The island-kingdom with a 'king' and a limestone mountain
Just south of Olbia, the island of Tavolara rises abruptly from the sea like a huge limestone mountain, about 565 metres high and 6 kilometres long, with sheer walls on all sides, an unmistakable profile visible from much of the coast of Gallura. Together with the islands of Molara and Molarotto, it forms the heart of the Tavolara-Punta Coda Cavallo Marine Protected Area, with a sea of extraordinary transparency and rich seabeds, ideal for diving.
Tavolara has a curious history: it calls itself "the smallest kingdom in the world". In the nineteenth century the island was inhabited by the Bertoleoni family, shepherds who, according to tradition, received the title of "kings" of Tavolara in 1836 from King Charles Albert of Sardinia, who had come here to hunt the island's wild goats with golden teeth (in reality, coloured by the lichens they ate). The descendants of the family still call themselves kings, run a restaurant on the island and are buried in a small cemetery with crowns on their tombs. Only the low sandy tip of the island, Spalmatore di Terra, is accessible to the public, with beaches of white sand and the restaurants; the rest of the island, including a NATO base, is closed. Every summer the island hosts a small open-air film festival.
Tip: boats leave from Porto San Paolo in about 25 minutes; in summer the beach of Spalmatore is very busy, so take an early boat.
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