01
Baunei The Forgotten Blue Zone
Baunei falls within the Sardinian "Blue Zone", one of the five areas in the world where
people statistically live the longest. Tziu Ferrandu, born in 1904, was still herding his goats
at 103 along the very same trails that trekkers follow today. The secret?
According to gerontologists, a combination of genetics, a diet based on pane carasau, pecorino
and Cannonau wine, and above all the daily physical activity demanded by the sheer verticality
of the terrain.
02
Baunei The Back-to-Front Church
The church of San Nicola has its main entrance facing north rather than west,
which is extremely rare in Christian sacred architecture. Local legend has it that the oxen
carrying the building stones refused to follow the planned route and came to a halt
at the current spot: the people of Baunei decided to go along with the animals.
03
Baunei The Shepherds' Code
Until the 1960s, the shepherds of Baunei used a whistle-based communication system
(similar to the "Silbo Gomero" of the Canary Islands) to talk to one another across the
opposing slopes of the Supramonte. Each family had its own distinctive whistle-signature.
04
Baunei Golgo: the Sacred Canyon
The Golgo plateau is home to "Su Sterru", the deepest karst sinkhole in Europe
(approximately 270 metres). Here too stands the rural church of San Pietro, where every June
a festival is celebrated with kid roasted over fires lit on bare rock. It is one of
the few places in Sardinia where the ancient "a carraxiu" cooking technique (underground)
is still practised.
05
Tortolì The Red Rocks: 500-million-year-old porphyry
The massive porphyry outcrops rising from the sea at Arbatax are no mere picturesque boulders: they are volcanic formations dating back to the Palaeozoic era, roughly 500 million years old, among the oldest exposed rocks in Sardinia. Their ferrous colour — which shifts from orange to violet depending on the light — is due to the high concentration of oxidised potassium feldspar. In some places the layering reveals folds and fractures that geologists read as the scars of ancient continental orogenies. Photographed by millions of tourists, the Red Rocks have been chosen as a film set for more than one Italian production and lent their name to the island's most important music festival.
06
Tortolì The Little Green Train: the last narrow-gauge railway
The station at Arbatax is the southern terminus of the Central Sardinian Railway, popularly known as the Trenino Verde (Little Green Train), one of the most scenic narrow-gauge (950 mm) railway lines in Europe. Inaugurated in 1894, it covers almost 160 kilometres of wild territory all the way to Mandas, passing through Gairo, Sadali and Laconi, crossing viaducts, tunnels carved into rock and elevations above 1,000 metres. The little train takes about seven hours to complete the journey, but that is part of its charm: it is a journey through time, not through space. Now managed by ARST as a summer tourist attraction, the line kept entire villages from isolation for nearly a century before paved roads arrived.
07
Tortolì The Arbatax Paper Mill: industry in the Sardinian wilderness
In the 1960s, at the height of the Renaissance Plan for Sardinia, the Italian State chose Arbatax as the site for a large paper-manufacturing plant. The Paper Mill — managed first by IRI and later by various private owners — produced newsprint using cellulose imported by sea, exploiting the city's port location. At its peak it employed more than 500 workers, turning Tortolì into one of the few industrial centres in Ogliastra. The story of the Paper Mill mirrors the contradictions of Sardinian development: modernity imposed from above, labour disputes, then decades of crisis and industrial conversion. The plant left a deep mark on local collective consciousness and remains an unresolved presence in the urban landscape of Arbatax.
08
Tortolì San Gemiliano: the martyr bishop who watches over the sea
The patron saint of Tortolì is San Gemiliano, Bishop of Cagliari who lived in the fourth century and was martyred during the persecutions of Diocletian. His choice as protector of the Ogliastra community is no coincidence: tradition holds that his relics, during the Vandal invasions, were hidden and then miraculously rediscovered through the intervention of a white dove. The church dedicated to him, built on the ruins of a previous Nuragic place of worship — as suggested by the discovery of bronze statuettes in the foundations — is still a destination for local pilgrimages today. The patronal feast, celebrated on 26 January, features a horseback procession along the Mediterranean scrubland paths surrounding the town, keeping alive a medieval equestrian tradition.
09
Lanusei The clearest sky in eastern Sardinia
The Lanusei Astronomical Observatory, a branch of the Cagliari Astronomical Observatory (INAF), was chosen precisely for the exceptional quality of its night sky. Far from the light pollution of the coasts, at nearly 600 metres altitude, the starry horizon of Lanusei is among the clearest in all of eastern Sardinia. On some summer nights it is possible to see the Milky Way with the naked eye.
10
Lanusei A diocese born by Napoleonic decree
The Diocese of Lanusei was established in 1824 by Pope Leo XII, driven by the territorial reforms of the post-Napoleonic period. The Cathedral of Santa Maria Maddalena thus became the seat of a bishop, conferring on the small mountain town a most respectable ecclesiastical rank that still defines its identity and prestige throughout the entire Ogliastra region.
11
Lanusei The cherries of Lanusei: a legendary fruit
The Cherry Festival, held every year between May and June, celebrates one of the territory's most beloved products. Thanks to the mountain microclimate — cold winters and mild summers — the cherries of Lanusei develop a particular sweetness and texture, sought after in markets throughout Sardinia. The festival draws visitors from every corner of the island and transforms into a celebration of music, traditional dances, and authentic flavours.
12
Lanusei The Seleni Wood: an ancient and sacred forest
The Seleni Wood, a few kilometres from the centre of Lanusei, is one of the most evocative corners of inland Ogliastra. Within it grow centuries-old holm oaks and cork oaks, some with trunk circumferences exceeding three metres. The wood has always been considered a place of silence and contemplation, frequented in the past by hermits and shepherds. Today it is an ideal destination for hikers and lovers of the most authentic nature.
13
Jerzu The oldest wine in the Mediterranean
Cannonau — known as Grenache in France and Garnacha in Spain — may have its origins right here in Sardinia. Analysis of grape seeds found at Nuragic sites dates vine cultivation on the island to over 3,000 years ago, making Cannonau di Jerzu one of the strongest candidates for the title of oldest wine in the Mediterranean. Its extraordinary concentration of polyphenols and resveratrol is also considered one of the reasons for the exceptional longevity of Ogliastra's inhabitants.
14
Jerzu The Tacchi: stone cathedrals born from the sea
The Tacchi d'Ogliastra are limestone formations dating back to the Jurassic period, approximately 180 million years ago, when this entire area was submerged beneath a tropical sea. Erosion and tectonic uplift sculpted these characteristic stepped plateaus over millennia, with vertical walls that in some places exceed 200 metres. They are habitat for rare species such as Bonelli's eagle and the Sardinian mouflon, and represent a geological phenomenon unique in the entire Mediterranean.
