Their Days

An Elopement on the Temo River — Bosa, Sardinia

An elopement on the Temo River in Bosa, western Sardinia, where painted houses, a Norman castle, and still water shaped a quiet, unplanned kind of morning.

By Roberta Perrone15+ years photographing Italy2 min read

They found Bosa the way most people find good things — not looking for it. They were planning something on the Costa Smeralda and wrote to ask if I knew anywhere quieter. Somewhere that still felt like Sardinia before Sardinia became famous.

Bosa sits on the banks of the Temo river, an hour south of Alghero. A medieval village of painted houses — rose, ochre, sage — climbing up from the waterfront toward a Norman castle. The river is the only navigable one in Sardinia, and the boats moored below the coloured facades have been there long enough to look permanent.

The morning

We started on the dock at the edge of town, where the Temo opens up before meeting the sea. The light comes in from the west in the morning — soft, directional, the kind that makes everything look slightly more itself. Behind them, the whole village was reflected in the still water.

Couple kissing in front of the pastel houses of Bosa, Sardinia

There were fishermen out early. A few residents crossing the bridge. Nobody paid much attention to us, which is one of the things I love most about working in places that haven’t been optimised for tourism: people carry on living their lives, and that becomes the photograph.

“Somewhere that still felt like Sardinia before Sardinia became famous.”

Why Bosa works

Bosa rewards couples who want colour without crowds. The medieval quarter — Sa Costa — runs up the hillside in narrow lanes, washing lines overhead, cats on doorsteps. In the late afternoon, the facades catch the western sun and everything turns warm: terracotta, gold, deep amber.

Bride and groom cheek to cheek by the Temo River in Bosa

For couples thinking about Sardinia and not sure where: I’d almost always suggest Bosa over the famous north. The Costa Smeralda is beautiful. Bosa has character.

Details

Getting there: Fly to Alghero. Bosa is 50 minutes by car — car hire is essential.
Where to stay: Sa Pischeredda, on the waterfront. Or Sa Plaja, the boutique hotel above town.
Best time: May, September, October. July and August are warm and more visited.