Residence

In the green meadows and the beautiful maquis of Gallura

Portolaconia Residence was built in the 1980s and embodied the dream of transforming a large, unpolluted piece of land - in the Sardinian language "Tanca Manna" - into an ideal location for holidays and relaxation.

The Residence is part of the "Tanca Manna Village" complex. The centre of the whole complex, its beating heart, is the Piazzetta, a meeting place for guests and that offers shops of all kinds: bars, an ice cream parlour, a deli, a supermarket, a newsagent, a tobacconist, a Sardinian handicrafts shop and a laundrette. All the services you need to spend a relaxing and carefree holiday.

The force of Portolaconia Residence is its location: you can reach the beach in front of the village on foot in few minutes. If you love water sports, here you can do windsurfing, sailing, canoeing, scuba diving and snorkelling. If you prefer other kinds of sports then there’s also tennis, horse riding and golf nearby.

If you want to discover even more of this amazing island, you can venture out on boat trips and reach the Archipelago of La Maddalena or the island of Corsica. You can also go on hiking trips in the nearby countryside and discover our ancient traditions: nuraghi, tombs of the giants and small hamlets where time seems to have stopped.

Portolaconia Residence tips: what to visit

Cannigione

Cannigione is a small hamlet just a few kilometres away from the residence. Here you can find all the most important facilities you may require: a post office, banks, restaurants, bars, newsagents, tobacconists and many other shops for all your purchases.

We recommend a nice evening stroll alongside the harbour or amongst the local artisans’ stalls.

How to get to Cannigione:

Exit the village and turn right. Take the main road and after several minutes, you will reach the village

Arzachena

A fascinating theory states that this part of the island was once inhabited by the Lestrigoni people, allegedly confronted by Ulysses in one of the chapters of the Odyssey. The place name Arseguen, in fact, could be of Greek origin.

Whatever its origin, Arzachena is a fascinating town and absolutely not to be missed, thanks to its many attractions: the Mushroom rock, the churches of Santa Maria della Neve, St. Lucia and St. Peter, the nuraghe Albucciu, the nuragic complex of Malchittu, the tomb of the giants of Coddu Vecchju and the nearby nuraghe La Prisgiona.

If you prefer museums, then we recommend a visit to the "Time Box", the smallest museum in Italy, in just a few square meters it encloses all the history of Arzachena and the "Labenur" museum, a recently opened site, housed in Arzachena’s old railway station, which encompasses the archaeological history of the area. By contacting the "Labenur" museum, you can personalize guided tours in the area.

Arzachena is also the ideal place for an evening stroll through the artisan shops or attending on of the many cultural events that the town organizes each summer to entertain an ever-growing number of tourists.

How to get to Arzachena:

Exit the village and turn right. Take the main road, without making any turns, for at least 10 kilometres. You will cross Cannigione’s town centre and after ten minutes you will arrive at your destination.

The Bear Rock

An old story goes that one day, a man with his crew and three ships, landed in what was called in ancient times "Promontorium Arcti", literally, ‘Cape Bear’. The men needed to refresh themselves, replenish the ships with food and water in order to continue the long journey that they had been on for quite a while, already. From the ships, men observed the majestic rock formation, similar to a bear, and wondered how the wind could create such fine and majestic artwork.

The head of the expedition, a witty, intelligent and practical man, head out to find fresh water when, suddenly, a woman and then a man and then many other men emerged from the bushes. They looked like giants, such was their height and their faces were not at all welcoming or pacific. They attacked the men and sank two of their ships: it was a population of cannibals and many of the men were killed and eaten. The commander managed to save himself from this bloodbath and fled with the only surviving ship: Ulysses did not know it, but he had just come across the Lestrigoni people.

What does Ulysses have to do with Sardinia? According to the writer Victor Berard, Capo d'Orso is the place said to be the land of the Lestrigoni, the people that slaughtered Ulysses’ men. Is this story true? No one knows for sure. What we can say without doubt, however, is that seeing the rock up close is a fascinating and unique experience. From the rock, you can admire a virtually unbounded landscape of blue sea and Mediterranean vegetation.

How to get to Capo d'Orso:

Exit the village and turn left. Continue north for about 10 kilometres. A little further on and signposts on your right will lead you to the access road where you can reach the rock on foot, via a brief path.

Palau

Palau is a busy and well-organized centre that stands right in front of the La Maddalena Archipelago. During the summer, we recommend a walk in the marina or between goldsmith's shops and local handicrafts or even a fish-based dinner in one of the many restaurants. If you prefer history and archaeology, in Palau you can visit the 19th century military fort and the typical pre-historic buildings of the island's history: the nuraghi and the tombs of the giants.

How to get to Palau:

Exit the the village and turn left. Go straight on, without turning, for about 10 kilometres. You will then find directions to the town