The light house at Capo d’Orso
Romantic excursions in Palau
Follow the path after the wellness center and take a swim at Cala Selvaggia. But don't stop there. Continue along the coast, between the green and the blue of the sea up to the lighthouse of Capo d’Orso.
The Capo d’Orso lighthouse rises on a rocky peninsula as if winking at the La Maddalena Archipelago. White and solitary, it has been there for almost a hundred years, a witness to the stories but also the legends that are told about these places: a guardian of this strategic stretch of water together with the other lighthouses scattered along the coast of Palau and throughout the islands of the La Maddalena Archipelago.
The history of the Capo d’Orso between fact and fiction
The main structure, a large rectangular-shaped building, was built in 1924 and inhabited until 1974. Not far away, the 10-metre high white tower rises above the sea and its decaying charm will provide the perfect backdrop for the most romantic photos you will take on this holiday.
Legend has it that a small merchant cargo vessel carrying a load of barrels of beer was shipwrecked right on this stretch of sea. Although the lighthouse keepers managed to save the crew members, there was nothing to be done about the barrels of beer which floated off to the island of Caprera and which became a gift that came from the sea for the inhabitants of the small village on the island, who raised their glasses for a long time to come.
Other legends make it even more suggestive, including that of Ulysses: according to the writer Victor Berard, the coast of Palau was the land of the Lestrigoni mentioned in the Odyssey, where the travelling hero landed in search of food and water to sustain his crew.
By sea or by land, plenty of ways to enjoy the Palau lighthouse!
Even if a walk among the scented paths is always a good idea, the most romantic choice would be to enjoy the beauty of the lighthouse from the sea aboard the antique sailing ship Pulcinella. This elegant craft with its striking red sails will take you out of time to the paradisiacal islands of the La Maddalena Archipelago.
As you pass in front of the cliffs and coasts near the lighthouse, it will be easy to understand why this fascinating territory has inspired ancient legends…
The other lighthouses on the Strait of Bonifacio
In addition to the lighthouse of Capo d’Orso, there are two luminaires a few kilometers from the hotel, along the coast of Palau. The Punta Sardegna lighthouse, built on a rocky promontory, perfectly separates the village of Palau and the romantic village of Porto Rafael. Once here, do not miss the opportunity to take a dip in the crystal clear waters of the small Cala Trana and a visit to the 19th-century Battery of Monte Altura.
A little further east is the guardian of a small golden sand beach, the Punta Palau lighthouse, reachable on foot from the beach of Palau Vecchio, near the port. Surrounded by strangely shaped granite rocks, this white and green sea sentinel, together with the Punta Sardegna lighthouse, is essential for all maritime traffic of the La Maddalena Archipelago.
There are many lighthouses that dot the islands of the La Maddalena Archipelago. The Razzoli lighthouse, built in 1843, is the oldest lighthouse in Sardinia. In front of the north facade of the building, an ancient natural stone tower rises for 12 meters and it is now the true luminary of the Island. The other lighthouses to discover among the pristine waters of the archipelago are the Punta Filetto lighthouse on the Island of Santa Maria, the lighthouse on the islets I Corcelli, black and red lantern resting on one of the islets called the Barrettini. And then again the Monaci Islets lighthouse and the North East Point lighthouse.