The Italian Island of Tavolara, pictured here from across the waters of the Gulf of Olbia, is beautiful nature at its best. It lies off the coast of the town of Olbia on the northeast coast of Sardinia. Olbia is the main destination for ferries arriving from mainland Italy, so Tavolara is often among the first sights seen by visitors to Sardinia.

Tavolara is quite a small islet, but reaches a height of more than 500 metres, with towering walls of granite rock that make this place a paradise for birds and other wild animals. It’s also home to a small number of families and the last remnants of the Kingdom of Tavolara, as it was an independent state for much of the previous two centuries, before becoming part of Italy.

Tavolara is a spectacular spot for diving as, in 1997, the Marine Protected Area of Tavolara was established to preserve the natural wonders of the surrounding seabed. This initiative has seen the implementation of significant measures to protect the area, offering care and protection to the territory in keeping with the idea of a sustainable use in the long run.

During the summer, Tavolara hosts a cinema festival. This is particularly interesting because it’s such an unusual location to watch a movie. An outdoor screen is set up at the Arena Cinema isola di Tavolara for the whole week and films are projected with Tavolara’s rocky peaks towering above.

This year’s festival starts this week, with the first screening on Wednesday (21 July 2010).

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