Lazzaretto di Cala Reale

The Lazzaretto di Cala Reale is a historic quarantine hospital set in a strikingly scenic bay on the island of Asinara, near Sassari, where ships and their crews were once isolated to prevent the spread of disease. It sits close to the Royal Palace building and a chapel, making this a rare cluster of historical structures in an otherwise wild, protected national park. The turquoise waters and white donkeys roaming nearby give it an almost surreal atmosphere that makes the dark history feel even more striking.