Must-see attractions in Western Sardinia

  • Top Choice
    Area Archeologica di Tharros

    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…

  • Top Choice
    Nuraghe di Santa Cristina

    Just off the SS131 north of Oristano, the sanctuary at Santa Cristina is an important nuraghic complex. The nuraghic village's extraordinary Bronze Age…

  • Top Choice
    Piazza Eleonora d’Arborea

    Oristano’s elegant outdoor salon sits at the southern end of pedestrianised Corso Umberto I. An impressive, rectangular space, it comes to life on summer…

  • Top Choice
    Basilica di Santa Giusta

    This landmark Romanesque church is one of Sardinia's architectural jewels. Dating to the early 12th century, it sports a severe sandstone exterior…

  • Top Choice
    Museo Civico

    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…

  • Top Choice
    Castello Malaspina

    Commanding huge views, this hilltop castle was built in the 12th and 13th centuries by the Tuscan Malaspina family. Little remains of the original…

  • Top Choice
    Museo Casa Deriu

    Housed in an elegant 19th-century townhouse, Bosa's main museum showcases local arts and artisanal crafts. Each of the three floors has a different theme…

  • Top Choice
    Chiesa di Nostra Signora di Regnos Altos

    Enclosed within the walls of the Castello Malaspina, this humble but hallowed 14th-century chapel is decorated with an extraordinary 14th-century fresco…

  • Is Aruttas

    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…

  • Spiaggia dell'Arco

    On the northern fringe of the beachside community of S'Archittu, the Spiaggia dell’Arco features a dramatic stone arch that rises 6m above the emerald…

  • Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta

    Lording it over Oristano’s skyline, the Duomo's onion-domed bell tower is one of the few remaining elements of the original 14th-century cathedral, itself…

  • Nuraghe Losa

    Off the SS131 just north of Paulilatino, the Nuraghe Losa is one of Sardinia's most impressive nuraghi. The site’s centrepiece is a three-sided keep…

  • Museo della Tecnologia Contadina

    Santu Lussurgiu has long been known for its crafts and remains a production centre for ironwork, woodwork and leatherwork. Explore the town's rural…

  • Isola di Mal di Ventre

    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…

  • Chiesa di San Giovanni di Sinis

    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…

  • Basilica di Santa Maria della Neve

    A landmark for miles around, the hulking, silver-domed Basilica di Santa Maria della Neve marks the high point of the village. According to local…

  • Putzu Idu

    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…

  • Chiesa di San Salvatore

    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…