Arzachena: what to know before buying a home
A municipality in the province of Gallura Nord-Est Sardegna, Sardegna. Official data on earthquakes, population, services and transport.
Liveability index free for any address
Land sheet 6 free checks
Search for an address in Arzachena
The report looks at the exact point: landslide and flood risk, seismic zone, price per square metre for the area, services and nearby stops.
For example: Via Adige 1, Arzachena.
Arzachena, the town behind the Costa Smeralda
Much of the Costa Smeralda lies within the municipality of Arzachena: Porto Cervo, Baja Sardinia, Cannigione and dozens of coves among the granite rocks of north-eastern Gallura. The town itself sits a few kilometres inland and has a different life from the coast, with residents' homes, offices and shops open all year. The area also has many prehistoric Nuragic sites, such as the Albucciu nuraghe and the Coddu Vecchiu giants' tomb.
The property market works on two very different levels. On the coast, villas and holiday homes sell at some of the highest prices in Italy; in the town and the inland countryside, values are on another scale altogether. Anyone buying near the sea should check planning compliance and landscape protection rules carefully, as they are strict here. Olbia airport is about half an hour away.
The population is growing: 13,436 residents in 2023, up 17.4% since 2011 according to Istat, the national statistics office, and Arzachena ranks number 2 in the province by population. The estimated mean age is 46.6, the same as the province, and foreign residents are 9.5%. Declared incomes are above the provincial average. Tourism shows in the figures: 266 bars and restaurants listed, 19.80 per 1,000 residents against 11.00 in the province.
Earthquake hazard is the lowest: all 26 municipalities in the province are in seismic zone 4 of the Civil Protection classification, and here expected ground acceleration is about 0.050 g. On the coast, salt air, wind and the upkeep of facades and systems matter more.
The 2013 flood in Gallura also hit Arzachena and showed how dangerous basement rooms near watercourses can be. The report checks flood and landslide hazard on the official maps for the individual address. The Revenue Agency (Agenzia delle Entrate) publishes the cadastral maps.
Key points
- Costa Smeralda, Porto Cervo and Nuragic sites within the municipality.
- Population up 17.4% since 2011.
- Seismic zone 4, like the whole province.
- 19.80 bars and restaurants per 1,000 residents, a sign of tourism.
Overview
Arzachena is a municipality in the province of Gallura Nord-Est Sardegna, in Sardegna. At the end of 2023 it had 13,436 residents, the second most populous in the province.
Earthquakes
For Italy's Civil Protection Department, Arzachena is in seismic zone 4, the lowest-risk zone, where strong earthquakes are very rare. All 26 municipalities in the province are in the same zone.
In the built-up area, the expected ground shaking (peak ground acceleration, PGA) is about 0.050 g, a moderate value: the level with a 10% probability of being exceeded in 50 years, on rock.
In zone 4 the risk is low, but for an older building it is still worth asking about the state of the structure.
Population
Compared with the 2011 census, the resident population has grown by 17.4%. The estimated average age is 47 years, in line with the province. 23% of residents are over 65 (the regional figure is 27%). Foreign residents make up 9.5% of the population. On average, a household has 2.0 members.
Income and climate
In tax year 2024, taxpayers in Arzachena declared an average taxable income of 22,555 euros, above the provincial average (21,361 euros). The Italian average is 24,895 euros.
Arzachena is in climate zone C, with 1,074 heating degree days: heating may be switched on from 15 November to 31 March, for up to 10 hours a day. The same table puts the town hall at 83 metres above sea level.
Services
In the official Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health lists, Arzachena has 10 schools and 6 pharmacies. The Overture Maps data also lists 23 grocery shops and supermarkets, 7 healthcare facilities, 32 sports facilities and 9 parks and green areas.
There are 1.7 grocery shops and supermarkets per 1,000 residents, more than the province average (1.0).
Public transport
We do not yet have open public transport timetables for this municipality: the report says so explicitly, without inventing distances.
How built-up it is
Buildings, roads, car parks and other sealed surfaces cover 5.6% of the land in Arzachena, compared with 3.4% in the region. In 2024 built-up land grew by 7.0 hectares.
Radon and contaminated sites
Arzachena is one of the municipalities designated as a radon priority area by the Regione Sardegna in 2022. According to the ISPRA map, the estimated radon emission in the municipality is medium. Radon varies from building to building and can only be known by measuring it, especially on ground floors and in basements.
Landslides and flooding
Landslide and flood hazard changes from one street to the next even within Arzachena: the report checks the address against the ISPRA maps.
House prices
The Revenue Agency's price ranges per square metre (OMI) apply to zones, not to whole municipalities: the report gives the range for the address's zone.
Land registry
The cadastral maps for Arzachena are public: from the address the report finds the sheet and parcel number.
Liveability area by area
The Vicinalia liveability index runs from 0 to 100 and looks at the place, not the people who live there: services within walking distance, transport, green space, natural hazards, air, quiet, buildings and connection. Here it is worked out at the centre of each of the 142 inhabited census areas in Arzachena. Half of the residents live in areas scoring 79 or more.
Residents by band
- fair 20.1%
- good 32.1%
- very good 39.8%
- excellent 7.9%
Vicinalia index by census area, licence CC BY-SA 4.0. Data: IdroGEO ISPRA (2026), Istat, INGV, EEA, AGCOM, Overture Maps and OpenStreetMap.
The colour is the value at the centre of the area. For an exact address, search for it above: the free check looks at that exact point. How the index is worked out
Data sources
- Seismic classification of municipalities, Dipartimento della Protezione Civile. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 2025-05.
- MPS04 seismic hazard model, INGV. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2004 model.
- Data by census section, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, residents at the end of 2023, compared with the 2011 census.
- Places, Overture Maps Foundation. Licence CDLA Permissive 2.0 and others depending on provider, release 2026-10-21.0.
- Income and main IRPEF variables by municipality, MEF, Dipartimento delle Finanze. Licence CC BY 3.0 IT, tax year 2024.
- Climate zones and heating degree days of municipalities (Presidential Decree 412/1993, Annex A), Normattiva. Licence CC BY 4.0, current text.
- Land take, territorial dynamics and ecosystem services, ISPRA e SNPA. Licence CC BY 4.0, 2024 data.
- Predictive radon map by municipality, ISPRA. Licence CC BY 4.0, version 2022-11.
- Radon priority areas (Legislative Decree 101/2020), Regione Sardegna, national list compiled by ARPA Lombardia. Licence Atto pubblico (art. 5 L. 633/1941), 2022.
- Liveability index by census area, Vicinalia, from the data in the report sections. Licence CC BY-SA 4.0, worked out on 30 September 2026.
- List of Italian municipalities, Istat. Licence CC BY 4.0, updated to 21 February 2026.
ISTAT code 113004. The text on this page is generated automatically from the data.