For a Sardinian escape that defies convention, the Italian town of Bosa has iron-rich sands, costume-clad locals and more besides to offer…
Bosa is a remote town that maintains a streak of the urban, located around 45km from Alghero on the western coastline of Sardinia. With a steady population of just 8,000 and a distinct lack of mainstream tourism, it provides an idyllic escape with, as you’d expect of the region, plenty of golden beaches. One of the most popular of these is Bosa Marina beach, where the sand is unusually high in iron content. This means the ochre-coloured grains absorb the sun’s rays at a fantastic rate, making it perpetually warm to the touch. People used to believe this sand had medicinal qualities, and would travel across the island to be buried up to the neck. Although it’s unlikely you’ll see this spectacle today, every February you can capture the more jovial spirit of the locals with karrasegare osinku. This is the Bosa Carnival – a celebration around Shrove Tuesday that consists of costumes, masks, open-doored cantinas and plenty of food. Derived from Pagan ceremonies, it’s a striking time of year to visit this town and certainly one to remember.