Holiday Apartment in Villagrande Strisaili: Nature, Nuraghi and Festivals

Villagrande Strisaili combines a landscape shaped by steep rock faces and ancient forests with impressive traces of Sardinia’s prehistoric past, lively festivals and distinctive specialties. Those looking for a holiday apartment in Villagrande Strisaili will find a place where nature experiences, culture and culinary discoveries can be combined into varied days of holiday.

Nature among rock, forest and water

The surroundings are characterised by steep rock faces and forests with centuries-old oaks and holm oaks. Mouflons and golden eagles live in the forests and along the area’s waterways. One particularly striking natural landmark is the Cascate di Sothai: they plunge about 30 metres over a granite rock face and lie along the course of the Rio Bau Vigo. Further downstream, the river forms the canyon of the same name. The Cascate di Sothai can be reached via a marked path with stone steps, handrails and fences through a dense holm-oak forest.

The waterfalls of Bau Mela, near Sa Carcaredda, are also among the scenic destinations in the area. There, they form natural pools that, according to the description, can be reached for swimming. Depending on your interests, the day’s itinerary can combine a walk through the forest, views of rocky and watery landscapes, or a cultural discovery. For travel groups with different preferences, this mix provides a clear guide: nature, activity and historical sites each set their own focus.

Nuragic traces and distinctive burial monuments

In Sa Carcaredda, six Giants’ tombs and a Nuragic circular temple are located in a holm-oak forest. The complex lies at an altitude of 800 metres near Villanova Strisaili. The Nuragic temple of Sa Carcaredda is a rare example of an “in antis” structure with a circular penetrale. Giants’ Tomb 1 of Sa Carcaredda is well preserved and distinguished by its exceptional monumentality.

Other archaeological sites offer different points of interest. The Giants’ tomb of Troculu has a rectangular burial chamber that is 9.50 metres long, 1.35 metres wide and 1.60 metres high. During the construction of the Nuoro–Lanusei expressway, the tomb was dismantled and rebuilt at a nearby location. It lies near two nuraghi and a village.

The Giants’ tomb of Pradu Su Chiai is also known as Campu de Pira Onni and is an Isodomos-type burial with a “toothed frieze”; it was built from granite blocks. It is located in Santa Barbara on the eastern shore of Lake Flumendosa. S’Arcu ‘e is Forros is a Nuragic sanctuary village with two large rectangular megaron temples and is considered the most important metallurgical centre of Nuragic Sardinia. The pre-Nuragic Domus de Janas in Coile Bruxiau, su Strumpu, s’Orciada and su Settili, as well as the menhir at sa Preda ‘e s’Orcu, further broaden the range of early cultural traces in the area.

Festivals, processions and Sardinian cuisine

The annual Festa di Santa Barbara is a rural festival that takes place partly in the Bosco Santa Barbara on the second Sunday in July. Its procession includes riders in traditional costume, folklore groups, an ox-drawn cart, launeddas and religious songs. The festival of San Gabriele is celebrated on 1 August and lasts three days, beginning on 31 July. It includes processions, music and Sardinian dances. On Palm Sunday, a religious procession connects the parish church of San Gabriele with the church of Santu Giaccu.

Local cuisine includes Prosciutto di Villagrande. It is made from the meat of local pigs that graze in the surrounding mountains. Culurgiones are ravioli filled with potatoes and pecorino cheese. Alongside the archaeological sites, such dishes and festivals give the trip another focus: they introduce visitors to Sardinian tradition and regional flavour beyond individual excursions.

Choose a holiday apartment in Villagrande Strisaili according to your travel theme

Villagrande Strisaili is just a few minutes by car from Sardinia’s east coast. When choosing a holiday apartment or holiday home, you can therefore first consider which interests should shape your days: waterfalls and forest paths, monuments from the Nuragic period, religious festivals or regional cuisine. Prior registration is required for educational workshops in Sa Carcaredda; prior registration is likewise required for educational workshops at the Giants’ tomb of Troculu. This allows you to tailor your plans to the experiences you specifically want, without reducing the different facets of the place to a single type of holiday.

More places for planning your trip

To the higher-level travel overview: Ogliastra.