Ancient history in Sardinia

Arrival by own means in Oliena. Check in at the hotel and accommodation in booked rooms.

Free lunch.

Visit by own means (journey of about 30 minutes from the hotel), to the characteristic village of the town of Mamoiada, known for its ancestral rites and its engaging festivals. Also known as the land of the Mamuthones and the Issohadores.

Visit the museum of Mediterranean masks and the Museum of Culture and Work. "The Museum was founded with the intention of being a place of contact between the cultural universe of a small town in Sardinia, Mamoiada, known worldwide for its traditional masks, and the Mediterranean regions that, through the representations and masks of Carnival, reveal a communion of history and culture."

You can also watch the fascinating Mamuthones festival, which takes place 4 times a year, on January 17, the last Sunday of carnival, Shrove Tuesday and September 27, in case you are in the area.

Free dinner.

Return to the hotel and overnight.

Breakfast in the hotel and full day available.

Return to hotel for overnight stay

Breakfast at the hotel and check out.

Departure for Oristano by own means (journey of about 1 hour and 30 minutes).

Check in and check in.

Free lunch.

Afternoon visit to the city of Oristano. The city of Oristano, capital of the province of the same name, is rich in historical monuments, some of which date back to 1000 years ago in the middle of the Middle Ages. In addition, the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta dating back to 1200 and the Church of San Francesco neoclassical style with inside a wooden sculpture of the crucified Christ of 1400. The Antiquarium Arborense Museum is one of the most important museums in Sardinia. A short distance from Oristano towards the sea we find the small village of Santa Giusta, a medieval jewel among the most beautiful in Sardinia, or the Cathedral of Santa Giusta in Romanesque style of the twelfth century; The village of San Salvatore offers instead the beautiful beach of Is Autas, formed for the most part by small quartz grains and the magnificent cliffs of Su Tingiosu. Among the villages we still remember the town of Fordongianus, rich in historical and prehistoric finds in particular those of the Roman age; in Ghilarza there are the most important prehistoric monuments of the island, or the Nuraghe Losa and the nuragic sanctuary of Santa Cristina with the famous sacred well.

Free dinner.

Return to the hotel and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel.

For those who were in Oristano during the Sartiglia, the day will be dedicated to the ancient carousel that takes place in the streets of the city.

The Sartiglia is an equestrian carousel that has ancient origins, a symbol of fertility and prosperity. Over 100 riders dressed in ancient costumes challenge each other running on their horse in time of drums with the intent to collect with the use of their sword, the stars that are hung in the air along the way. The Sartiglia offers unique emotions that bring back to an ancient time, to traditions that have not been forgotten in this land.

For those who are not in Oristano in the days of the Sartiglia we offer an excursion to the archaeological site of Tharros, located on the coast just outside Oristano.

Tharros is a nuragic settlement where you can visit two millennia of history. The site is a real open air museum, where you can also see two nuraghi, you can also visit the museum that houses all the finds found in the site and the tower. The site is really rich in finds related to the Phoenician population including the thopet, a typical sanctuary of this people and the baths placed on the foundations of the temple.

Lunch and afternoon off.

Free dinner, we suggest to try in one of the many typical restaurants of the area, the Culurjonis, which are square shaped ravioli in different variations: ricotta and chard, cheese or potatoes and saffron; the Malloreddus all'oristanese, semolina pasta gnocchi seasoned with spinach, chard, eggs and cream. Among the main dishes, the typical dishes of the city are the roast sheep and goat; the hen with myrtle, cooked with smells and myrtle twigs and on ghisau, a stew of various types of meat. For dessert you can taste mustazzolus, biscuits made of concentrated must, wheat flour, yeast and sugar, covered with icing; zippole, long pancakes of Carnival Oristano. The typical wine of the city of Oristano is Vernaccia  of Oristano; among others we point out, the Nuragus, the Vermentino, the Sangiovese, the Semidano, the Moscato and the Bovale, the Malvasia and the various types of local spirits such as the "Filu Ferro".

Return to the hotel and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel and check out. Departure by own means to Cagliari (journey of about 1 hour and a half).

Arrival at the hotel and check in, accommodation in the booked rooms.

Free lunch and during the afternoon visit to the National Archaeological Museum of Cagliari, full of finds from the nuragic and pre-hurrian period and the National Art Gallery collects valuable works of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries of the Masters of Castelsardo and Olzai.

Free dinner. Return to the hotel and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel.

Day dedicated to the visit of the city of Cagliari. Cagliari, capital of Sardinia, is located in the south of the island. It is a large and modern city that keeps intact the ancient and historical districts that, through narrow streets, lead to the upper and fortified part of the city. Interesting are the Towers of San Pancrazio and Elephant, both built around 1300 that marked the access to the ancient part of the city protected by high walls. Near the Tower of San Pancrazio you can access the "Citadel of the Museums". Do not miss a visit to the Cathedral of Santa Maria, one of the most important monuments of Sardinia, whose construction began at the end of 1200 and the Basilica of Bonaria, the largest church in the city. In the immediate vicinity of the city are the area of the "Saline" and the pond of Molentargius, places where for years the pink flamingos and other important species of avifauna nest. Other areas of great interest are the necropolis of Tuvixeddu, initially Punic and later Roman, located in the northern part of the city.

Free dinner. We recommend some typical delicacies of Cagliaritano such as for example the numerous seafood appetizers, offered with fresh fish and shellfish of the Gulf of Angels: the "Burrida" a typical dish of Cagliari that is prepared with a fish called "gattuccio".

Among the first are the spaghetti with eels, the "fregola" a typical pasta made by hand and topped with arselle, risotto with seafood and malloreddus, small dumplings of semolina seasoned with tomato sauce, fresh sausage and aged pecorino cheese. Excellent onion ravioli with fresh pecorino cheese and "culingionis", a handmade pasta filled with boiled eel and pecorino cheese.

As for the fish dishes stand out the grilled mixed fish, the mullet "schiscionera" and the capon fish that is served stewed with potatoes. Among the meat dishes we recommend the "coiettas" meat rolls filled with pecorino cheese and bacon, lamb with artichokes and beef fillet with "Anghelu Ruiu", a fortified wine and marsala.

A real delight are the typical sweets of Campidano called "is candelaus" that are kneaded using as raw material sweet almond paste and sugar with orange flower water. The best known wines are Nuragus, Malvasia, Cannonau and Campidano, while Mastino is a typical liqueur.  

Return to the hotel and overnight.

Breakfast at the hotel and check out. End of services.