15
Jerzu The Cantina Antichi Poderi di Jerzu
Founded in 1950 as a cooperative of local wine growers, the Cantina Antichi Poderi di Jerzu is today one of the most important wine-producing establishments in Sardinia. It brings together over 400 member growers and produces millions of bottles every year, exported worldwide. Its architecture — a modernist building integrated into the village rock — has itself become a symbol of Jerzu. The cellars hewn directly into the living rock maintain a constant temperature ideal for ageing Cannonau.
16
Jerzu Cortes Apertas: the courtyards that open to the world
Every autumn Jerzu takes part in «Cortes Apertas», the cultural event that involves the villages of Ogliastra by transforming courtyards, cellars, and private homes into exhibition spaces open to the public. In Jerzu the event takes on a special flavour: the ancient courtyards of the historic centre are fragrant with must and filled with Cannonau tastings, displays of local crafts, and traditional Sardinian music. It is the moment when the village tells its story through its most authentic flavours and traditions.
17
Ulassai Legarsi alla Montagna: the art that united a village
In 1981 Maria Lai created «Legarsi alla Montagna» (Tying to the Mountain), considered the first work of relational art in Italy. A kilometres-long blue satin ribbon was woven between the doors and windows of every house in the village, symbolically binding the entire community to the mountain that towers above it. The event involved all the inhabitants as co-authors, anticipating by decades the participatory art practices now widespread throughout the world.
18
Ulassai The Stazione dell'Arte: a museum without walls
The Stazione dell'Arte is not a traditional museum: it was born in the former railway station and expands through the streets of the village with permanent installations by Maria Lai and artists such as Michelangelo Pistoletto, Joseph Kosuth and Mario Merz. Ulassai thus becomes a work of art in itself, a village-museum where every corner tells a story. The initiative was launched by Lai herself in 1996 and continues to be enriched with new artistic contributions.
19
Ulassai Maria Lai and textiles: when the loom becomes poetry
Maria Lai drew deep inspiration from the weaving tradition of Ulassai, transforming looms, threads and knots into instruments of poetic narrative. In her works the thread is a metaphor for human bonds, writing, and memory. The Sardinian loom technique — handed down from generation to generation by the women of the village — merges in her research with semiotics, Nuragic mythology and childhood play, creating an entirely original visual language.
20
Ulassai The Tacchi d'Ogliastra: cathedrals of stone
The Tacchi are isolated limestone plateaus that emerge from the valley like enormous pillars eroded by time, remnants of an ancient seabed dating back to the Mesozoic era. The one at Ulassai is among the most imposing: its vertical walls, up to 400 metres high, have become a playground for the world's finest climbers, with over 300 routes of every difficulty level. The spectacular geology of these places also underlies the formation of the Grotta Su Marmuri, carved by water through the heart of the limestone.
21
Villagrande Strisaili The Guinness World Record for Longevity
Villagrande Strisaili holds the Guinness World Record for the highest concentration of male centenarians in the world. Researchers Gianni Pes and Michel Poulain, analysing the civil registry records of the region, drew a blue circle around the municipalities with the highest male longevity index: that line, which became famous as the 'Blue Zone', had its epicentre right here. The phenomenon has attracted researchers from universities around the world, transforming this mountain village into a living laboratory of health sciences.
22
Villagrande Strisaili Cannonau and the polyphenols of a long life
Cannonau wine, a native Sardinian grape variety cultivated for millennia on these hills, contains a concentration of polyphenols — particularly resveratrol and procyanidins — up to three times higher than the average of European wines. Drunk in small quantities during meals, it is considered one of the key factors in local longevity. The shepherds of Villagrande traditionally consume it at breakfast, lunch and dinner, always in moderation, in a social ritual that simultaneously strengthens community bonds.
23
Villagrande Strisaili The Largest Municipality in Ogliastra
With more than 210 km² of territory, Villagrande Strisaili is the largest municipality by surface area in the whole of Ogliastra. Its lands encompass forests of centuries-old holm oaks, granite plateaus, the banks of the Flumendosa river and the shores of Lake Alto Flumendosa, as well as vast areas of the Gennargentu National Park. This expanse has allowed agro-pastoral traditions to be preserved intact — traditions that have disappeared elsewhere — keeping alive the direct relationship between community and land.
24
Villagrande Strisaili Nuraghi, timber, and a millennia-old identity
The territory of Villagrande is dotted with nuragic remains that attest to continuous human settlement since the second millennium BC. The holm oak and oak forests are home to monumental centuries-old trees protected as natural heritage. Woodworking and pastoral farming are still practised using techniques handed down from generation to generation, and the village comes alive every autumn during Cortes Apertas, when private courtyards open their doors to showcase local craftsmanship, traditions and cuisine.
25
Talana The forest of thousand-year-old holm oaks
Around Talana stretch forests of holm oak — the evergreen oak native to the Mediterranean — that reach extraordinary ages, with some estimated at over a thousand years. These silent giants form a continuous canopy that filters the light and creates unique microclimates, sheltering mouflons, stone martens and birds of prey. Walking among these enormous trees is an almost mystical experience: the twisted trunks covered in lichens look like natural sculptures, witnesses of a wild and primordial Sardinia that has never surrendered to modernity.
26
Talana The Blue Zone and longevity
Talana is part of the celebrated Ogliastran Blue Zone, the territory that has the highest percentage of male centenarians in the world. Researchers have long investigated the reasons for this extraordinary longevity: a diet based on pane carasau, pecorino cheeses, legumes and Cannonau wine; an active life filled with daily walks through the forests; deep family and community bonds; low levels of stress. The elderly of Talana do not know the concept of retirement: they remain active, useful and respected well into old age.
27
Talana Fiore Sardo and the art of cheese-making
The cheese-making tradition of Talana revolves around Fiore Sardo DOP, the oldest cheese in Sardinia, produced exclusively from raw sheep's milk. Here the shepherds still prepare it using traditional methods: lamb or kid rennet, hand-pressing, smoking in characteristic stone rooms. The result is a cheese with a complex aromatic profile — herbaceous, piquant, lightly smoked — that tells the story of the land in every bite. Visiting a farmstead during cheese-making is one of the privileges reserved for slow and curious travellers.
28
Talana Goat herding and transhumance
Talana has been a village of shepherds for centuries, and the Ogliastran goat is still today the symbol animal of this community. The flocks move seasonally between higher altitudes in summer and milder valleys in winter, following ancient routes called trattoi — true green corridors through the forests. The shepherds know every stone, every spring, every shelter on the mountain. This deep bond with the land has generated an extraordinarily rich local lexicon and a system of ecological knowledge passed down orally that no book has ever fully captured.
