“Capo Testa is the place where Sardinia truly ends. The granite rocks drop into the water without warning, the lighthouse holds the headland in place like a nail, and Corsica is right there in front of you — so close that on clear days you can make out the cliffs of Bonifacio.”
The most beautiful lighthouses in Gallura are those of Capo Testa (5 km from Santa Teresa di Gallura), the La Maddalena Archipelago and Capo Ferro, near Porto Cervo. Capo Testa is one of the northernmost points in Sardinia (the very northernmost is the nearby Punta del Falcone): a headland of pink granite sculpted by the wind, with beaches hidden among the rocks and low scrub that smells of myrtle and mastic. At the most exposed point, the lighthouse looks out over the Strait of Bonifacio, about 11 km wide at its narrowest and one of the windiest stretches of sea in the Mediterranean.
The Capo Testa lighthouse stands on top of a granite headland — not on a cliff, but on huge, rounded rocks that look like statues made by some cosmic sculptor. The contrast between the white of the lighthouse, the pink of the granite and the turquoise of the sea is one of the most characteristic images of northern Sardinia.
Capo Testa is 5 km from Santa Teresa di Gallura — reachable by car, or on foot or by bike from the town. The headland is freely accessible and is an area of great natural value: stay on the existing paths. The lighthouse is admired from the outside: as a rule it isn't open for visits inside. The paths that cross the granite rocks let you explore hidden coves, natural pools and unique rock formations.
The lighthouse on the south-western tip of the island of La Maddalena. Visible from the port of La Maddalena and from boats passing through the strait between Sardinia and Corsica. Not open to visitors inside.
A small lighthouse on the headland near the famous Roccia dell'Orso (Bear Rock) of Palau. The granite rock shaped like a bear in a defensive pose and the lighthouse below it form one of the most recognisable landscapes of coastal Gallura.
Spargi Island in the La Maddalena Archipelago — the lighthouse on the uninhabited island can only be reached by sea. Boat trips from the Archipelago often include it on their route.
On Razzoli, one of the northernmost islands of the Archipelago, facing the Strait of Bonifacio: Sardegna Turismo calls it the “doyen of Sardinian lighthouses”. It can only be seen from the sea — boat trips from Palau or La Maddalena.
The Capo Ferro Lighthouse stands on the headland north of Porto Cervo, in the municipality of Arzachena, and marks the southern entrance to the Strait of Bonifacio. Built between 1858 and 1861, when this coast was inhabited only by shepherds, it is still in operation (now automated) after the area's transformation into one of the most exclusive destinations in the Mediterranean.
The Capo Ferro lighthouse cannot be visited inside, but the road leading to the headland offers views over the Costa Smeralda, the La Maddalena Archipelago and towards Corsica that no private yacht can guarantee. On windy days, the contrast between the golden scrub of the headland, the white of the lighthouse and the deep blue of the sea is a natural composition that is hard to forget.
Homes in Santa Teresa di Gallura and Palau — a few minutes from Capo Testa and the La Maddalena Archipelago.
