Alghero — the Sardinian town that still speaks Catalan

In 1354, Catalans from Barcelona conquered Alghero and expelled the Sardinian population. 670 years later, people in Alghero's old town still speak Alguerès — a dialect of Catalan. Street signs are bilingual. The architecture looks Iberian. The food mixes Sardinian seafood with Catalan techniques. It's one of the strangest cultural artifacts in the Mediterranean: a Spanish enclave on an Italian island. Beyond the linguistic curiosity: Grotta di Nettuno (Neptune's Grotto — a sea cave with stalactites and an underground lake, reachable by 654 steps carved into the cliff (€15) or by boat from the harbor (€16, 25 min)), the Coral Riviera (Alghero was historically the red coral capital of the Mediterranean — coral jewelry is still the local specialty, from €30), and Sella & Mosca (one of Italy's largest wineries, 10 min drive, free tours + tasting, their Torbato white is unique to this area). Sardinia's northwest coast starts here.