| OGLIASTRA TOURISM | Official web site of Sardinia’s Ogliastra province
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Ogliastra Tourism - Comune of Tortoĺ - Arbatax
THE AREA
Via Garibaldi, 1 - 08048 - Tortoli - phone number: +39.0782.600700 - fax number: +39.0782.623049
e-mail: segraffgen@tiscali.it - web site of the comune: www.comuneditortoli.it
INFO ABOUT TOTOLI'
AND ARBATAX
Where to stay
- Hotels
- Campsites
- Guesthouses
- Apartments to rent
- Bed and Breakfast
Where to eat
- Restaurants
- Agriturismo
Tortoĺ is Ogliastra's largest town and includes the bay of Arbatax. The port and small airport allow direct connections with the mainland of Italy. The town's origins, like its name, are uncertain. Some say the name is derived from Ilio, in that the town was founded by the fleeing Trojans, while others say the name comes from the town of the turtledoves (tortore in Italian). The area is mainly flat, and is situated on a vast coastal plain. Tortoĺ is one of the most well-known centres on the east coast of Sardinia. With lots of citrus fruit groves, Tortoĺ. is characterised by the charming coastline with its cliffs made of red porphyry and the pure white beaches among which the Lido di Orŕ and Porto Frailis (overlooking the bay of the same name) stand out for the fineness of the sand and the clarity of the water. The many tourist villages, hotels, and campsites in the coastline's prettiest bays allow thousands of visitors to stay and enjoy al the services necessary for their holidays.
The creation of a tourist port inside the port of Arbatax has increased the number of pleasure craft: this has become an almost obligatory stopover for those navigating along the east coast of Sardinia, thanks to the services offered. Tortoĺ has some very interesting archaeological remains, the majority of which near to the country churches of San Salvatore, where you find Menhir, Domus de Janas, Tombe dei Giganti and Nuraghi, and San Lussorio where you find the ruins of a Roman village. It's probable that the population moved away from the coast to the present day position in around the tenth century due to the continual Saracen invasions, and Tortoĺ is no longer visible from the sea. . In the 1800's the town developed its urban layout, with fine buildings (palazzi), and the main square where the passeggiata took place and around which you could find merchants' shops and taverns. Along Tortoĺ's streets you can experience the 'Su Logu de s'Iscultura', open-air works of modern art made by artists such as Mauro Stacciali, Antonio Levolella, Umberto Mariani, Maria Lai, Ascanio Renda, Pietro Coltella, and Hitetoski Nagasawa. As far as the local cooking goes, there are many fish dishes and the bottarga (mullet roe) coming from the lagoon is the best in Sardinia.
THE COMUNI OF OGLIASTRA