SARDINIA | Environment

Sardinia is a lovely island placed in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea with a enjoyable mild weather all year long. With it’s 1800 Km of seacoast, this incredible Island offers to its visitors an uncontaminated landscape of rare beauty symbolized by the lovely perfume of the peonia flower, by the blue green water of the sea and by the thousands of pink flamingos that live here.

The territory of the Island mixes together, mountains, tablelands, caves and the Campidano plain. Rivers and artificial lakes alternate themselves with the numerous ponds were birds such as the pink flamingo or the pollo sultano live.

Cagliari’s territory

The area around Cagliari, that is also the most populated of the Island, offers uncontaminated sea views, villages with an incredible historical background, mountains, parks and archaeology. One of the most beautiful places of the Region is by the dunes of Piscinas or the lovely ones in Chia. You should absolutely visit the Giara of Gesturi (Gesturi’s jar) a huge tableland that has been declared protected area in order to take care of the famous cavallini (little horses) that live here. Another beautiful place to visit is the granitic complex of the Sette Fratelli, huge natural reserve were deer"s, royal eagles and wild boars live, there is also an important museum dedicated to the local Sardinian deer.
Rich in glamour are the beautiful Grotte of Is Zuddas (Is Zuddas caves) that open themselves in the Mount Meana. Thanks to some gangplanks you can visit some of the beautiful rooms hidden inside. The first room you can discover is the Sala dell’Organo or Organ Room called like this because of a huge stalagmite that looks like this musical instrument. It’s walls are covered with tiny white needle shaped crystals. Going on you enter the Salone del Teatro or theatre lounge which leads to a charming room called Sala delle Eccentriche that has a vault covered rare off centered aragoniti.
All around the Golfo degli Angeli two important pond complex develop. Molentargius and Santa Gilla are one of the most important humid areas among Europe. These two area are the perfect habitat for over 200 birds like the Cavaliere d’Italia, the pollo sultano and the pink flamingo. Not far away from the Santa Gilla lagoon you can visit the Monte Arcosu Park one of the WWF oasis. The Arcosu Mountain is one of the most important of the area because of it’s huge woods and because of the animals and plant that grow here refreshed by the waters of the Guttureddu an Is Frociddus Rio. The hikers can choose between many panoramic routes tacked along this amazing natural oasis. Near the coastal village of Villasimius you should take a swim in the natural marine reserve of Capo Carbonara that includes the Cavoli Island and the Island of Serpentara. The landscape is rich of Mediterranean batch and animals like the Sardinian stag, the tortois and the beautiful water-hen.
Those who practice the snorkeling will discover in the waters of this areas an amazing marine fauna and precious relicts. We have to remember the Island of San Pietro were you can visit the Grotta del Bue Marino or Sea bull cave.

Nuoro’s territory

This is definitely the part of the Island were the old local Sardinian traditions are deep rooted. The territory mixes attractive sea foreshortenings, mountains and hills. The huge Gennargentu Park contains the Gennargentu massif that with Punta La Marmora rises above valleys and beaches were the royal eagle flies. You can find many varieties of juniper, ilex and yew-trees, ideal for the habitat of the moufflon, wild boar, griffon vulture and eagle. Excellent for those that love the trekking is an excursion Gola di Su Gruppu in the Supramonte the deepest canyon of Italy with 200 m. high calcareous walls.
The territory is enrich by gorgeous rustic churches and villages that still have the old rock houses wit wooden balconies. You should also visit the important nuragic settlement of Tiscali. The golfo of Orosei is an incredible place made by uncontaminated beaches, lovely bays, creeks and many caves as the Grotta del Bue Marino. Tavolara, placed in the riserva naturale marina Tavolara Punta Cavallo, is a wild animal mid limestone and granite were the wild goats live peacefully. This is a real paradise for those that practice birdwatchig, here you can discover many birds like the falco pellegrino, falco della regina and il gabbiano reale. You should also visit the little islands of Molara and Lolarotto and the promontory of Capo di Coda Cavallo. In the depth you can see beautiful fishes, shellfishes of all kinds of species.

Oristano’s territory

This territory is rich in historical evidences, in beautiful landscapes and natural reserves. The Arci Mountain, that has a volcanic origin, is a real paradise for those that practice trekking walking next to the foxes, wild boars, crows and the hoopoe that live here. This is also an important area for the thousands of surfers that frequently visit the beaches of Is Arenas, Is Aruttas and the beaches of Sinis. The big plain of the river Tirso, the biggest of the Island is bordered by many ponds populated by many flamingos that wait to migrate to Africa. The riserva naturale marina Penisola del Sini- Mal di Ventre has a lot of ponds like the pond of Cabras were the pollo sultano a special ducks inhabit. Mal di ventre is a granitic island were you can discover lots a nuraghe and were precious archeological findings are saved. The blue green water of this area has incredible depths with plenty of fish and hidden caves.

Sassari’s territory

This is the territory between Sassari and Alghero placed in the north of the Island famous for it’s lovely and famous coastal vacation spot like Santa Teresa di Gallura and the Costa Smeralda were Porto Cervo and Porto Rotondo are. The hinterland area is also interesting with it’s mountains populated by deers ad by the white donkeys of the Asinara Island. You should visit the Grotte di Nettuno or Neptune’s caves and the Roccia dell’elefante or elephant rock.
The Limbara Park dominates the Gallura area reaching to the not far Island of Corsica. The falco pellegrino flies above this incredible park that has many trekking routes for those that want to discover this natural paradise in a closer way. Not far from Olbia you can visit the Tavolara Island a huge calcareous rock sculptured by the wind and by the sea waves tha encloses many caves and creeks were hawks and crows live.
The parco geomarino dell’arcipelago della Maddalena or geomarine park of the la Maddalena archipelago is one of the most spectacular places of the Mediterranean Sea, made of many little islands like Budelli, Spargi and Santa Maria with beautiful bays protected from the wind, transparent water and beaches with white or pink sand.

In the Island of Caprera, a paradise for the divers, gives hospitality to the house and the museum dedicated to Giuseppe Garibaldi. The Parco Nazionale dell’Asinara or National park of the Asinara has an uncontaminated landscape with lovely bays, spurs sheer above the sea and white beaches. On this island live the little Sardinian donkey. You should absolutely visit Stintino ad it’s increbible La Pelosa Beach. The promontory of Capo Caccia, near Alghero, is 168m high is a real natural paradise were special plants live like the sea fennel or the palma nana (small palm). Many caves are placed near the promontory like the cave of Capo Verde or the famous Grotta di Nettuno or Neptune’s cave.