3 Best Sights in Pula, Sardinia

Although there is a perfectly serviceable sandy beach right outside the archaeological site of Nora, infinitely more enticing is the series of long expanses of sand 18 km (11 miles) farther south toward the cape of Capo Spartivento, Sardinia's southernmost tip. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; parking (fee in summer); toilets. Best for: swimming.

The narrow promontory outside Pula was the site of a Phoenician, Carthaginian, and then, later, Roman settlement that was first inhabited some 2,800 years ago. Nora was a prime location as a stronghold and an important trading town; Phoenician settlers scouted for good harbors, cliffs to shelter their craft from the wind, and an elevation from which they could defend themselves. An old Roman paved road passes the temple ruins, which include baths, a Roman theater, and an amphitheater now used for summer music festivals.

Behind its inappropriate modern frontage, the simple interior of this 11th-century church at the base of the Nora promontory retains its ancient and atmospheric character. Viewed from the rear, too, the exterior reveals its original lines. The church plays a key role in one of Sardinia's most colorful annual events—the Festa di Sant'Efisio, when a four-day procession accompanies a statue of the martyred St. Efisius all the way from Cagliari to here and back again, culminating in a huge parade of costumed Sardinians and decorated traccas (ox-drawn carriages) along Cagliari's main avenue. Try to catch this if you're in the area from May 1 to May 4 (the last day being the most spectacular).