Arzachena

Arzachena (; , ) is a town and comune (municipality) in the Province of Gallura North-East Sardinia in the northeastern part of the autonomous island region of Sardinia in Italy. Arzachena lies halfway between the original Costa Smeralda resort and Porto Rafael, both founded in the late 1950s. With a population of 13,456, it is the 2nd-largest municipality in Gallura by population after Olbia.

The frazione of Porto Cervo is the main resort area of Costa Smeralda for summer tourism, which since the 1960s has replaced agriculture as the main local source of economic activity. Nearby there are numerous archaeological sites from the Nuragic period, including those from a local sub-culture known as Arzachena culture (the necropolis of Li Muri and others).

Arzachena borders the municipalities of Luogosanto, Luras, Olbia, Palau, Sant'Antonio di Gallura, and Tempio Pausania.

History

Located in an area once inhabited by the Arzachena culture, the region was known by the Romans as Turibulum, after a mushroom-shaped rock which is today the symbol of the town.

The oldest recorded use of the modern name is in a 1421 document, when king Alfonso IV of Aragon gave it (under the spelling Arsaghene) as a fief to Ramboldo de Cobaria. In the late 16th century, it was mostly depopulated, and the current town was re-established in 1716 on a hill by King Charles Emmanuel III of Savoy.

In 1909 the new village had 853 inhabitants, a population which grew substantially after the tourist boom associated with Costa Smeralda, which had originally been a small stretch of coast in the commune of Arzachena.

Frazioni Abbiadori Baja Sardinia Cala di Volpe Cannigione Poltu Quatu Porto Cervo La Conia Liscia di Vacca Santa Teresina Monti Canaglia Padula d'Izzana Giunnicheddu

Demographics As of 2026, the population is 13,456, of which 50.5% are male, and 49.5% are female. Minors make up 13.4% of the population, and seniors make up 24.2%.

Immigration As of 2025, immigrants make up 12.0% of the total population. The 5 largest foreign countries of birth are Romania, Morocco, Brazil, Germany, and France.

International relations

Twin towns - sister cities Porto-Vecchio, France Ibiza, Spain Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt

Arzachena

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