We're just back from Alghero. We loved it. The beach in town is very nice and friends with a car said there are smaller beautiful beaches outside of town. Excellent restaurants with prices less than other Italy cities. Very cool old town for culture and shopping. Super nice people. Don't miss the cat sanctuary. As for driving - we didn't have a car. Based on the bus ride - it is easy to get around. But, we are told the roads into and out of Alghero are VERY busy in the summer months with long delays. So, you might want to leave town early and come in late. Airport arrivals and departures are a breeze. If you go - I highly recommend the eight hour excursion on the Andrea Jensen sailboat. It is an excellent day out. Our hotel was 100 yards from the beach and had a beautiful pool that your children will love (and you too...very nice lounge chairs!). I have not been to Cefalu. Let me know if you want more info on Alghero (restaurants, hotels). Jim
I don't know Alghero but I've been to Cefalu for a couple of short visits. I think it has everything you mentioned; lots of good restaurants, a beach, lively and lovely town, very manageable. There is a great puppet show each evening around 6pm. It's for children but I loved it. The theatre is on the main street near the tourist office. The tourist office people are very helpful and they speak English. You can easily get to Palermo from Cefalu in about a 30-45 minute drive or, better, by train (probably bus too). You really don't want to drive in Palermo if you can avoid it. Palermo has a puppet museum with shows on an irregular schedule and another theatre that does puppet shows also. I think Messina would also be a good bet for a day trip. And you can take ferries/hydrofoils to the Lipari islands. Not sure if they run from Cefalu but probably not far from it.
Having been to both Alghero and Cefalu, I don't think that this is an easy choice. Here is my "take" on both destinations:
1. The beaches in the surroundings of Alghero are probably a little bit nicer than those around Cefalu, although the best beaches on Sardinia are elsewhere, as are the best beaches in Sicily. I would not base my decision solely on the beaches. Alghero wins here.
2. Alghero has a very, very compact and distinctly charming old town. I found Cefalu to be slightly more run down, although the situation may have changed for the better since I was there nine years ago. Alghero wins by a small margin.
3. The Cathedral in Cefalu is stupendous, magnificent. World class. There is nothing in Alghero to compare. Cefalu wins hands down. Remember too that you're 45 minutes from Palermo and its own Cathedral and that of Monreale.
4. Hotels: Alghero probably wins here, as there have been a couple of significant upgraded hotels recently (I'm thinking of the Carlos V Hotel along the seashore, and of course the exclusive Villa Las Tronas nearby, the sometimes-summer residence of Victor Emanuel III), and there is a good variety of hotel types, probably a bit better than Cefalu.
5. Public transport: both towns are very well connected by public transport. Between Cefalu and Palermo, there are frequent trains. During the summer, there is a daily hydrofoil service connecting Cefalu directly with the Aeolian Islands (avoiding the connection at Milazzo) and Palermo.
6. Day trips: here Cefalu wins hands down, in terms of destinations of artistic, intellectual, cultural and historical interest. I'm thinking of Palermo and Agrigento in particular. Day trips out of Alghero are primarily to destinations of aesthetic and naturalistic interest. Two weeks in Alghero could become an issue if you're yearning for museums, major churches, architecture and monuments. Cefalu would give you more opportunities here.
7. Having a rental car in Alghero would be more useful than in Cefalu.
8. Locals speaking English: no problem in either town. Remember that Alghero gets flooded with British and Irish tourists year round, more so than Cefalu.
I was in Cefalu in August 2003, but have not been to Alghero. I loved it! The beach was great, the town very nice and lively with some sites to see and really good restaurants. It is a little yuck by the train station (what place isn't?) but the old town is very nice and well kept. Keep in mind there are two separate sections of beach, one right in the old town and another one with more of a promenade, which is much, much nicer.
There is easy access to other places to visit for the day, including Palermo, and hiking in the Nebrodi mountain range. It is not mentioned very much, but it is a beautiful national park area.
I highly recommend it. As I said, not sure how it compares but I really enjoyed it and it is not so popular with Americans so you may have a different experience in that respect, too.
A million thanks to all of you. What great feedback! I honestly don't think I can go wrong with either of these choices for my family right now. I'm slightly leaning toward Alghero simply because Sardinia has always fascinated me and the foodies inside us are eager to sample the cuisine.
It also seems that I can do day trips to Bosa, Stintino, Sassari and Porto Torres, for whatever they're worth.I am also having an easier time finding apartment/villa rentals in Alghero w/pool.
If you decide on Alghero - make sure you go to Mabrock - on via Santa Barbara. Make reservations. It is only seafood and you don't get to choose. Excellent bread, five antipasti, three pasti, two types of fish plates, dessert, all the house wine you want, water and the table = 40 euro each. Can't be beat!
