Cannigione is a beautiful tourist village. It is a fraction of the municipality of Arzachena, it has about 800 inhabitants and extends along the western coast of the Arzachena Gulf. The name Cannigione derives from the Latin word for cane, Arundo donax, which can be often found in the humid areas with shallow water. Exactly like the inner areas of the Arzachena Gulf. Close to the port, located in an unpolluted natural ambience with an abundance of water, we find the Fauna Oasis Padula Saloni where about 60 species of birds nest, for example, the purple heron or purple swamphen.
Cannigione also offers a wide range of beautiful beaches, such as the main beach of Mannena, La Conca, Tanca Manna, Barca Bruciata which are located along the coast and many others.
From Fishing to Tourism
The real heart of Cannigione is its port. It was built at the beginning of the twentieth century by the local fishermen on the estuary of three small rivers and well inside the long and sheltered bay. However, in the last decades the fishing industry has almost been replaced by tourism, so the vast majority of the boats we find in the port offer visitors sailing trips to the nearby incredibly beautiful La Maddalena Archipelago.
Peter Gabriel and his love for Sardinia
There are plenty of restaurants, bars and shops with the Sardinian artisans‘ products and various other services as well as accommodation facilities of differing types and categories, from room rentals and hotels to private villas. At the outskirts of Cannigione there is for example Peter Gabriel’s villa. It is hidden among the vegetation and it faces the Salina Gulf. Peter Gabriel considers Sardinia his second home and often composes his music here. He celebrated his second wedding in Sardinia on board his 80-meter yacht as well. In 2002 he gave the Arzachena locals (which is only 5 km far from Cannigione), a lovely and unexpected surprise. During the Patron Saint festivities the spectators were expecting the Italian singer Raf to preform, but he didn’t turn up, so Peter Gabriel decided immediately to replace him. For his generosity the municipality bestowed on him honorary citizenship of Arzachena.
