Posada, Sardinia: a travel guide

Visit Posada

Posada is a village situated on the east coast of Sardinia, to the south of Olbia and a few kilometres from the coast of the Tyrrhenian Sea, the part of the Mediterranean Sea that is surrounded by mainland Italy, Sicily and Sardinia.

Discover Posada

Italy This Way review: Posada is a small village with limited facilities, but you will find an attractive historic centre overlooked by a tower that remains from a medieval castle

Colourful houses in the centre of Posada

In the centre of Posada you pass through a stone arch, to find a few narrow roads with traditional houses, several painted in the bright colours we associate with the Mediterranean. The arch was the main entrance to the village in medieval times, and originally had a sturdy wooden door, that was later reinforced with steel.

The area around the arch is the most picturesque part of the village and Posada does not take much time to appreciate, but there are cafes either side of the arch so you can take a pause here as you explore. One of the cafes has a rooftop terrace which has lovely views - although there is a premium price to pay if you want to enjoy your coffee on the terrace.

Castello della Fava

At the highest point in Posada, you can see a medieval stone tower called the Castello della Fava, although views are very limited unless you have paid for an entrance ticket.

The castle was built in the 12th century, for the local lords of the area that was at that time called Gallura. By the 14th century it had passed under the control of Pisa, and then fell under the control of the Aragonese after they conquered Sardinia. It was then later defended against attacks by the Moors from the 15th century to the 18th century by local lords.

If you associate the name of the castle, fava, with beans you are correct, at least if you believe a rather improbable legend. There was a story that when the castle was under siege by a Muslim army in the 13th century, the occupants of the castle had almost no food supplies left, so they gave their last handful of beans to a pigeon.

When the invading army found the pigeon dead and full of beans they believed that the defenders must have a very large stock of food remaining, and withdrew their army.

All that remains of the castle today are some remnants of walls and a stone tower. You can climb up inside the tower to a terrace area with beautiful views across the village of Posada and the surrounding area. You also pass through a small museum / art gallery in the building.

Castello della Fava in Posada

Attractions nearby

There is not a beach in Posada, because it is a few kilometres from the coast, but there are long sandy beaches available nearby, such as the Spiaggia di Su Tiriarzu east of the town, and the beaches at Santa Lucia, a few kilometres south of Posada.

The most popular attraction near Posada is perhaps the coast around Cala Gonone, very beautiful and about 60 kilometres south of the town. To the north you reach San Teodoro, a modern resort with beaches.

You can find more local travel ideas in the Sardinia guide.