29
Urzulei The Codula di Luna: a canyon to the sea
The Codula di Luna is one of the most extraordinary natural wonders in Europe: a canyon stretching more than 15 kilometres through the limestone of the Supramonte, opening directly onto the sea at Cala Luna. Walking it from end to end takes a full day and requires hiking experience, but the landscape repays every effort — rock walls rising up to 400 metres, stalactite caves overlooking the stream, encounters with wild goats and golden eagles. In winter the canyon transforms into a raging river; in summer it is a corridor of rock and silence.
30
Urzulei Gorropu Gorge: Europe's Grand Canyon
Shared with the territory of Dorgali, the Gorropu Gorge is the deepest gorge in Europe: vertical walls that in some places exceed 500 metres in height, separated by just a few metres. The Rio Flumineddu flows along the bottom between enormous boulders — some as large as buildings — that have fallen from the walls over millennia. Reaching it from the Urzulei side requires hours of walking along ancient mule tracks, but it rewards with an experience that takes your breath away: an abyss of light and stone that puts the human being in its proper proportion.
31
Urzulei Nuragic sites in the heart of the Supramonte
The Supramonte of Urzulei conceals an extraordinary and little-explored archaeological heritage. Nuraghi, nuragic villages and giants' tombs emerge from the scrubland like stone ghosts, reachable only on foot or by mule. Some sites have never been officially catalogued. Historical research advances slowly across this difficult terrain, but every expedition yields something: ceramics, tools, masonry structures that testify to a dense and organised human settlement as far back as the Bronze Age.
32
Urzulei The mule drivers and the culture of resilience
In a territory where paved roads are a recent luxury — and in many stretches still absent — the shepherds of Urzulei have continued for centuries to use the same mule tracks as their ancestors. They know the Supramonte inside out: every shelter cave, every hidden spring, every passage through the rock. This culture of resilience in the face of isolation has forged a local character built on self-reliance, pragmatism and absolute respect for the mountain. Mules remain to this day the most reliable means of transport in certain corners of the territory.
33
Triei The centuries-old olive groves
The agricultural landscape of Triei is defined by its olive groves: trees with twisted, hollow trunks that in some cases are 500 years old — silent heirs of a rural economy built on extra-virgin olive oil. The local cultivar, the Nera di Gonnos, produces an oil with a bold profile, slightly pungent, with herbaceous notes and hints of artichoke. The harvest, still largely done by hand, takes place between October and November and draws whole families into the ancestral ritual of the olive picking.
34
Triei The Costa di Orrì: a treasure overlooking the village
A few kilometres downhill from Triei lead to the Costa di Orrì, a stretch of coastline where sandy coves alternate with limestone cliffs immersed in Mediterranean scrubland. The waters — turquoise and crystal clear — are among the least visited in all of Ogliastra, reached mainly by those who know the territory well. This discreet accessibility is one of the village's best-kept secrets and a privilege for those who choose to stay in Triei rather than the more celebrated coastal destinations.
35
Triei Panoramic terraces and the view over Ogliastra
Triei is built on natural terraces overlooking the valley and the Gulf of Arbatax. The village terraces — some reachable along simple lanes through the historic centre, others accessed via paths through the olive groves — offer scenes of rare beauty: the turquoise sea in the distance, hills covered in scrub, the outline of the Supramonte mountains in the background. At dawn and dusk, these vantage points take on colours that no photographer can ever fully capture.
36
Triei Oil, bread and conviviality: the table of Triei
The cuisine of Triei is that of the Ogliastrian hinterland: simple, seasonal, rooted in the land. Local extra-virgin olive oil is the common thread running through every dish — from seasoned carasau bread to meat-based main courses. Culurgiones are prepared at home for special occasions, with pasta made fresh and rolled by hand. In the autumn months, mushrooms and chestnuts enrich the table. Conviviality is an integral part of the meal: in Triei, you do not eat alone if you can eat together.
37
Lotzorai S'Ortali 'e su Monti: the Nuragic sacred well
In the territory of Lotzorai stands one of the most fascinating archaeological sites in Ogliastra: S'Ortali 'e su Monti, a Nuragic complex that includes an ancient sacred well dating back to the Bronze Age. These wells were places of worship linked to the god of waters and were frequented by Nuragic communities for propitiatory rituals. The basalt stone structure is still well preserved and tells the story of a sophisticated civilisation that inhabited these lands three thousand years ago, capable of building monumental architecture in harmony with the surrounding natural environment.
38
Lotzorai The river delta and the wetlands
The territory of Lotzorai is crossed by a network of waterways that converge towards the sea, creating an ecosystem of wetlands of great naturalistic value. This marshy environment is home to numerous species of migratory and resident birds, amphibians and rare aquatic plants. The wetlands act as a natural filter for the waters and as a nursery for many fish species. Walking the paths that run alongside the delta at sunset is an almost mystical experience, as the reflections on the still water paint the landscape in shades of orange and pink.
39
Lotzorai The citrus groves and the agricultural tradition
The traditional economy of Lotzorai has been based for centuries on the cultivation of citrus fruits, particularly oranges and lemons, which find ideal conditions in the Ogliastra coastal microclimate. The fragrant orchards surrounding the village bear witness to a family farming tradition passed down from generation to generation. Even today, many families in the village tend their gardens and orchards using traditional techniques, producing fruits of exceptional quality destined for both local consumption and sale at regional markets. The scent of citrus blossoms in spring is one of the village's signature fragrances.
40
Lotzorai A quiet gateway to the Ogliastra coast
Lotzorai enjoys an enviable strategic position: it is just a few minutes' drive from Arbatax, with its picturesque harbour and celebrated red porphyry rocks, and equally close to Tortolì, the de facto capital of Ogliastra. This location makes it an ideal base for those wishing to explore the Ogliastra riviera — from the beaches of Cea to the coves of Barisardo — without being caught up in the summer tourist traffic. Visitors who choose Lotzorai find more affordable accommodation, fewer crowds, and an everyday authenticity that larger centres struggle to preserve.
41
Girasole Flamingos at the mouth of the Rio Girasole
The mouth of the Rio Girasole is one of the most spectacular and least-known corners of Ogliastra. The shallow, nutrient-rich waters attract annual colonies of pink flamingos, grey herons, little egrets and several species of wild ducks. The wetland that forms at the confluence of the river and the sea is a precious microhabitat, protected yet accessible to birdwatchers equipped with binoculars and patience. At dawn and dusk, the sight of flamingos moving through the still water, reflected in perfect symmetry, is a beauty that is hard to forget.
