Porto Conte Park

The Regional Natural Park of Porto Conte, established by the Regional Law n. 4 of 26 February 1999, covers over 5000 hectares within the municipal area of Alghero. It includes some of the most spectacular landscapes in the Mediterranean: the cliffs of Capo Caccia, Punta Giglio and Punta Cristallo, the Permo-Triassic outcrops of Porticciolo and Cala Viola, the state-owned forest “Le Prigionette”, the Calich lagoon, and others. The Park Area includes mostly flat areas that border the sea for over 60 km, where sandy beaches alternate with high cliffs overlooking the sea. One of the main purposes of the Porto Conte Park is to ensure a unitary management of the numerous ecosystems that characterize its territory, where the presence of species of high naturalistic importance is abundant.

Calich Lagoon

The Calich Lagoon, located in the municipal area of ​​Alghero, has an extension of 92 hectares and an average depth of about 1.5 meters. The banks are generally low and sandy, and the bottom is muddy. It is elongated in shape in the North West-South East direction and arranged parallel to the coast along the road that leads from Alghero to Fertilia. Its origin is linked to the dam, due to the accumulation of debris of two important tributaries: the Rio Barca and the Rio Calvia. A sandy stripe (the current Maria Pia beach) separates it from the sea;they are connected through a single channel, used as a marina for tourist and fishing boats. The lagoon is recognised as a wetland of international importance for its natural environment, but it also has a significant role to play in economic terms, since it is used both for professional fishing and for tourist and recreational activities, such as birdwatching, also favored by the presence of the observation points set up in the Park.