Stintino · old town
Port of Stintino
Porto Mannu and Porto Minore, the seafaring heart of the village
✽ 10 minutes on foot from the villa
The Port of Stintino is actually two ports, and this doubling is the sign of the village's seafaring identity. To the south opens Porto Mannu, the big, busy, active harbour: the ferries to Asinara set off from here, summer yachts dock, and the quays line up with the most popular fish restaurants. To the north lies Porto Minore, intimate and picturesque, still today the domain of fishing boats with their blue and white painted hulls. Between the two, the old town, founded in 1885 when the families of Asinara were forced to leave the island to make way for the penal colony.
The two small harbours
Porto Mannu is the reference point for anyone arriving in Stintino by sea: it hosts departures for Asinara excursions, boat and dinghy rentals, diving schools and sport-fishing charters. Along its seafront, the liveliest bars in the village open up. Porto Minore, instead, tells another story: here nets still dry in the sun on the quays, fishermen repair engines and hulls as they did fifty years ago, and at sunset the silence is broken only by the cry of seagulls. A fifteen-minute walk takes you from one to the other through the alleys of the centre — and it's exactly in this contrast that you grasp Stintino's soul.
Ferries to Asinara and boat trips
All connections to the Asinara National Park leave from Porto Mannu: a twenty-minute crossing from April to October, with daily departures at 9:00 and 15:30. In addition to the traditional ferry, many local cooperatives offer day excursions with electric off-road vehicles, bicycles or snorkelling gear included. Prices range from €40 to €80 per person depending on the package. For those who prefer to explore independently, operators rent dinghies, motorboats (with and without licence), catamarans: a day at sea among the coves of the western coast and the beaches of Asinara is one of the most sought-after experiences of the Stintino summer. On August weekends it is essential to book at least a week in advance.
Where to eat at the harbour
Stintino's cuisine is seafood cuisine, and the harbour is its natural stage. Along the Cristoforo Colombo seafront, historic trattorias and new-generation restaurants alternate: Silvestrino — a village institution since 1960 — is famous for its fish soup and pasta with grey mullet bottarga; Il Porticciolo offers contemporary seafood cuisine with a view over Porto Mannu; La Rete is the choice for home-style dishes such as fregola with clams and "polpo in galera". For a quick lunch, the harbour kiosks serve fresh-tuna sandwiches and mixed fried seafood. The sweet speciality is tumbarella, made with almond paste and bitter strawberry-tree honey. A glass of Vermentino di Sardegna DOC is the classic pairing.
Life at the harbour
The harbour is the village's living room. The evening stroll, about one kilometre long, is a shared ritual: it's taken after dinner, from 21:00 onwards, among craft stalls, street musicians and an impromptu drink. In August, on Wednesday evenings, the seafront turns into a stage with free live concerts. The weekly market is held on Thursday morning along the main street of the new town, a short walk from the harbour. For sport-fishing enthusiasts, Porto Mannu is the starting point for tuna trolling trips, while Porto Minore is perfect for learning to fish with the hands of the old fishermen — just ask, and someone will gladly share the story.