42
Girasole A name like a flower: the origin of the place name
The name Girasole comes directly from the Italian word for sunflower, the well-known flower that turns its head to follow the sun throughout the day. According to some local interpretations, the name may have been given in reference to the geographical orientation of the village, which faces east with full exposure to the rising sun that lights up the sea and the surrounding wetlands. Whatever the precise origin, the name has come to serve as an identity marker for the village — evocative and immediate — which many visitors remember with a smile even after a single brief stay.
43
Girasole The tradition of artisan fishing
Girasole has a long history of communities tied to fishing, both in open water and in the lagoon waters. Local fishermen have passed down age-old techniques for catching eels, mullet and grey mullet in the wetlands at the river's mouth. Even today, some families keep this tradition alive, selling fresh fish at local markets or directly to restaurateurs in the area. Artisan fishing is an integral part of the village's cultural identity and represents an example of a sustainable relationship between a human community and natural resources.
44
Girasole Vineyards and Cannonau: the agricultural calling
Around Girasole stretches an agricultural landscape dominated by vineyards, with a significant production of Cannonau, Sardinia's quintessential native grape variety. The flat terrain and the warm coastal microclimate of Ogliastra, tempered by the sea breeze, create ideal conditions for the ripening of the grapes. Some local wineries produce characterful wines — robust and fragrant — that represent an oenological excellence of the territory. The September harvest is still a moment of communal gathering in which the boundary between work and celebration becomes blurred.
45
Cardedu The youngest municipality in Ogliastra
Cardedu was established as an independent municipality only in 1984, breaking away from the ancient comune of Jerzu. Before that date, the inhabitants of the marina and the surrounding countryside had to travel to the hilltop village of Jerzu for every administrative matter. The birth of the new municipality gave official recognition to a local identity that had already consolidated in practice, rooted in the coast and in the maritime and agricultural vocation of the territory. Today Cardedu represents an interesting case of a young community building its own narrative identity with the awareness that tradition and innovation must go hand in hand.
46
Cardedu The geology of contrast: volcanoes meet the Tyrrhenian Sea
Cardedu's stretch of coastline is the result of volcanic activity that affected eastern Sardinia millions of years ago. The dark, almost black basaltic and andesitic rocks contrast with the pale sand and transparent water, creating one of the most photographed landscapes on the entire island. This meeting of volcanic geology and marine erosion has sculpted sea stacks, reefs and coves of extraordinary beauty. For geologists and earth-science enthusiasts, Cardedu's coast is an open book on the geological history of Sardinia and the Mediterranean.
47
Cardedu Cardedu's Cannonau: a wine of character
Despite the municipality's small size, the Cardedu territory boasts a long winemaking tradition tied to Cannonau, the native red grape variety that in Ogliastra reaches some of its most powerful and long-lived expressions. The volcanic soils — free-draining and mineral-rich — give the wines of this area a particular minerality and complexity. Several local wineries produce excellent DOC Cannonau, which has won awards at national level. The September harvest is still a community event, bringing together young and old in a collective ritual whose roots run deep into the village's history.
48
Cardedu From agricultural village to tourist destination
Cardedu's transformation into a tourist destination happened relatively quickly, concentrated mainly from the 1990s onwards. The discovery of the coast's extraordinary beauty attracted investment in accommodation and dining, without completely stripping the village of its agricultural and rural character. Even today the historic centre bears the marks of the pastoral and farming economy that defined the local community for centuries, while the marina has developed in a more decidedly tourist-oriented direction. This dual face — ancient hinterland and modern coast — is one of Cardedu's most interesting traits.
49
Tertenia The murals: an open-air museum
Tertenia is one of the most representative centres of the mural movement in Sardinia. Dozens of large wall paintings animate the facades of the village's houses, vividly depicting the pastoral and agricultural life of the community. Each work is a visual document: you can see shepherds with their flocks, women weaving, farmers ploughing the red Ogliastran soil. This painted heritage is not ornamental but identity-defining — a collective choice not to forget one's roots in a changing world. Every year new artists add canvases to the open air, keeping alive a tradition that weaves contemporary art and popular memory together in a wholly authentic way.
50
Tertenia The historic border between Ogliastra and Sarrabus
For centuries Tertenia played a strategic role as a border village between Ogliastra and the Sarrabus, two territories with distinct histories, dialects and traditions. This positioning shaped the community in a particular way: the village absorbed influences from both cultural areas, developing its own hybrid and curiously open identity. The transhumance routes passed through these lands, and Ogliastran and Sarrabesan shepherds would meet — and sometimes clash — right around Tertenia. Even today the village sees itself as part of a cultural crossroads, and this awareness of sitting on a geographic threshold is alive in the memory of its elders.
51
Tertenia S'Arcu 'e Is Forros: the great nuragic sanctuary
Within the territory of Tertenia stands one of the most significant nuragic sites in all of Sardinia: S'Arcu 'e Is Forros. It is a vast Bronze Age sanctuary, complete with huts for tribal gatherings, sacred wells and structures that bear witness to an intense religious and commercial life. Excavations have yielded bronze objects, ceramics and votive offerings that suggest contacts with populations from the eastern Mediterranean. The site, still partly under study, reveals how vital a node this area was on the island's prehistoric routes. Visiting it at sunset, amid the silence of the scrubland and millennia-old stones, is an experience that touches something very ancient in the soul.
52
Tertenia The Feast of Santa Sofia: devotion and community
The Feast of Santa Sofia is the beating heart of Tertenia's religious and social calendar. The celebration unites the solemnity of the procession — with the statue of the saint carried on shoulders amid singing and prayers — with the liveliness of the village festival, featuring traditional music, costumed dancing and the aromas of Ogliastran cuisine. The preparations involve the entire community for weeks: streets are tidied, windows decorated, local specialities cooked. For the many Tertenia natives who have emigrated abroad or to the mainland, returning for the Feast of Santa Sofia means rediscovering their roots, embracing relatives and once again feeling that they belong to something greater.
53
Perdasdefogu The Melis family and the Guinness World Record
In 2012, the Guinness World Records certified that the nine Melis siblings from Perdasdefogu held the record for the family with the greatest combined age in the world: 819 years shared between Consolata, Claudina, Maria, Antonio, Concetta, Adolfo, Vitalio, Mafalda and Efisio. The youngest was over 78 years old. The news travelled around the globe, drawing renewed attention to the exceptional longevity of Ogliastra and the Barbagia, where the number of centenarians per capita is among the highest on Earth. The Melis family attributed their long lives to working the fields, simple food, Cannonau wine and — above all — deep family and community bonds.
