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[Regions of Italy] 
[Back to Sardinia]
Like the Italian peninsula, Sardinia has been at the crossroads of different cultures and civilizations for more than 3 millennia. Positioned smack dab in the middle of the Mediterranean, it has been conquered, occupied and colonized by almost everyone, starting from the mysterious people who built the Nuraghe. Next came the Phoenicians, and Punic settlements such as Tharros. With a splash of Arab here and there, the next centuries witnessed various Spanish contingents and then the Italians (Genoese in particular).
Sardinia is an island, but it has its own constellation of satellites, as many and as varied as Sardinia's cultural heritage. In the north, the archipelago of La Maddalena, Caprera, Tavolara and Budelli (famous for its rose-colored beaches) circles the eastern Costa Smeralda like a string of pearls. To the west is isolated Asinara, site of a former federal prison. Further down the southwestern coast are the islands of S. Antioco and S. Pietro. The latter, often known by the name of its principal town, Carloforte, typifies the amalgamation that is Sardinia. It upholds the linguistic tradition of those who originally colonized the area, so that whereas in Alghero you'll hear Spanish inflections, and in Cagliari the local dialect is the closest living expression of ancient Latin to be found in any modern Romance language, on S. Pietro the accent is strictly Ligurian. The pungent smell of pesto, a local specialty, is in the air.
Carloforte was founded in 1738 by Ligurian fishermen originally from the Genoese suburb of Pegli. Before coming to S. Pietro, they had settled on Tabarka Island off the coast of Tunisia. Subject to constant pirate raids, they were finally granted the feudal title to S. Pietro by Carlo Emanuele III, King of Piedmont and Sardinia. In gratitude, they named the main town after him, and erected a statue which is still standing on the Lungomare (seaside promenade).
Dominated by the belltower of San Carlo, Carloforte is one of the most characteristic fishing villages on the island, with its bastions and defense walls, memories of the ever present pirate threat. Strangely enough, the ramparts have survived only on the inland side of town. Those which faced the sea have been replaced by the enchanting Lungomare.
The hinterland is mountainous and green, abounding with pine groves, junipers and strawberries. The Phoenicians called it Sparrow-Hawk Island, because of the abundance of that and other birds of prey that feed on the flourishing population of hares and other small animals. In recent years, the rose-colored flamingo has chosen the island as one of its refuges. The coastline is spectacular, ranging from the northern beaches of Cala Lunga and Cala Fico, to panoramic Capo Sandalo with its lighthouse, on the western shores, to the rocky cliffs of Mezzaluna and the breathtaking pinnacles called "Le Colonne" (the Columns) in the south. The cliffs and columns are formed of a magnificent rose-colored trachyte common to the island.
S. Pietro Island is a little world apart that's well worth a visit. It is easily reached by a convenient ferry boat that leaves every hour or so and takes 35 minutes from Porto Vesme, a tiny harbor one kilometer south of Portoscuro, on Sardinia's southwest coast. For your return, consider the variation of ferrying to Calasetta, a harbor town on the neighboring island of S. Antioco. Filled with whitewashed homes, this charming town is more Oriental in flavor than most Sardinian villages. From here, a Roman causeway leads back to the mainland.
The Tirrenia company operates car ferries several times a day between Porto Vesme, Carloforte and Calasetta. To reserve in advance, contact Extra Value Travel, 683 S. Collier Blvd., Marco Island, FL 33937 (tel 941-394-3384).
In Carloforte, the Hieracon (tel. 781-854-028, fax 854-893) is a small hotel. Its 17 rooms have television and telephone, and there's a restaurant. Moderate.
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