Visiting Bosa in Sardinia - the colourful town

Writer: Helena Bergström

If you're looking for a cosy little town, Bosa in Sardinia is the place to go. This is a colourful and incredibly charming town that offers everything from sights and cosy alleys to restaurants and beaches.

Bosa in Sardinia

Bosa is considered one of the "most beautiful villages in Italy" and is the only town in Sardinia built on the banks of a river, the Temu River.

Bosa is located in the north-western part of Sardinia, about 46 kilometres south of Alghero.

Bosa - a city with a long history

The area around Bosa has been inhabited since prehistoric times, which is known because there are several nuraghe (Bronze Age tower) and domus de janas (graves from even earlier times).

The city was probably founded by the Phoenicians, a short distance from where it is today. The current city was founded in the 12th century by the Malaspina family, who also built the mighty castle on top of a hill.

The city remained in Malaspina's hands until the 13th century, when it was taken over by Aragon, and later it was ruled, along with the rest of Sardinia, by Spain. Today, as you know, the city and the island are part of Italy.

Bosa in Sardinia - a cosy town to stroll around

Bosa is an incredibly cosy town to stroll around. The alleys are narrow, the facades are beautifully decorated and everywhere you meet flowers and decorations.

The word "picturesque" fits almost every street corner, and it's hard to stop taking pictures!

Sights in Bosa

The first thing you notice when visiting Bosa is the mighty castle perched on a hill above the town. The castle, Castello di Seravalle, was built in 1112 by the Malaspina family and it is possible to walk up many, long stairs to peek around inside the walls. We didn't feel like doing this in the sweltering summer heat, so we sent Peter's drone up to take a picture instead.

If you want to check out more sights, even though the city is quite small, there are both churches and museums. Three churches to check out:

• Cattedrale dell'Immacolata Conezione - On the Temu River, in the centre of the city. Mix of baroque and neoclassicism.
• Chiesa di San Pietro Extramuros - Just outside the city centre, along the river. Romanesque from around 1062.
• Chiesa di Nostra Signora di Regnos Altos - This church is located inside the castle of Castello di Serravalle.

If you fancy a museum visit instead, here are suggestions for three museums:

• Musei Casa Deriu - City history museum in a 19th century house.
• Museo delle Conce (Tanning Museum) - With exhibitions on the history of Bosa tanning, which was an important industry for a long time.
• Museo Atza - Art museum with collections of both Sardinian and international artists.

Shopping and restaurants in Bosa

If you want to go shopping or have a meal in a restaurant during your visit to Bosa, there are plenty of options. You'll find many small shops selling fashion, souvenirs, homeware and the like.

There are also plenty of cosy restaurants and nice outdoor cafes. We each enjoyed an ice cream, which was very good in the heat!

Temu River

A river named Temu runs right through Bosa. Here it is nice to walk and look at the view.

Marina and beach in Bosa

Bosa also has a marina and a beach. We never visited the beach, but watched it from the motorway, and it looks nice.

Where can you stay or park your motorhome?

We visited Bosa by motorhome, and while looking at the town we parked in a free car park on the Temu river (N 40°17'43.8108" E 8°29'44.7756"), where you can fit a motorhome. At night we chose instead a simple and free grass car park just outside the city centre (8, Via Don Sturzo), where we stood together with several other motorhomes. Absolutely excellent!

The last time we were in Sardinia, ten years ago, we spent several nights at a campsite just north of Bosa, which we found to be a A favourite spot in Sardinia. This camping seems to still exist, although of course it may have changed.

More to see and do in the neighbourhood

Do you want to continue your journey to more interesting destinations in Sardinia? Here you will find tips and reports about nearby destinations:

• The Nuraghe Santu Antine
• Alghero
• Caves of Neptune

Have you visited Bosa in Sardinia?

Have you visited Bosa in Sardinia? If so, how was your experience? And if not - is this a place you would like?