Museums and culture
Aragonese Tower (1 km - 20 minutes on foot)
On top of the eastern headland of Portopaglietto stands an Aragonese tower, dating back to 1577, during the Spanish domination of Sardinia. Visible from our village, it offers a beautiful panoramic view over the islands of Sant’Antioco and San Pietro.
Tonnara di Su Pranu (2 km - 30 minutes on foot – 5 minutes by car)
A witness to the ancient tuna fishing tradition of Portoscuso, this tuna fishery was built at the end of the 1500s by Spanish rulers and is open for guided tours. Here, between April and June, the tonnarotti (tuna fishermen) prepare their boats and nets for the traditional tuna fishing season. May is the peak month for tuna passing between Portoscuso and Carloforte, and also the time of the famous mattanza, when the tuna, trapped in nets, are hauled onto traditional fishing boats.
Great Mine of Serbariu (19 km - 20 minutes by car)
Located in Carbonia, a city founded on December 18th, 1938 by Benito Mussolini, this is one of the largest mining museums in Italy. The city owes its very existence to the massive coal deposits that powered Italy during WWII. Today, visitors can explore the mine, learn about the life of the workers who came from all over Italy, and discover the extraordinary work carried out here.
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Monte Sirai (14 km - 13 minutes by car)
The Sulcis area is both geologically ancient and archaeologically rich. Near Carbonia lies Monte Sirai, home to an important archaeological museum preserving the remains of an ancient Phoenician city. Guided tours reveal the cultural influences that these peoples, coming from the eastern Mediterranean, had on Sardinian traditions.
Nuraghe Sirai (17 km - 19 minutes by car)
Also near Carbonia, this recently discovered nuraghe (Sardinia’s distinctive prehistoric stone structure) takes its name from its proximity to Monte Sirai. It is not yet open to visitors as excavations are still ongoing, but it can be seen from the SS 126 road heading towards Sant’Antioco.
Nuraghe Seruci (9 km - 14 minutes by car)
Dating back about 3,500 years, this is the best example of Nuragic civilization in the Sulcis area. Open to the public and also available with a guided tour, it features an impressive central tower and remains of the surrounding village, along with a giants’ tomb, offering a perfect glimpse into Nuragic life and culture.
Laveria Lamarmora (22 km – 27 minutes by car)
The laveria is a ruin that bears witness to the area’s mining activity, which has been ongoing since the late 19th century. In this building, workers washed and sorted the mineral materials extracted from the nearby mountains (especially lead and zinc) before shipping them by sea from the small port on site. The panoramic setting offers visitors a breathtaking view.
Porto Flavia (28 km - 40 minutes by car)
Part of the mining history of the region, Porto Flavia lies near Masua beach. Guided tours lead through tunnels carved into the mountain facing the Pan di Zucchero sea stack – the tallest in the Mediterranean – offering breathtaking views. Through an ingenious system of tunnels, minerals were once directly loaded from here onto merchant ships anchored below.
Tophet of Sant’Antioco (29 km - 30 minutes by car)
In Sant’Antioco, one of the oldest towns in Sardinia, lies a perfectly preserved Phoenician-Punic Tophet (sanctuary). These settlers, spotting signs of life on the nearby coast (Nuragic settlements), decided to sail to the mainland, attack the local population near Monte Sirai and found the city whose remains can now be visited in the local museum.
Pisan Walls (23 km - 27 minutes by car)
Besides the Genoese, who invaded nearby Carloforte and left many visible traces, the Pisans also occupied the southern part of Sardinia. In Iglesias – whose old town is an architectural gem of Pisan, Roman, Catalan, and Aragonese styles – you can still admire the 13th-century city walls.
Saracen Tower (40 km - 45 minutes by car)
Over the centuries, Sardinia was reached by Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Genoese, Pisans, Catalans, Aragonese, and also Arabs. In Sant’Antioco, from Coaquaddus beach, you can spot the Saracen Tower to the right. It is accessible by car, though currently closed to the public.
WWII Bunkers (10 mt - 30 seconds walk!)
Right behind our house stands one of many German bunkers from WWII. You can even visit it inside! Likely built in preparation for an American attack in southern Sardinia (which indeed occurred in Cagliari), the whole area is dotted with bunkers visible along the roads you will travel.
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