54
Perdasdefogu The Ogliastra Blue Zone: the secret of a long life
Perdasdefogu falls within Sardinia's so-called Blue Zone, identified by demographer Michel Poulain and journalist Dan Buettner as one of five regions in the world with the highest concentration of centenarians. The characteristics shared by these zones — a plant-based diet, daily physical activity, strong social cohesion, a sense of belonging and purpose — are found here in an authentic, unforced way. The elderly residents of Perdasdefogu continue to tend their kitchen gardens, walk the paths, and gather in the village square. Longevity is not a goal here but a natural consequence of a way of life that has remained intact for centuries.
55
Perdasdefogu The Salto di Quirra Joint Military Range
The PISQ — Poligono Interforze Sperimentale e di Addestramento del Salto di Quirra — is the largest military testing area in Europe for missile and ballistic experimentation. It sits on the heights around Perdasdefogu and has left a deep mark on the village's recent history. For decades it provided jobs for the local community, but it also raised serious questions about the health of the population and livestock, with reports of abnormally high rates of cancer and birth defects — the so-called 'Quirra syndrome'. The range is still active, an imposing presence in a territory that deserves an altogether different kind of fame.
56
Perdasdefogu Forests, gorges and silence: the hidden landscape
Beyond the record and the military range, Perdasdefogu is set within a mountain landscape of great wild beauty. The holm-oak and downy-oak forests surrounding the village cloak the plateaus and hillsides with an almost fairy-tale density. The limestone gorges that open in the surrounding area — narrow and deep, threaded by small streams — are habitat for rare birds of prey and cliff-dwelling plants. The trails winding through these mountains are poorly marked and even less visited, making them precious for anyone seeking truly unspoilt nature, far from the coastal tourist circuits of Ogliastra.
57
Osini Osini Vecchio: the ghost village
The 1951 flood left the inhabitants of Osini with no choice: the ancient settlement, built over the centuries at the foot of the limestone Tacchi, had become dangerous and impossible to inhabit safely. The families were resettled in the new Osini, built higher up with the help of the State. The old village was left abandoned, with houses open to the wind, fallen roof tiles, and alleyways overtaken by vegetation. Today Osini Vecchio is a place of great melancholic charm: the limestone walls still standing, the creaking doorways, the absolute silence broken only by birds. It is freely open to visit, and every corner tells the story of a community that had to begin again from nothing.
58
Osini The Scala di San Giorgio: the gateway through the Tacchi
The Scala di San Giorgio is a natural passage carved in limestone, a kind of geological corridor that opens between two of the Tacchi d'Ogliastra — the limestone mesa formations that dominate the island's interior landscape. It is a natural structure of rare spectacularity: vertical walls tens of metres high close in on a narrow pass traversed by a path paved partly by nature itself and partly by human hands over the centuries. The scala was a vital transit route for shepherds and travellers who needed to move between the flanks of the Tacchi. Today it is one of the most evocative treks in inland Ogliastra, accessible on foot from Osini in roughly an hour's walk.
59
Osini The Tacchi d'Ogliastra: geology as landscape
The Tacchi d'Ogliastra are flat-topped limestone formations — remnants of an ancient seabed that was uplifted and then eroded over millions of years — which give the inland Ogliastran landscape its uniquely distinctive character. The word tacco comes from Sardinian and refers precisely to this raised platform shape, similar to the heel of a shoe. Around Osini the Tacchi are particularly imposing: sheer cliff faces drop onto wooded valleys with a verticality that takes the breath away. The flat summits, covered in juniper and wind-swept grass, offer extraordinary panoramic views across the entire Ogliastran district. Geologists and nature enthusiasts come from all over Europe to study and admire them.
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Osini Small, remote, authentic: life in Osini
With fewer than 800 inhabitants and a secluded position among the mountains of Ogliastra, Osini has remained one of the most authentic and least mass-tourism-affected villages of inland Sardinia. Life flows at the rhythms of the countryside and livestock farming; women still weave traditional rugs with ancient geometric motifs; the elderly sit outside cafés during the warm afternoon hours. There are no large hotels or sophisticated restaurants, but there is a genuine hospitality that surprises those who arrive from elsewhere. Osini teaches that not all of Sardinia's extraordinary places are found on the coast: sometimes you simply need to climb among the Tacchi to find something irreplaceable.
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Gairo Gairo Vecchio: the ghost village
On 18 November 1951, the same violent flood that devastated Osini struck Gairo with destructive force. The original village, built on an unstable clay ridge, slid inexorably downward. The inhabitants were evacuated and the village abandoned forever. Today Gairo Vecchio is one of the most evocative ghost villages in Sardinia: crumbling walls, churches split in two, alleyways that end in thin air. Walking among its ruins means crossing through time, feeling the weight of history and imagining the life of a community that in a single night lost everything.
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Gairo The thermal springs of Santa Maria
In Gairo Sant'Elena, the coastal hamlet of the municipality, the thermal springs of Santa Maria emerge from the ground — naturally warm waters rich in minerals that for centuries have been used by the local population for their beneficial properties. The contrast between the warmth of the waters and the coolness of the surrounding landscape creates an almost magical atmosphere. These natural thermal springs are one of the least known treasures of Ogliastra, a destination for those seeking genuine wellbeing far from commercial facilities, immersed in a natural setting that is still pure and unspoilt.
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Gairo The Tacchi d'Ogliastra: the stone mountains
The territory of Gairo is embraced by the Tacchi, the iconic limestone formations that characterise the landscape of central-southern Ogliastra. These tabular plateaus, also called 'giare' or 'tacchi' in Sardinian, are the result of millions of years of erosion on ancient seabeds that rose above the surface. Around Gairo the rocks take on dramatic forms, with vertical walls that plunge sheer and summit plateaus covered in Mediterranean scrub. The resulting landscape is of rare wild beauty, perfect for hiking, climbing and nature photography.
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Gairo Three villages, one community
The history of Gairo teaches resilience. When the disaster of 1951 forced the population to abandon the ancient village, the community did not dissolve: it reinvented itself. Gairo Taquisara arose from nothing, built with modern rationality on safe ground, yet animated by the same deep bonds, the same families, the same surnames. Over time Gairo Sant'Elena emerged as a coastal hub. Today the three centres coexist under a single municipal authority, held together by a powerful shared identity that has been able to transform tragedy into collective memory and memory into a source of strength.
