Archaeological Nature Park of the Sinis Peninsula
A perfect blend of history and nature
This place has always provided its resources to the people who have inhabited it for millennia. The vast flat and fertile areas have favored agriculture and livestock. At the heart of this territory lies a large, rich, and fish-filled pond, along whose shores stands the town of Cabras, famous for the exquisite “bottarga” produced from the processing of mullet roe. This has always been a bountiful place for marsh plants, useful in constructing buildings, boats, and baskets. Extensive salt pans ensure the production of the precious “white gold,” while the nearby Montiferru mountain has always allowed metal extraction.
During summer, seaside attractions blend history and culture, making thousands of travelers choose Sinis as their destination. Every year, they are captivated by the myriad shades of deep blue in the sea, the scent of helichrysum amidst the greenery of the Mediterranean vegetation and enchanted by the contrast between the white sand and the basalt rocks on the beach.
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A treasure trove
Our journey starts with the Civic Museum in Cabras. The display describes the millenary history of the archaeological natural park of Sinis. The chronological path guides visitors through the discovery of the past, beginning from the Neolithic site of Su Cuccur’e is Arrius, leading them through the Nuragic period with displays of materials from the villages of Su Murru Mannu and Sa Osa, building up to the end of the Nuragic era with the spectacular exhibition of the towering statues known as the Giants of Mont’e Prama. The journey then unfolds to the ancient evidence of the city of Tharros and comes to an end with the precious cargo of lead ingots from the wreck of a Roman ship sunk near the Island of Mal di Ventre.
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A Mediterranean jewel
Located at the tip of the Sinis Peninsula, within the Gulf of Oristano, lies the ancient city of Tharros. Founded by the Carthaginians in the 7th century BCE, it soon became one of the most important cities in the Mediterranean basin. Centuries earlier, this place had been chosen by Nuragic communities for its natural resources and the presence of a safe harbor protected from the strong Mistral winds, an ideal location for trade and cultural exchanges with other populations. As visitors stroll along the sandstone and basalt streets that weave through the districts of the Punic-Roman city, they can immerse themselves in history, observing the remnants of houses, artisanal spaces, thermal buildings, and temples. All these elements once composed the landscape of a vibrant and bustling center, just steps away from the sea and surrounded by an all-embracing panorama. The rich finds in its necropolises have made it famous, and its exquisite jewelry, collectively known as the Gold of Tharros, is on display in the most prestigious museums in the world.
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The story of a Giant discovery
Like every great discovery, it happened by chance: it was March 1974 when a farmer’s plow unearthed some sculpted stones. Archaeological research began in those years, and is still ongoing, providing an important contribution to our understanding of Nuragic society. Mont’e Prama is characterized by a necropolis of individual pit burials, one of a kind, with its most significant phase dating back to the 9th-8th century BCE.
During this phase, the Nuragic population of Sinis aimed to highlight their social position by creating a large sculptural complex known today as the Giants of Mont’e Prama. These are full-round statues depicting archers, boxers, and warriors, accompanied by other sculptures like Baetylus and models of nuraghe. The nuraghe models celebrate the ancestors who built the great stone towers, the ultimate expression of pride in the Nuragic civilization.
The Giants are the oldest statues with human-like features in the Western Mediterranean region. They have allowed archaeologists, and now all of us, to admire the figure of a Nuragic character from three thousand years ago.
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A timeless sanctuary
Inland on the Sinis Peninsula lies a small village wrapped in silence. It is the village of San Salvatore. Deserted all year round, it comes to life between late August and early September for religious celebrations. During this time, the faithful participate daily in a heartfelt Via Crucis in Sardinian language which takes place along the village streets.
At the core of this small center is the church dedicated to Jesus the Saviour. Completed at the end of the 18th century, it conceals beneath its floor an underground chamber: an evocative subterranean structure built in the 4th century CE. Corridors and rooms branch out around a well with waters long considered sacred, and the walls adorned with charcoal drawings narrate the passage of people through the centuries. Among the depictions dating back to the Roman Empire period, those representing the marriage of Mars and Venus and the fight between Hercules and the Nemean lion are particularly fascinating. There are also several inscriptions in Latin, Greek, and Arabic, as well as depictions of vessels spanning between the 4th and 16th centuries.
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How to get there
The Mont’e Prama Link shuttle bus allows you to reach our archaeological sites from the Oristano train station or from the 5 stops located within the city.
The bus stops at the Cabras museum, Mont’e Prama, San Salvatore di Sinis, and Tharros.
The ticket costs only 3 euros (or 5 euros for a round trip) and can be purchased directly on the bus.
You can find here the timetables and stops of Mont’e Prama Link for download
