A few kilometres out of Tharros, and signposted off the main road, the Oasi di Seu is a veritable Eden of Mediterranean flora. Once you’ve navigated the 3km dirt track to the entrance, you enter a silent world of sandy paths and undisturbed nature. Herby smells fill the air, rising off fragrant masses of macchia (scrub), rosemary, dwarf palms and pine trees.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Castello Malaspina
28.02 MILES
Commanding huge views, this hilltop castle was built in the 12th and 13th centuries by the Tuscan Malaspina family. Little remains of the original…
Ponte Vecchio
27.8 MILES
Spanning the Temo River near the heart of the old town, Bosa's main bridge is a handsome three-arched affair, built from the region's characteristic red…
Nearby Western Sardinia attractions
1. Chiesa di San Giovanni di Sinis
2.16 MILES
Built from softly worn sandstone, Chiesa di San Giovanni di Sinis is one of the two oldest churches in Sardinia (Cagliari’s Basilica di San Saturnino is…
2. Area Archeologica di Tharros
2.55 MILES
The choppy blue waters of the Golfo di Oristano provide a magnificent backdrop to the ruins of ancient Tharros. Founded by the Phoenicians in the 8th…
3. Torre di San Giovanni Watchtower
2.57 MILES
For a bird’s-eye view of Tharros, head up to the late-16th-century Torre di San Giovanni watchtower, occasionally used for exhibitions. Here you can look…
4. Chiesa di San Salvatore
2.95 MILES
In the centre of the village, the 17th-century Chiesa di San Salvatore stands over a stone ipogeo (underground vault) dating to the nuraghic period. This…
5. Is Aruttas
3.63 MILES
One of the peninsula's most famous beaches, Is Aruttas is a pristine arc of white sand fronted by translucent aquamarine waters. For years its quartz sand…
6. Museo Civico
6.68 MILES
Cabras' cultural highlight is the Museo Civico, and the real superstars here are the so-called Giants of Monte Prama, a series of towering nuraghic…
7. Isola di Mal di Ventre
8.14 MILES
This bare, rocky island 10km off the coast owes its strange name (Stomach-ache Island) to the seasickness that sailors often suffered while navigating its…
8. Putzu Idu
8.81 MILES
Backed by a motley set of holiday homes and beach bars, Putzu Idu's beach sits in the north of the peninsula. It's a picturesque strip of sand that's…