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Arzana Punta La Marmora: the roof of Sardinia
At 1,834 metres above sea level, Punta La Marmora is the highest peak in all of Sardinia. Arzana is the municipality that comes closest to it from the Ogliastran side, and from here trails depart that lead all the way to the summit through dwarf juniper woodlands, high-altitude pastures, and scenery of absolute Alpine grandeur — unusual for a Mediterranean island. The mountain takes its name from the Piedmontese explorer and military officer Alberto Ferrero della Marmora, who carried out the first topographical surveys in the nineteenth century. Reaching the summit is an experience that changes the way one looks at the island.
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Arzana The Montarbu forest: a primordial ecosystem
The state forest of Montarbu, shared between the territories of Arzana and Seui, is one of the most important and best-preserved forested areas in Sardinia. Within it grow thousand-year-old yews — some among the oldest in Europe — monumental holm oaks, downy oaks, hollies, and maples. The fauna is extraordinarily rich: golden eagles, mouflon, wild boar, Sardinian foxes, and a remarkable variety of birds of prey. The ecosystem has characteristics of exceptional ecological integrity, with plant species that are relics of the Tertiary era surviving thanks to the territory's isolation and conservation.
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Arzana The Piscina Irgas waterfall: hidden water
Among the best-kept secrets of the Arzana territory is the Piscina Irgas waterfall, a natural wonder reachable only via a trail immersed in the forest. The water falls into a large natural pool of ice-cold, crystal-clear water, surrounded by moss-covered rocks and lush vegetation that filters sunlight to create extraordinary light effects. The difficulty of the route and its remoteness from any road make it a destination for motivated hikers, who are rewarded with a natural spectacle of rare beauty and total solitude.
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Arzana Blue Zone and longevity: the secret of a long life
Arzana falls within the Sardinian Blue Zone, the geographical belt of Ogliastra and Barbagia identified by researchers as one of the five areas in the world with the highest concentration of centenarians. Scholars have linked this phenomenon to factors such as the traditional diet — rich in vegetables, legumes, pecorino cheese, and Cannonau wine — daily physical activity, social cohesion, and a deep sense of purpose tied to pastoral and agricultural work. In Arzana these elements are still alive and embedded in the fabric of everyday community life.
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Elini The smallest municipality in Ogliastra
With around 560 inhabitants, Elini holds the record as the least populous municipality in the entire historic province of Ogliastra. This tiny size is not a weakness but a powerful defining trait: the village has managed to preserve traditions, dialects, farming practices and communal rituals that have been lost over time in larger centres. Its small scale has created extraordinary social cohesion — every family has known the next for generations, and the sense of belonging to this place is visceral and unconditional.
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Elini Views across the valley and toward the sea
Elini's hillside position, at 490 metres on a spur that juts out over the Ogliastra valley, offers views of rare breadth and beauty. On clear days — common in every season — the eye travels all the way to the Tyrrhenian Sea, beyond the gentle profiles of the hills, embracing a landscape that shifts in colour with the hours and the seasons. The village's natural viewpoint is one of the finest spots in Ogliastra to watch the sunset, when the light stains the rocks ochre and the distant sea ignites with orange.
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Elini Olive and almond trees: the economy of silence
The territory of Elini is characterised by ancient olive and almond groves whose gnarled trunks and austere beauty dot the hillsides surrounding the village. Traditional olive cultivation produces an extra-virgin oil of exceptional quality, with complex aromatic profiles tied to the local variety and hand-picking. Elini's almonds — sweet and flavourful — are used in many traditional Sardinian sweets. These crops represent not just an economy but a form of cultural landscape built over centuries.
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Elini Hospitality as a founding value
Elini is known throughout Ogliastra for the extraordinary hospitality of its people. The visitor who arrives is welcomed with a disarming naturalness that belongs to places not yet corrupted by mass tourism. You sit down at a table with the old men at the bar, you're invited to visit someone's vegetable garden or wine cellar, you stumble by chance into a family celebration. This openness is not a strategy but a deep cultural instinct, rooted in the awareness that the village survives through exchange and relationship with others. To visit Elini is to be a guest, not a tourist.
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Ilbono The Nuraghe Scerì
The Nuraghe Scerì is one of the most significant nuragic complexes in inland Ogliastra. Built presumably between 1500 and 900 BC, the site comprises a central-tower nuraghe with ancillary structures and traces of a surrounding hut village. Excavations have yielded ceramics, bronze figurines, and everyday objects that attest to a stable and well-organised community. The strategic position on a panoramic hilltop suggests both defensive and ritual functions. The nuraghe is open to visitors and is an unmissable stop for anyone wishing to understand Ogliastran prehistory beyond the beaches.
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Ilbono The Ilbono Carnival
The Carnival of Ilbono is one of the most deep-rooted folk celebrations in the area. The traditional masquerade, held in the days leading up to Shrove Tuesday, sees groups in costume parade through the village streets amid songs, jests, and rites of social inversion. At the centre is the figure of the 'King of Carnival', a symbolic effigy that is processed and finally burned in the main square amid ritual cries and collective mourning — a rite of purification and rebirth with roots in the agro-pastoral world. Each year participation cuts across all ages: young people, the elderly, and families merge into a single, festive community.
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Ilbono Craftsmanship and identity
Ilbono guards its artisan traditions with pride. Woodworking — producing objects such as the characteristic woven baskets and votive sculptures — coexists with weaving and the making of traditional garments worn during processions and patron-saint festivals. The women of the village have passed down for centuries techniques of embroidery and braiding that are today taught in community workshops to prevent their disappearance. The traditional Ilbono costume, with its dark colours and geometric embellishments, is considered one of the most austere and at the same time elegant in all of Sardinia, a symbol of a sober Ogliastran pride.
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Ilbono The bond with Lanusei
Ilbono and Lanusei are barely six kilometres apart, and their relationship has spanned centuries of shared history: commercial exchanges, mixed marriages, rural disputes, and solidarity in difficult times. While Lanusei has taken on the role of administrative and commercial capital, Ilbono has preserved a more intimate, agricultural character, becoming almost the 'living hinterland' of the nearby city. Many Ilbono residents work in Lanusei but return home every evening, helping to keep the village alive. This balance between urban pull and rural rootedness is a fundamental key to understanding contemporary Ogliastra.
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Loceri Loceri's green gold: extra-virgin olive oil
The olive-growing tradition of Loceri has very ancient roots. Some of the olive trees in the municipal territory date back to medieval times or even earlier, with twisted, knotted trunks that look like natural sculptures. The predominant cultivars are the 'Nera di Villacidro' and the local 'Tonda di Cagliari', which yield an oil with low acidity, rich in polyphenols and with a characteristic herbaceous aftertaste. The village's cooperative oil mill runs during the autumn harvest, and the scent of new oil fills every corner of the village. Loceri's oil has won recognition at national competitions and is exported throughout Italy.
