Porto Torres holidays

Holidays to Porto Torres serve up sandy shores and Sardinian cuisine, with more history than your average beach break.

Julius Caesar’s stomping ground

Porto Torres is a little town perched on Sardinia’s north-west coast, where the phrase ‘small but mighty’ rings true. This place began as a Phoenician port, before Julius Caesar came along and made it a Roman settlement in 46 BC. Now, it’s a hidden gem where tourists can see 2,000-year-old monuments, from the big Roman bridge to the thermal baths inside the Turris Libisonis archaeological park. There’s even a Romanesque church with a statue-filled crypt, plus a 14th-century tower and museum filled with ceramics and mosaics.

Sandy shores and snorkelling spots

Architecture aside, this town is a bit of a beach bum’s paradise. You’ve got a mix of sandy shores and rocky coves all along the shoreline – some are lined with rows of stripey umbrella-shaded sunloungers, giving them a look of the boujee beach clubs you find on the Amalfi Coast. The rest are more geared up for snorkelling than sunbathing. If that’s a bit of you, bookmark Balai Bay. It’s a little cliff-lined inlet, just a 20-minute walk from Porto Torres, with turquoise waters that are ideal for spotting the likes of barracudas and even octopuses.

Una pizza per favore

You’ll see why Sardinia’s a fave among foodies when you holiday here. In Porto Torres, traditional restaurants are tucked away down quiet streets, and whip up flavour-packed Italian staples that’ll have you wondering why the tomatoes at home just don’t compare. You’ve also got your pick of seafood spots if you fancy trying the catch of the day, and plenty of gelaterias and pasticcerias – or pastry shops, to us Brits – for sweet treats. The bars along the main street, Corso Vittorio Emanuele, have you covered for afternoon spritzes and cold beers, too.