Porto Pozzo

Porto Pozzo is a small hamlet in northern Gallura, in a position overlooking the sea, 12 km from Santa Teresa Gallura. It can be found on the shore of a deep natural harbour formed by the island of Coluccia to the east, and Conca Verde to the west, which together form a narrow channel of which Porto Pozzo is the most sheltered part.
The island of Coluccia is actually a peninsula, as the end of Liscia Beach closes the entrance to the lagoon that forms the fishpond, and connects it to the mainland with a strip of sand that forms the small beach of Cala Macchia. At present, the small bridge that joins the island to the mainland has collapsed, probably washed away by a storm surge, and it is no longer possible to enter the island unless you have an off-road vehicle to cross the sea mouth of the fishpond.

The village of Porto Pozzo is located along the State Road SS133Bis connecting Palau to Santa Teresa Gallura, along a coastline that is mostly flat or with low hills covered in Mediterranean scrub.

To the west are a number of tourist settlements, including Conca Verde overlooking the same bay, and further west La Valle dell’Erica, La Marmorata, Marazzino and finally Santa Teresa Gallura. To the east lies Porto Liscia on the mouth of the river of the same name, Isola dei Gabbiani, Punta Talmone and Palau.

Porto Pozzo is a characteristic seaside village that is not very densely populated. In winter, it has a population of a few hundred inhabitants, while in summer, it is no exaggeration to speak of a few thousand. In the past, it was a village of farmers and fishermen, like many other small towns on the Gallura coast. Today, thanks to the discovery of its natural beauty, it has experienced a fair amount of tourism development.

As with much of Gallura, the sea on this stretch of coast has blue-green waters, a granite seabed and sandy beaches.

The landscape of this area is somewhat peculiar. The low hills sloping down to the sea and the confluence of the Liscia river with the Porto Pozzo stream first joined the island of Coluccia to the mainland, transforming it into a peninsula, and then created a vast system of wetlands that gave rise to what is now the fishpond.

Likewise, the many neighbouring flat or semi-hilly areas allowed for agriculture and livestock breeding, activities that are still practised today and whose farms can be seen along the main road.

The reddish patches that colour the lagoon of Porto Pozzo are glasswort, marsh plants that have found a very favourable natural habitat here. The entire area is characterised by dense Mediterranean scrub, with vegetation that includes dwarf heather and other typical plants such as myrtle, cistus, mastic and many centuries-old olive trees with their typical wind-blown position, as well as maritime pine and cork oak.

PORTO POZZO
a small village between the sea and the countryside

A glimpse of the village

The village of Porto Pozzo, which in Gallurese dialect is known as “lu Puzzu”, is a classic seaside hamlet with low houses typical of Gallura. If you pay attention to them, you can still see them along the main street, while on the outskirts, new, more modern buildings have sprung up, presumably for tourist use.

Its beach, overlooking the natural inlet that also hosts the actual port, is among the deepest in northern Sardinia, a kind of fiord also called “the bay of Ulysses”. This is where the landing points are situated with jetties opposite the island of Coluccia and the coast of Conca Verde, the latter of which can be reached by a road a few kilometres west of the village.

One of the main reasons why Porto Pozzo has attracted the interest of tourists is that it is only a 10-minute boat ride from La Maddalena Archipelago, which enabled the creation of a marina where dinghies can be rented, excursions to the islands can be arranged and boats can be docked in the shelter of an inlet protected from the winds.

Located adjacent to the village, the beach is perfect for families. In fact, the low level of the seabed allows children to swim safely, and the stretch of water in front of the beach is ideal for water sports and attracts many enthusiasts.

There are plenty of sports facilities: just a short distance from the beach, there is a five-a-side football pitch and a tennis court, the community clubhouse and a children’s playground.

Alongside the village’s own beach, there are many other beaches nearby, both on the Coluccia peninsula and towards the mouth of the River Liscia, including some delightful half-hidden coves. Also on the left bank of the fiord, on the Conca Verde side, there are many coves with granite rocks and some small beaches.

Of course, Porto Pozzo is naturally at its best during the summer, but thanks to its favourable geographic location, even out of season it is an excellent starting point for trips to archaeological and naturalistic sites between land, sea, history and traditions.