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Loceri Pane carasau and the tradition of bread-making
In Loceri, the production of pane carasau — the famous 'carta music bread', thin and crisp, which kept for months in shepherds' saddlebags — is still practised in artisan form by some families in the village. The process requires skill and patience: a dough of semolina, water, salt and natural yeast is rolled into very thin sheets, baked in a wood-fired oven, then split into layers and baked a second time until crisp. Alongside the carasau, the women of Loceri prepare 'pane pintau', decorated with traditional geometric motifs, used at feasts and ceremonies. An intangible heritage that endures.
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Loceri Intact countryside and rural biodiversity
The territory of Loceri is one of the few in Ogliastra where the traditional agricultural landscape has remained almost unchanged from fifty years ago. The absence of large infrastructure and the hilly terrain have protected the village from intensive urbanisation. Almond trees, fig trees, vines and olive groves alternate with dry-stone walls and white dirt tracks leading to silent farmsteads. In spring, when the Mediterranean scrubland is in flower, the countryside around Loceri offers extraordinary colours and scents. Enthusiasts of birdwatching, nature photography and hiking will find here an intimate and authentic environment.
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Loceri Agricultural economy and demographic resilience
Like many villages in the Sardinian interior, Loceri has had to contend with depopulation over the course of the twentieth century. However, the resilience of the agricultural economy — and the olive-growing supply chain in particular — has guaranteed a degree of stability for the community. In recent years there has been a tentative return of young people who choose to reclaim abandoned land, produce olive oil, raise flocks and experiment with forms of rural tourism. This quiet ferment is one of the most encouraging stories in contemporary Ogliastra. Loceri has not given up: it cultivates the land with the same hands as always, and with a new awareness of the value of what it produces.
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Barisardo The Torre di Barì
Built by the Spanish in the 16th century as part of Sardinia's coastal defence system, the Torre di Barì is one of the most recognisable monuments in Ogliastra. Constructed in local granite on a rocky spur that drops sheer to the sea, the tower's role was to signal the raids of Barbary pirates to neighbouring towers by lighting fires. Today, perfectly preserved and open to visitors, it offers a breathtaking view of the Ogliastra coast: to the north, wild cliffs; to the south, long sandy beaches. At sunset, the dark silhouette of the tower against the red sky is a photographic spectacle of rare intensity.
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Barisardo The Lido di Orrì and the long beaches
The Lido di Orrì — which stretches for over three kilometres between Barisardo and the municipal boundary of Tortolì — is one of the longest and best-equipped beaches in Ogliastra. The sand is golden and fine, the sea shallow for tens of metres, ideal for families with children. Alongside the lido there are beach clubs, pedalo and canoe rentals, and several kiosks. The beach is easily reached by car or by the summer shuttle service. Less crowded but equally beautiful is the Spiaggia della Torre, accessible on foot via a coastal path that starts right at the Torre di Barì.
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Barisardo Wine production: the Ogliastra wines of Barisardo
The territory of Barisardo falls within the production zone of Cannonau di Sardegna DOC, the celebrated Sardinian red wine considered one of the richest in resveratrol in the world. The vineyards climb the granite hills behind the town, buffeted by the sea wind, and produce grapes with an extraordinary aromatic concentration. Some local wineries, family-run operations, also produce small quantities of Vermentino and Nuragus. The grape harvest, between the end of August and September, is still a collective event on some estates. Summer festivals and celebrations are often an opportunity to taste these wines accompanied by typical dishes from the Ogliastra coastal cuisine.
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Barisardo The Feast of San Leonardo
On 6 November, the feast day of San Leonardo, Barisardo celebrates its patron saint with a festival that blends religious devotion and popular conviviality. The procession in traditional dress winds through the streets of the town to liturgical chants in the Sardinian language; the solemn mass is followed by an afternoon of celebrations in the square with folk music, stalls selling local produce, and traditional dances. The figure of San Leonardo is particularly venerated in Ogliastra as the protector of farmers and prisoners: a mix of humility and resilience that reflects the character of these communities. In the evening, fireworks light up the coast.
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Seui The Spanish Prison: jail and museum
Built by the Spaniards in the seventeenth century during the period of Iberian viceroyalty in Sardinia, the Spanish Prison of Seui is one of the most unsettling and fascinating historic buildings in Ogliastra. The stone cells, narrow corridors and inner courtyard tell of centuries of detention under harsh conditions, in a village already isolated by nature. Today the building has been restored and turned into a museum: it houses photographic collections on Ogliastra rural life, historical objects and documentation on the Spanish administration of the island. A visit is a plunge into Sardinia's colonial history, often narrated with vivid detail by local guides.
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Seui The Montarbu Forest: a primordial oasis
The Montarbu Forest is one of the most important nature reserves in Sardinia. Extending across roughly 7,800 hectares between the municipalities of Seui, Ussassai and Gairo, it shelters century-old woodland of holm oak, holly, yew and juniper, high-altitude meadows and crystal-clear streams. Wildlife includes the Sardinian deer, golden eagle, mouflon, pine marten and numerous species of endemic reptiles. The trails that wind through the forest — some waymarked, others wilder — offer hikes ranging from half an hour to full days. In autumn the forest colours are extraordinary; in winter snow can make some routes impassable but strikingly picturesque.
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Seui The Trenino Verde: a slow journey back in time
Sardinia's Trenino Verde — the narrow-gauge railway that crosses the island from Mandas to Arbatax — passes through Seui, offering one of the most spectacular stretches of the entire route. The historic train, with its wooden carriages and gently swaying rhythm, crosses bridges over sheer drops, bores through rock tunnels and winds through cork oak forests at a pace that is itself part of the experience. In summer, when the tourist service runs, boarding the Trenino Verde at Seui means living a journey back to 1950s Sardinia, with stops in villages otherwise unreachable. An experience that blends railway heritage, nature and local culture.
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Seui Mines and extractive history: another face of Seui
The subsoil of Seui's territory hides a little-known but fascinating mining history. Between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the area was the site of lead and zinc extraction, which brought workers and technicians from outside into an already closed community. The traces of that era — abandoned tunnels, derelict service structures, spoil heaps — are still visible in parts of the territory and are beginning to attract interest in industrial heritage tourism. Seui, in short, is not only forests and silence: it is also iron and toil, the story of a community that drew wealth from the mountain for decades before being swallowed back into silence when the mines closed.
