The port of Golfo Aranci is located in the homonymous gulf, not many kilometers from Olbia. Being the Sardinian airport closest to the boot, it is also one of the busiest: according to estimates by the Adsp Mare di Sardegna, annual passenger traffic is around one million.
Golfo Aranci is connected with Livorno and Piombino with direct routes; with Savona, Nice and Toulon, on the other hand, carriers departing from the Gallura port make a stopover in Corsica.
The port area consists of a series of docks where cruise ships can also moor. In it it is also possible to identify a specific area equipped with tracks and intended for the docking of ferries with trains on board for the transport of goods.
A short distance from the embarkations, there are a whole series of piers which, especially during the summer, welcome pleasure boats.
The Municipality of Golfo Aranci, which has just under 2500 souls, does not have a city bus network. However, the port is easily accessible on foot, by bike or by scooter.
If you are in Olbia and want to reach Golfo Aranci, you have three solutions: rent a car, take the train or rely on the road transport service offered by ARST.
The closest airport to the Municipality of Golfo Aranci is Olbia-Costa Smeralda. Outside the airport there is a terminal where you can rent a car (you will reach your destination in about half an hour).
Alternatively, after reaching the Olbia railway station thanks to the ASPO lines 2 and 10, you can take the train that will take you to the Golfo Aranci station. To get to Golfo Aranci, moreover, it is possible to use the means of ARST.
The Golfo Aranci railway station is located near the port, a few meters away from the boarding points for the peninsula, Corsica and mainland France (Nice and Toulon).
The ticket offices of the companies that serve the Figarese port are located inside the maritime station.
As one of the most popular and popular locations in north-eastern Sardinia, Golfo Aranci is full of a whole series of commercial activities that are necessarily linked to the tourism sector.
In addition to the restaurants where you can taste the dishes of the Sardinian culinary tradition, in the town there are clothing shops, local food and wine products; strolling along the streets of Golfo Aranci, moreover, you will find several artisan shops, where valuable artefacts that are unique in the world are still made today.
The territory of Golfo Aranci (Italianization of Golfu de li Ranci, or "Gulf of the Crabs") has been inhabited since ancient times. Proof of this is the presence, near the railway, of a sacred well referable to the Nuragic civilization: the Milis well. Other archaeological evidence also demonstrates the interest that the Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Romans had in the area.
The main place of worship is the church dedicated to the patron saint, San Giuseppe. The town (Municipality since 1979) is home to the prestigious Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute, where scholars from all over the world carry out their activities.
Among the places to visit absolutely during your stay in Golfo Aranci are the promontory of Capo Figari, Cala Moresca, Cala Greca, the beach of Baia Caddinas and the island of Figarolo.
During the nineteenth century, Golfo Aranci began to be inhabited by shepherds from the Gallura hinterland, who extended their pastures in this area.
The strategic position and the shape of the port have always determined the economic fortunes of the Figarese population. The Gulf, in particular, was the subject of a colonization process by Ponza fishermen, attracted by the abundance of fish in that stretch of sea.
The strong link with the largest of the Ponziane is also evident in some folkloristic-religious events, such as the mass and procession aboard the fishing boats during the feast of San Silverio, patron saint of Ponza.