Archaeological Sites

Like the whole of Sardinia, Gallura is rich in archaeological sites, spanning from the remote Neolithic period to the more recent settlements of mediaeval and even contemporary history.
For example, a few kilometres from Porto Pozzo, in the direction of Palau, we are able to find important archaeological sites from both the Nuragic and mediaeval periods, as well as recent settlements dating back to the last century and very interesting from a historical point of view.

Tomb of the giants Li Mizzani

A short distance from Porto Pozzo, after passing San Pasquale in the Palau area, one of the most beautiful sites is undoubtedly the Tomb of the Giants of Li Mizzani. The site is unmanned and can be explored freely. It can be reached from the nearby road of the Liscia river, taking a right immediately after the bridge, a road that also allows a visit to another tomb of giants, that of Monte S’Ajacciu, which can be found before Li Mizzani.
The tomb is a giant’s tomb in the typical shape of a taurine protome and the centred stele that serves as the entrance to the burial corridor.

Excavations began in 1966 and successive studies have speculated a date of construction in the Nuragic period between 1500 and 1200 BC.

Lu Brandali

To the west, in Santa Teresa Gallura, we find the vast archaeological area of Lu Brandali, near Capo Testa.

This rather complex archaeological site seems to date back to a period between the 14th and 10th centuries BC. Several buildings can be found in the area: a nuraghe, the remains of a village, a funerary area with a giants’ tomb. All of this is surrounded by the incredible natural setting of Capo Testa, where only a few hundred metres beyond the nuragic site, we have the ancient quarries where granite was extracted in Roman times for gigantic columns that can still be found on the beach today.
The entire area is interesting as it is dotted with historical evidence that ranges infinitely from the Neolithic period to the present day, from Roman times to the Middle Ages with the Lungoni Castle, and to modern times with the Spanish coastal tower, the Savoy period of the Risorgimento, and finally the contemporary era with the fortifications of the Second World War.

From a fishing village to a base for marine tourism

Porto Pozzo’s economy grew mainly after the 1960s, moving from a typically agricultural and small-scale fishing economy to one more focused on tourism. A transformation that also came about thanks to the morphological features of the territory. Not to be forgotten, in fact, is that the fishpond has been the most important economic resource since the 1930s, with fishing for various fish species and oyster farming. At present (since 2006), the Porto Pozzo fishpond is managed by a cooperative that sells its catch directly in the village shop.

The upsurge of tourism in the 1960s turned what was once an agglomeration of stazzi (also known as cussorgia in the Gallura dialect) into a true seaside village, a fortune similar to that of many other small neighbouring settlements.

The small Porto Pozzo church, visible from the road, has a neo-Gothic bell tower and is dedicated to St Thomas the Apostle. After it was built in 1932, thanks to the owner of the land who gifted it to the community, the patronal feast dedicated to the saint is held here in the first week of July.

Although small in size, with just under three hundred inhabitants, Porto Pozzo is a lively community with a number of musical events and displays, particularly in the summer period, partly because tourists are mainly drawn there by the sea.

The Culuccia beach, a narrow strip of sand stretching into the innermost inlet of the sea, is characterised by a medium shallow seabed, which is perfect for bathers. Nearby, a convenient car park and a variety of services, including bars, restaurants and pedal boat, dinghy and canoe rentals, offer everything you need for a relaxing and fun-filled day.

On the other side of the island of Coluccia, the Cala Macchia beach closes off the large beach at the mouth of the Liscia and joins the island to the mainland, closing off a series of wetland and marshy areas.

In terms of accommodation, Porto Pozzo is well catered for, and in fact, in addition to the nearby campsite, there are many establishments: hotels and B&Bs, as well as restaurants where you can enjoy traditional Gallura cuisine and fresh fish dishes.

How to get to Porto Pozzo

By Plane

Olbia-Costa Smeralda airport is 50 km from Porto Pozzo.

By boat

The port of Santa Teresa Gallura connects with Bonifacio, Corsica, while the port of Palau connects with La Maddalena. Those arriving from the peninsula can disembark at Olbia or Golfo Aranci.

By car

From Olbia take the SS 125 in the direction of Palau, continue until the roundabout at the junction with the SS 133, then turn left for “Tempio-Santa Teresa” and drive along the SS 133, which after a junction for Tempio Pausania becomes the SS 133 bis. Continue in the direction of Santa Teresa until Porto Pozzo.

By bus

From Olbia with ARST line 601