Not far from Alghero, on the flat land behind the coast, lies the largest group of domus de janas in Sardinia. Anghelu Ruju is a necropolis of more than thirty rock-cut tombs, dug into the sandstone with stone tools around five thousand years ago and later reused for burials into the Bronze Age. The site was found in 1903 when workers were preparing land for a vineyard, and excavations revealed chambers with carved bull's horns, false doorways and painted ochre, together with pottery, figurines and personal ornaments now displayed in museums in Sassari and Cagliari. The bull motifs are thought to have been linked to fertility and protection, and they give these dim chambers a surprisingly powerful presence.
Alghero itself is a delight, a walled port town with a strong Catalan heritage dating from the fourteenth century, when the Crown of Aragon took the city and repopulated it with settlers from Catalonia. A form of Catalan is still spoken by some locals, and street signs are often bilingual. The old town is a maze of narrow lanes, churches and sea walls, and the local cuisine is built on seafood, especially lobster, with good white wines from the surrounding vineyards.
The riding around Alghero is mixed but pleasant. The flat land inland, with its vineyards and olive groves, gives easy, relaxed cruising on straight roads, while the coast roads north toward Capo Caccia and the Grotta di Nettuno offer cliffs, curves and wide views over the sea. The road south to Bosa along the coast is one of the finest motorcycle roads in Sardinia, with endless bends carved into the cliffs, very little traffic outside summer and constant sea views. Watch for strong winds on exposed stretches, and expect heavy tourist traffic in July and August.
Alghero, about eight kilometres away, has plenty of fuel stations, cafés, restaurants and accommodation. Opening arrangements at the necropolis change with the season, so it is worth checking before you set off. Go in the morning, when the light is soft and the air still cool, walk among the tombs, and then head down to the coast for a swim or a long lunch. It is a gentle, rewarding stop on any ride through the northwest of the island.