Olbia

Olbia, situated along the north-eastern coast of Sardinia, is the fourth largest town on the Island as regards number of inhabitants (45,366) and was founded, with this name, during the Phoenician period, later becoming a flourishing Roman port.
It enjoyed its period of greatest splendour, during the Middle Ages, when it became the capital of the Giudicato di Gallura under the name of Civita.
The Pisan, Genovese and Spanish invasions made Terranova (as the town was renamed) fall into a long period of decline and it only began to recover at the end of the 19th century. It took back its original name in 1939 and is today a dynamic commercial centre with an important port and airport (Costa Smeralda), which in the summer becomes one of Italy’s most important airports for passenger numbers.
Inside the town itself there are several reminders of the town’s ancient past: there are several Punic-Roman sites, including the remains of the old city walls but there is also the 12th century Romanesque Church of San Simplicio, which has three naves and is richly embellished inside with with decorative carvings.
Outside the town there are a number of archaeological sites; one of the most important is the nuraghic complex of Cabu Abbas, which has a single tower construction, surrounded by an imposing defensive wall up to 5 metres thick. It is also worth visiting the “tomba dei giganti” in the district called “Su Monte ‘e S’Ape” and the sacred well of “Sa Testa”, but above all you should visit the 13th century castle of “Pedres” and the one at “Sa Paulazza”, which is probably Byzantine in origin.
The boom in tourism that has hit the Costa Smeralda since the 1960s has also had an effect on Olbia. Its coastline has several beaches that look out on crystal-clear waters, like Pittulongu beach, Cala Banana and Porto Caso. Opposite the coastline there is the small Island of Molara and the imposing Island of Tavolara, which is a real granite mountain over 500 metres high that rises majestically out of the sea. Over the years a number of small holiday resorts have sprung up along the coast like the famous Porto Rotondo, one of the most famous bathing resorts in Italy. There are many interesting events worth mentioning, including the festival in honour of the Madonna del Mare with its procession of boats, the Sagra delle Cozze (Mussel Festival) and the Festival Cinematografico di Tavolara.