Porto Corallo
by luxury on 25 May 2018
Porto Corallo is locates in the sub-region of Sarrabus., in a rich area of interesting archaeological sites and of particular importance from the historical point of view . There are signs of human presence since the Nuragic Age, although the importance of the Quirra area for historical reasons begins in the Giudicati time, in the eleventh century. The area was first under the Giudicato (or Kingdom) of Cagliari, later from 1258 under the Visconti family who ruled until the arrival of Pisans who conquered the entire area including the castle of Quirra, which become their official residence.
The castle of Quirra, located a few kilometers further north of Porto Corallo beach, was built in the twelfth century by the Giudicato of Cagliari rulers in order to defend the border with the Giudicato of Gallura. It was an important palce of several political events up to 1324 when the Aragons arrived in Sardinia. In fact, the Aragons who in 1324 defeated and expelled the Pisans from Cagliari and Gallura territory, achieve complete rule of the island upon gaining victory against the Giudicato Of Arborea in 1409, which becomes a legally independent kingdom of the Crown of Aragon. The castle of Quirra was the Aragons’ bulwark against the troops of the Giudicato of Arborea, helped by those of the Doria’s family who hoped to get access to the sea and especially to the Sarrabus’mines .
Today the remains of the castle are three portions of the old ruined wall , a set of underground tanks, partly plastered, the remains of a triangular tower, 3.5 meters deep built in ancient times to collect rainwater. At the foot of the castle there is the church of San Nicola, one of the few churches in late-Romanesque style in Sardinia, dating back to the thirteenth century. The church is one of the few architectural beauty of the Romanesque period in Sardinia, designed with very accurate units of measurement and geometric patterns .This monument was made of fired brick and modeled with clay, collected and processed in the place where it have been found the remains of the quarry and a kiln for bricks.
The beach of Porto Corallo owes its name to the presence of coral colonies in the waters of this area and it is characterized by coarse-grained grey sand , with clear and not very deep waters. The Mediterranean maquis is thick and spreads its scents into the air.
A Spanish lookout tower is located near the small harbour and can be visited. The tower (10 meters of diameter and 11 meters high) stands near the sea, built in the year 1599 as part of the ancient lookout system against the Moor pirates, and today seat of the Coastguards.
A little bit farther on is the marina of Porto Corallo, which in ancient times was used as boathouse for fishing boats, while in the last century was the embarkation point of minerals of the argentiferous galena mine. Recently it has been built a small well-equipped marina that fits between those of Villasimius and Arbatax, very far apart.
A few steps away from Porto Corallo there is Porto Tramatzu which has a long beach of fine sand, with golden highlights and completely immersed in the green of the Mediterranean vegetation where visitors can enjoy a breathtaking view.
The presence, in the proximity of the beach, of small coves hemmed in by rocks ensures, for those who are looking for it, the opportunity of enjoying some peace and quiet.
