Bosa

Province: Oristano · Region: Sardinia · Population: 8,026 · Postal code: 09089

Bosa's houses descend to the river in a cascade of pastel colours, the Malaspina castle closing the scene above and palms lining the Temo — Sardinia's only navigable river — lending an almost colonial air. On the far bank, the old tanneries of Sas Conzas recall the trade that made the town's fortune.

The Sa Costa quarter is a vertical labyrinth of stairways and drying laundry; Malvasia di Bosa, sweet and oxidative, is poured in family cellars. Two kilometres away, Bosa Marina and the coast road to Alghero: one of the island's most beautiful drives.