The Isola di San Pietro is a small, beautiful island off the southwestern coast of Sardinia, connected to the mainland by ferry from Portovesme and from Calasetta on the adjacent Isola di Sant'Antioco. The island has one town: Carloforte.
The island has a distinctly non-Sardinian character. Its people — the Carlofortini — are descended from Genoese fishermen who were brought back from Tunisia in the 18th century, and they still speak a Ligurian dialect called Tabarchino. The architecture has a faded Mediterranean pastel charm, more Caribbean in feel than typical Sardinian.
The island is famous for tuna fishing. The mattanza — a traditional method of netting bluefin tuna during their annual migration — was practised here for centuries. It is now rarely performed due to the collapse of bluefin tuna stocks, but tuna remains central to the local cuisine.
The western coast of the island has excellent beaches, particularly La Bobba and Guidi, with clear water and limited development. The interior is largely covered in fragrant macchia. Diving around the island's rocky coastline is very good — the waters are well-preserved.
