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 the island
The Isola di San Pietro is a beautiful island off the South West coast of Sardinia. It's history and location mean that it is relatively untouched by the massive tourism seen in other Mediterranean (sometimes former) beauty spots.
It is therefore perfect for anybody looking for an interesting and peaceful holiday in an unpolluted and authentic maritime style. The islanders of Carloforte came in 1542 from Pegli and other villages of the Liguria Riviera and started a new life on the coast of Tunisia on an island called Tabarca where they fished coral. In 1738, 50 families accepted a proposition from King Carlo Emanuele III, and with Agostino Tagliafico as their leader they colonized the previously uninhabited island of San Pietro. In honour of the King Carlo Emanuele the town was called Carloforte, it slowly grew larger with the arrival of more people from Tabarca and more families directly from Liguria. In 1798 Carloforte suffered a ferocious pirate raid: 900 of its inhabitants were captured and kept as slaves in Tunis for 5 years. As a testimony of these barbaric raids there still remain some parts of the old town walls and the fort.
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The island's only town was built up by the French Army in the 18th Century: its roads are narrow and the two-storied houses often reflect the colours of Ligurian villages.
In fact the residents are of Ligurian heritage and they still retain intact the dialect and customs of their ancestors, despite being 350 miles away. The island's natural countryside is almost a microcosm of Sardinia: a hilly interior covered by woodland and ponds, whose habitat is home to the rare Queen Hawk and other wildlife. Down near the town, pink flamingos feed in the beautiful salt marshes.
The island is surrounded by crystal clear waters with cliffs whose colours change from ochre to deep red to white and to green, which the sea has hollowed into astonishing caves. Among the cliffs are quiet beaches of white sands.
Wonders of the island:
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