffed with ricotta, cheese, eggs, sugar and grated lemon peel.
Among the wines, outstanding examples of local production are Vermentino, Moscato di Gallura and Nebbiolo.
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