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Ussassai The most remote village in Ogliastra
With fewer than 500 inhabitants and roads that wind for tens of kilometres through dense woodland without meeting another settlement, Ussassai holds the unofficial title of most isolated village in the whole of Ogliastra. The main roads arrive, but they almost seem to apologise for doing so: narrow, serpentine, with sporadic guardrails overhanging vertiginous drops. This remoteness has shaped the character of the people — reserved, proud, self-sufficient — and has preserved a human and natural ecosystem that elsewhere disappeared decades ago. It is not isolation as a limitation, but as a shield.
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Ussassai Sardinian banditry and its pastoral roots
Ussassai and its surroundings bear in their collective memory the history of Ogliastran banditry, a complex phenomenon that in the 19th and 20th centuries ran through these mountains like an underground current. It was not simple criminality: it was often a response to feudal injustices, conflicts between shepherds and landowners, age-old codes of honour that the Italian state struggled to understand. The shepherds of Ussassai knew every hidden path, every cave, every impassable pass. That thorough knowledge of the land was survival — and at times, for some, also a refuge from the law.
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Ussassai Primary forests and unspoilt nature
The municipal territory of Ussassai is covered for the most part by forests of holm oak, strawberry tree, downy oak and yew — some of the most intact on the island. In these woods live the Sardinian deer, wild boar, stone marten and raptors such as the short-toed snake eagle and the northern goshawk. The gorges that score the landscape, carved over millennia by seasonal streams, create humid microclimates where ferns, mosses and rare plants grow. The Gennargentu looms to the north like a granite cathedral. To walk these paths is to move through a world that has remained essentially unchanged for centuries.
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Ussassai Pastoral life still alive
In Ussassai, shepherding is not folklore: it is still a living economy. Shepherds drive their flocks up to the high plateaus in summer and bring them back down to the valleys in winter, following transhumance routes their ancestors repeated identically. Pecorino, fresh cheese, steaming ricotta: here they are still made as they have always been made, with raw milk and expert hands. Patron saint's feasts and the moments of the agro-pastoral calendar — shearing, communal milking, the slaughter of the pig — still mark the rhythm of the village with a cadence the modern world has almost everywhere forgotten.
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Escalaplano Pranu Muttedu: Sardinia's Stonehenge
The site of Pranu Muttedu — which in Sardinian means 'the mute's plain' — is one of the most extraordinary prehistoric places in Europe. On a basalt plateau stand more than 60 aligned menhirs, some over four metres tall, alongside dolmens, megalithic circles and giants' tombs dating to the third and second millennia BC. The alignment of the monoliths follows astronomical patterns not yet fully deciphered, analogous to those of Stonehenge in England. Walking among these stone giants at dawn or dusk is an experience that suspends time and restores a sense of the small human scale in the face of millennia.
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Escalaplano Domus de janas: the fairy houses
The territory of Escalaplano contains numerous domus de janas, literally 'fairy houses' in Sardinian, but in reality prehistoric tombs carved into the rock by the Ozieri people between 3500 and 2700 BC. Small hypogeal chambers, some decorated with geometric or spiral engravings, held the deceased in a foetal position — ready for a new birth. Sardinian folk tradition attributed them to magical creatures, the janas, tiny women and skilled weavers who lived within the rock. To visit them is to pass through layers of beliefs, rites and imaginings that built Sardinian identity.
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Escalaplano Gateway between two worlds: Ogliastra and the Sarrabus
Escalaplano occupies a geographical hinge position between Ogliastra to the north-east and the Sarrabus to the south-west, two regions with very different characters. This border location has over time given it a dual identity: the influence of Ogliastra's agro-pastoral culture mingles with the more Mediterranean and open character of the Sarrabus. The tacchi — the distinctive mesa-like limestone formations dotting the landscape — visually connect Escalaplano to the rest of Ogliastra, while the plains to the south open towards the sea. The village is an ideal stopping point for anyone wishing to explore both areas.
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Escalaplano Traditional farming and durum wheat
The territory of Escalaplano has historically been devoted to cereal growing and small-scale viticulture. Fields of Sardinian durum wheat — ancient varieties such as the local triticum durum — alternate with family kitchen gardens, olive groves and vineyards. Agriculture here never became intensive: the limestone soils and hilly terrain imposed slow rhythms and respectful practices. Extra-virgin olive oil is still produced, along with wine from Vermentino and Monica grapes, and artisan dried pasta. The weekly markets and summer festivals are the natural showcase for this quality produce.
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Esterzili The Tablet of Esterzili: Rome judges Sardinia
In 69 AD, the Roman proconsul Lucius Helvius Agrippa issued a ruling in a dispute between the tribe of the Galillenses — Sardinian mountain shepherds — and the Patulcenses Campani, Roman settlers established on the coastal plains. The ruling, engraved on a bronze tablet, was found at Esterzili in 1866 and represents one of the rarest Roman legal documents ever recovered in Sardinia. The text reveals the complexity of relations between Rome and the island's indigenous peoples: not a silent conquest, but a confrontation — often conflictual — between two worlds with radically different laws, values and uses of the land.
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Esterzili Nuraghi and hilltop settlements
Long before the Romans arrived, the territory of Esterzili was already densely inhabited by the Nuragic civilisation. The limestone ridges surrounding the village are home to several nuraghi, some still in good condition, testifying to an organised and structured presence since the second millennium BC. Height provided natural defence, a lookout point, a means of controlling the valleys below. To walk among these remains is to move through layers of history that overlap without erasing one another: Nuragic, Roman, medieval, pastoral. Esterzili is a palimpsest of civilisations.
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Esterzili The limestone peaks: landscape from another planet
The landscape around Esterzili is dominated by the tacchi — imposing mesa-shaped limestone plateaux that rise from the valleys like islands of rock suspended in mid-air. These geological formations, unique in the Mediterranean, are the result of millennia of differential erosion: the harder rock holds firm and rises while the rest yields. The tacchi are also exceptional habitats: they shelter rare cliff-dwelling flora, golden eagles and peregrine falcons nest here, and they offer panoramic views of extraordinary breadth toward the Gennargentu and the sea. They form part of the Sardinian Geopark and deserve dedicated exploration.
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Esterzili Pastoral economy: wool, cheese and identity
Like much of the highland Ogliastra villages, Esterzili has built its identity on a pastoral economy. Flocks of Sardinian sheep — the native breed selected for milk production — still graze the pastures around the village today. Pecorino, Fiore Sardo, ricotta and fresh cheese are produced using methods handed down from generation to generation. The wool of the sheep, once used to weave blankets, rugs and traditional costumes, still finds a place in some local artisan production. In Esterzili, being a shepherd is not an occupation from another era: it remains a conscious and proud choice.