9 days to discover the best archaeological sites of Sardinia
An incredible presence of extraordinary monuments everywhere
What you’ll do, see and taste
- 1 Neolithic necropolis
- 6 nuragic villages
- 2 nuragic tombs
- 2 nuragic sacred wells
- 7 archaeological museums
- 3 roman towns
- Capocaccia promontory Natural Monument
- 1 typical dinner
Day 1 - Olbia - Arzachena and the archaeological area
According to arrival time in Olbia some free time in town. Lunch on your own and in the afternoon departure to visit the important Nuragic monument La Prisgiona, an ancient construction dating back to the Bronze Age. It is all made of roughly worked boulders. Some additional rooms and spaces added to the basic tower-shaped building changed can be visited as well. In the period of the biggest development it was a real village with streets, internal courtyards, wells, etc. Then carry on to visit Li muri necropolis dating back to the 4th millennium BC. It consists of small burial cells surrounded by small slabs set in concentric circles. At the end visit the archaeological museum in Olbia that preserve parts of some ancient ships form the Roman period found where is now Olbia waterfront. Dinner and overnight in hotel.
Day 2 - Nuragic monuments and Nuoro and the archaeological museum
In the morning stop for a visit at S'Ena e Thomes Nuragic monument, one of the so called giants' tomb. Its exedra (the semicircle that probably draws a bull's horns) has a width exceeding 10 metres, the central stele is almost 4 metres high and weighs about 7 tons and the funeral corridor is almost intact. Then continue with a visit to Serra Orrios, a very well preserved and almost complete Nuragic village made of 49 rooms, 2 temples, walls and 2 megalithic tombs. Lunch in Nuoro. In the afternoon visit the national archaeological museum in Nuoro with a rich collection of the findings of the area of Nuoro and Ogliastra since more than 20 000 years ago up to the Medieval period. On the way to Fonni stop at Madau Giants' tomb situated at the Pratobello valley. The 4 tombs face the rising sun every morning. Dinner and overnight in hotel in Fonni.
Day 3 - Laconi Museum of Menhir and Nuraghe Arrubiu
Departure after breakfast to Laconi to visit the Museum with a very rich collection of menhirs. Lunch in Laconi in a local restaurant and proceed to Isili for a photo stop at the white nuraghe Is Paras. It is different from the other nuraghes because it was built with the white limestone stones. The room inside the main tower is one of the highest in Sardinia (11,80 m). Carry on to Orroli to be astonished by the huge size of Nuraghe Arrubiu called also red nuraghe according to its characteristic colour. It is one of the biggest ones in Sardinia, it has remains of 21 towers and covers an area of 5000 square meters. Dinner and overnight in hotel.
Day 4 - Cagliari - a fascinating historical town
Departure after breakfast to visit Cagliari and Castello district including the archaeological museum that exhibits, besides many different findings, an outstanding collection of little bronze Nuragic statues and some of the enigmatic Giants of Monte Prama, one of the latest foundings in Sardinia. Lunch on your own and in the afternoon visit the Roman amphitheatre. It was built between the 1st and the 2nd century AD, partly excavated in the bare rock and partly made with white limestone local rocks. It could contain about 10 000 spectators which was one third of the whole population of the town in those times. At the end visit the botanical garden that has some Roman cisterns inside the gardens. Dinner in a traditional restaurant in town.
Day 5 - Nora, Montessu necropoli and Sant'Antioco
Visit Nora that is situated on the Pula promontory and that was probably (escavations are being done during these years) founded by the Phoenicians during the 8th century B.C. as an important port. There are just few remains from the first period (for example tophet or walls). During the Roman period it was one the most important towns in Sardinia. There are different remains from this period: theatre, amphitheatre, baths, etc. Then continue to Villaperuccio to visit Montessu Neolithic necropolis, made of more than 40 tombs (the so-called domus de janas grottoes) excavated inside the rock and dating back to the Neolithic period. In some of them there are still engraved in the bare rock the important religious symbols eyes of Goddess-Mother or the horns of God-Taurus. Lunch in a local restaurant. In the afternoon proceed to St. Antioco to visit the local archaeological museum and the tophet that was used from the 8th to the 1st century BC. It is a huge area at the open air with more than 3000 funeral urns. Dinner and overnight in Carbonia.
Day 6 - Su Nuraxi, Cuccurada nuragic villages and Oristano
The day dedicated to the visit of Barumini village with its Nuragic Su Nuraxi and the local Museum in Casa Zapata. Su Nuraxi is a Nuragic village that dates back to the Bronze age and is one of the biggest in Sardinia and it is very well preserved. Nowadays it is inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Casa Zapata was built at the end of the 16th century by Spanish family who arrived to Sardinia in 1323. It is now a museum divided into 3 parts: archaeological, historical and ethnographical one. Each session has a rich collection of findings and documents. Lunch in a restaurant. After proceed to nuraghe Cuccurada in Mogoro. It is different from many other nuraghes since it has as a basis of a corridor-shaped building instead of a tower. At the end visit the Antiquario Arborense museum in Oristano. It is situated in the Palazzo Parpaglia. The collection is made of various findings from different nuraghes, from Tharros and from various Spanish craft objects from the 15th and the 16th century. Dinner and overnight in Oristano.
Day 7 - Tharros, Cabras and San Vero Milis
Departure after breakfast to visit Tharros, San Salvatore of Sinis's church and the area where the Giants of Monte Prama are still being escavated. The town of Tharros was founded by the Phoenicians in the 8th century BC. Visit the necropolis and the tophet that was in those times a typical open air sanctuary or burial area. The Carthaginians built the monumental temple and the defensive walls in the VI century BC. During the Roman period the roads were paved using big basalt slabs, the aqueduct was built, and a sewer system with three thermal baths were added to the town. Lunch in a local restaurant and in the afternoon visit the local archaeological museum in Cabras where are also the Giants of Monte Prama: the magestic, more than 2 meters high nuragic statues that date back to the 9th century BC, and considered among the most ancient in the whole Mediterranean. The last stop is at the surprising S'Urachi Nuragic village near San Vero Milis. Dinner and overnight in Oristano.
Day 8 - Santa Cristina, Santu Antine, Sassari and Alghero
In the morning visit Santa Cristina Nuragic sacred well situated in the tableland of Abbasanta. Walk down the stairs and admire this marvellous example of the religious nuragic architecture. The well dates back to the 12th century BC and is made of basalt stones. Then proceed to Santu Antine nuragic village. Its highest tower reached originally 24 meters. Lunch in Sassari. In the afternoon visit the national archaeological museum then proceed to Alghero. Stop at Palmavera Nuragic village before proceeding to Capocaccia for a spectacular photo-stop from this limestone promontory. Under the promontory there are the Neptune's caves. Dinner ad overnight in Alghero.
Day 9 - Monte d'Accoddi and Porto Torres archaeological area
After breakfast departure to Monte d'Accoddi - Neolithic megalithic altar from the pre-nuragic era (4th millennium BC), a unique monument in the whole Mediterranean area. Afterwards drive to Porto Torres to visit the Roman bridge with seven arcades and the excavations of the Roman colony Turris Libyssonis with the nearby archaeological museum. Visit San Gavino basilica - a Romanesque church built on a Paleochristian necropolis. Some spare time before departure.