At about 25 Km from Olbia and 5 Km from the gulf bearing the same name, Arzachena occupies the heart of GALLURA with a coastline extending for about 80 km from the border of the Town of Olbia to the one of Palau. Self governed municipality since 1922, Arzachena has known great economic changes since the 1960s, substituting the ancient farming system with tourism and building activities, due to the creation of the “Consorzio Costa Smeralda” in 1962. Presently Arzachena includes highly requested touristic resorts, such as Porto Cervo, and others facing the eastern side of the gulf, Baja Sardinia and Cannigione. The town centre gathers around the main square and Via Umberto, which ends in a flight of stairs leading to the S. Maria Maggiore church, also called “Della Neve”. S. LUCIA CHURCH dominates the town from a hilltop and to the east you can find the area called Mont’Incappidatu with a curious mushroom-shaped granite stone. Leaving the town, on the way to Palau, a modern building house the “Museo di Scienze Della Terra”.
Another quite interesting site is Baia delle Saline, a pond of great naturalistic interest created by the Gulf of ARZACHENA at the point where it meets the river “Riu di S. Giovanni”. This site can be reached taking the road to Baja Sardinia AND TOURING LEFT AFTER ABOUT 3.5 Km; it is an ideal area for bird watching, separated from the sea by beautiful SAND beach. You can also take an excursion to Monte Mazzolu, driving along the state road towards Palau, branching off towards BASSA CUTENA. From here after 5 Km you reach a plain and a 30-minute walk will take you to the mountaintop.