Bastioni Marco Polo & the Aragonese Ramparts
Alghero's golden sea walls are not a museum piece — they are the city's living living room, where joggers, lovers, aperitivo drinkers and coral-pink sunsets all converge in one long, glorious promenade. Walk the full circuit at dusk and you will understand why locals never tire of it.
A walk through 500 years of history
The ramparts were built by the Aragonese in the 16th century and their seven towers still stand in remarkably complete form, each named after a figure from the age of exploration — Bastioni Marco Polo, Bastioni Cristoforo Colombo, Torre di Sulis. The warm sandstone glows amber as the sun drops toward Capo Caccia.
The pedestrianised path runs along the seaward edge of the old town, with the open Mediterranean on one side and the terracotta rooflines of the historic centre on the other. It takes about 25 minutes to walk end to end at a leisurely pace — longer if you stop for photos, which you will.
The aperitivo hour ritual
Bars and restaurants line the bastioni and spill tables onto the walkway itself. Order a glass of local Vermentino or a Campari spritz, claim a perch on the wall, and watch the fishing boats bob as the sky turns from gold to deep rose — this is Alghero at its most effortlessly beautiful.
The Torre di Sulis at the southern end is one of the best individual viewpoints: from its base you get an unobstructed sweep from the old town's rooftops all the way out to the open sea. Come fifteen minutes before official sunset for the best light.
Bastioni Marco Polo & the Aragonese Ramparts on video
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