Complete Guide to Asinara: What to See, What to Do, Where to Stay and Eat. Walking, Cycling, Boating, and 4×4 Itineraries.
Beyond the hidden coves and stunning beaches where you can bask in the sun, Asinara Island offers numerous cultural and environmental attractions. With this complete guide, you can uncover its stories as a quarantine station, its royal palace, and daring prisoner escapes during its time as a maximum-security prison. Alternatively, admire its fauna and flora on off-road tours: you’ll spot shy mouflons bounding through the scrub, white donkeys strolling lazily and resting in the shade, wild goats, and peregrine falcons soaring in search of prey. You can sleep in the ancient fishing village or dine on a sea-view terrace with a unique panorama of an island where time seems to have stopped. Here’s everything you can do:
Visit Cala Reale: The Historic Heart of Asinara
As soon as you disembark at Cala Reale, the main access point to Asinara reachable by ferry from Porto Torres, you’ll be welcomed by a fascinating dive into the past. The historic buildings overlooking the small harbor, once a penal colony and quarantine station, tell stories of isolation and resilience.
Royal Palace: A Liberty Gem Overlooking the Sea
Among these historic buildings stands the impressive Royal Palace, once the headquarters of the Maritime Health Quarantine Station. Today, this Liberty-style architectural gem, with its elegant symmetry and grand entrance opening directly onto the harbor, houses the headquarters of the Asinara National Park and its conference room. The lawn in front serves as an ideal venue for themed events and concerts, a natural amphitheater overlooking the gulf of Asinara Island.
Exploring Asinara Island by jeep or on foot with Asinara4x4 allows you to discover not only the untouched beauty of nature but also the rich history and culture of this unique island. Just steps from the harbor, you can also dine at the restaurant or enjoy excellent aperitifs at sunset.
The building that once served as a Navy lighthouse now hosts the Marine Animal Recovery Center, where you might see some turtles being cared for before being released into the waters around Asinara. The staff at the CRAMA association, active in rescuing sea turtles and cetaceans, will share insights into the fascinating ecosystem of which Asinara Island is a vital hub.
At Cala Reale, you will also find the Farmasinara laboratories, where cosmetics are made using the island’s wild flora and natural by-products. Here, the island’s essences are transformed into creams that will allow you to remember Asinara’s rugged Mediterranean nature even when you’re far away.
What to Visit in Cala d’Oliva: The Village of Memory
In the northern part of Asinara, nestled in a landscape of extraordinary beauty, lies Cala d’Oliva, the island’s only true village. Founded by fishermen from Camogli, once known as Porta di Levante, this charming village preserves significant remnants of Asinara’s prison past, the history of Stintino’s inhabitants, and offers breathtaking panoramic views. The history of Stintino is closely tied to that of Asinara. The village was established in 1885 when Ligurian fishermen and seasonal herders at Cala d’Oliva were forced to relocate due to the establishment of a penal colony. They brought their traditions and seafaring experience, building Stintino in the image of Cala d’Oliva.
The Observatory of Memory: A Journey Through Prison History
The former central prison branch, now transformed into the Observatory of Memory, is a museum chronicling Asinara’s 112-year prison history. Here you can admire relics, documents, and tools used during that period, immersing yourself in a past of isolation and hardship but also of resilience and hope.
The Foresteria of Cala d’Oliva: A Symbolic Place in the Fight Against the Mafia
Cala d’Oliva is also home to the foresteria where, in 1985, judges Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino prepared the case for the Palermo maxi-trial against Cosa Nostra. This place, now not open to visitors, symbolizes the fight against the mafia and pays tribute to the courage of these two magistrates.
Totò Riina’s Bunker: A Silent Witness to a Dark Era
Not far from the foresteria lies a bunker where, after the assassinations of Falcone and Borsellino, Totò Riina, the head of Cosa Nostra, was held in isolation. This place, laden with history and conflicting emotions, serves as a reminder not to forget past mistakes and to continue fighting for justice. At times, guided visits to the bunker have been organized by the association Libera, active in the fight against the mafia and a champion of social justice.
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