5-day Guided Tour of Sulcis Iglesiente

5 Days

Speak of the Wild West in Italy and the Sulcis Iglesiente, in the south-west of Sardinia, is what comes to mind. Wild because of its pristine natural treasures, far from the crowds of tourists; exploring these offers a unique and memorable experience.  In the Sulcis Iglesiente you can find an alternative Sardinia, where the beaches have been left as nature intended and you can smell the Mediterranean scrub.Sulcis Iglesiente is one of the oldest areas in Europe: rich in minerals and, therefore, rich in history and culture since ancient times. Here is a proposal for a 5-day guided tour in Sulcis Iglesiente, Mines in the blue with easy walks, transfers by car and visits to archaeological, mining and natural attractions in South West Sardinia.

Day 1. A taste of history: from the Nuragics to the Phoenicians up to the 1900s. Nuraghe Seruci, Monte Sirai and Carbonia

Day 2. Visit to the island of Sant’Antioco

Day 3. Visit to the Temple of Antas, Su Mannau’s Cave and the city of Iglesias

Day 4. Easy trekking from Nebida to Porto Flavia with a stop at Masua beach

Day 5. Tour of the beaches, Cala Domestica, Buggerru, San Niccolò and Capo Pecora

The Guide: Tiziana Dedola, tourist guide and local expert.
The accommodation: if available, the staying is in the beautiful Bed & Breakfast by the sea Pedra Rubia (extra cost not included) or in similar structures in the nearby.
The transfer: by private car or minibus (extra cost not included).
The meals
: not included, but you can take advantage of special agreement with local restaurants and shops.

Overview

The south-west of Sardinia is a place for the discerning traveller, for the pioneer, for an élite of connoisseurs, a million miles from classic mass tourism. Here the luxury extras are untouched nature, the chance to explore deserted locations and discover new routes, a passion for forests and rocks and a love for perfect blue seas and skies.
Here is a proposal for a 5-day guided tour in Sulcis Iglesiente with easy walks, transfers by car and visits to archaeological, mining and natural attractions in South West Sardinia.

Highlights:

  • Nuraghe Seruci and the village
  • Porto Paglia Beach, the tonnara and the special rock
  • Monte Sirai archaeological area, the acropolis, the temple, the necropolis, the tophet
  • Nuragic village of Grutti ‘e Acqua, Tomb of the Giants of Su Niu e Su Crobu, Arch of Kisses
  • “Living museum" of Bisso by Chiara Vigo/Ethnographic museum
  • Phoenician-Punic archaeological area, Hypogean village of Sant'Antioco
  • Antas Temple, roman quarries, Nuragic village and centuries-old oak
  • Iglesias city center: Medieval walls, squares, Salvaterra Castle, medieval churches
  • Belvedere of Nebida, Laveria La Marmora, the “colosseum of mining art”
  • Masua Beach and ancient mining buildings
  • Porto Flavia mining site
  • Cala Domestica Beach
  • Village of Buggerru and San Niccolò beach
  • Capo Pecora natural area by the sea

Itinerary

Guided tour of the Nuraghe Seruci di Gonnesa, one of the largest and most important nuragic complexes in Sardinia. Lunch break on the Porto Paglia beach, in front of the ancient tonnara and introduction to the geology of Sulcis Iglesiente. In the afternoon, visit to Monte Sirai, a Phoenician-Punic acropolis. Visit to the city of Carbonia, an example of a 20th century Italian company town.

We reach the suggestive nuragic town of Grutti 'e Acqua in the less populated area of ​​the island of Sant’Antioco, from where you can enjoy a beautiful view of the southern part of the island. We continue with a short walk towards the Tomb of the Giants of Su Niu and Su Crobu, then moving towards the western rocky coast of the island to visit the Arco dei Baci, an impressive rock formation overlooking the sea. In the afternoon we visit the "living museum" of the Bisso di Chiara Vigo, Master in the ancient art of weaving the gold of the sea (the so called bisso) and we will take a walk in the historic center of the city of Sant'Antioco, visit the hypogeic village and walk around the excavations of the Phoenician-Punic necropolis.

Visit to the Temple of Antas, a Punic-Roman temple, a highly symbolic place for Sardinian history. From here a short path towards the Roman quarries starts, the adjacent Nuragic village and a centuries-old oak.
Visit to the Su Mannau's Cave by local guides.
After lunch, we visit to the city of Iglesias, we walk along the medieval walls, the castle, the historic center, the numerous medieval and baroque churches, the historic buildings of its grand mining past.

One of the most beautiful parts of the Sardinian coast is an itinerary from which you can enjoy the view of the 5 stacks including the majestic and famous Pan di Zucchero (130 meters high).
We start from the town and arrive at Laveria La Marmora which we reach thanks to a suggestive flight of steps consisting of 400 steps. After crossing Nebida we go down to the beautiful beach of Portu Banda, we continue to Porto Ferro, Porto Corallo and the beautiful beach of Masua. If possible, we visit Porto Flavia, a mining port on the sea, unique in the world.

Visit to the beach of Cala Domestica, one of the most beautiful beach of Iglesiente, with an easy walk towards the Torre Sabauda to admire the view of the cove. Then we walk towards the cove of Cala Lunga. We continue with the transfer to the town of Buggerru, which we visit briefly, then having lunch on the beautiful beach of San Niccolò, some km more on the north. After lunch, we move towards the promontory of Capo Pecora, with an easy trek to the beach of the “dinosaur eggs”, a spectacular path on the sea with the wonderful granite rock shaped by the wind and the sea.

What's Included

Cost Icludes:

  • English-speaking professional tourist guide
  • Complete and customizable itinerary
  • Help on Logistic and accommodation booking
  • External visit to the main attractions

Cost excludes:

  • Food and drinks, unless specified
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off (to be agreed)
  • The transfer: by private car or minibus (to be agreed)
  • The accommodation (to be agreed)
  • Tickets of attractions (Nuraghe Seruci, Monte Sirai, Museo Bisso, Hypogeic village, Antas temple, Porto Flavia)

Trip Facts

  • 300€
  • 1600€
  • 7-8 persons
  • on request - 05-09 July '23
  • by private cars or minubus (extra cost)
  • in B&B (extra cost)
  • Easy
  • Culture & Nature
  • english, italian