This is Alghero, a sun-painted enclave on the northwestern coast of Sardinia.

For such a small city, they speak a lot of languages here, including Catalan.

A local Algherese might speak Sardinian with her butcher, Catalan with her grandmother, and Italian with visitors to the island.

Especially in summertime, tourists flock in droves to Alghero’s sandy beaches.

The beaches provide all sorts of diversions for visitors.

There are just about as many shades of blue around the region as there are tourists in June.

The blue waters of the Mediterranean contrast to the yellow stucco walls inside the old city.

If you’re in the mood for a sweaty bike ride and a refreshing swim for your troubles, you should make the uphill climb to Le Bombarde, a gorgeous beach north of Alghero.

The water is perfectly clear, warm, and at a level of salinity so perfect it won’t sting your eyes.

When you make it back into town treat yourself to a lemony Ricotelle (or two).

If you’re into something a bit more . . . vertical, take a bus to Capo Caccia, a stunning cliff that rises 110 meters out of the sea.

Here is where you get a true sense for the many shades of blue in Alghero. Sometimes it is a light cornflower color.

The mountains in the distance blend with the sky and sea.

On the backside of the cliff the water turns cobalt.

After descending more than 600 steps you finally reach sea level, and the richly-colored Neptune’s Grotto that the endless tide has carved out of rock.

Indeed, there is more to Alghero than beaches, and there are more colors here besides blue.

What an amazing place, don’t you think? If you love huge sea cliffs rising dramatically from out of the ocean then you need to check out the Cliffs of Moher. Ever hear of Chefchaouen? If you have a strange fascination with the color blue then you’ll love what you see. First time here? Glad to have you along! To receive more posts about awesome places like Sardinia be sure to subscribe; it’s free and easy to do. Click “Follow!” and enter your email address, then you’re all set!