Meraviglie scolpite dalla natura nel sottosuolo iglesiente

Marvels sculpted by nature in the Iglesiente subsoil

In the Sulcis-Iglesiente region, amidst the oldest rocks in Italy, there are four cavities guarding settings and rooms with a magical and spectacular atmosphere, to be carefully preserved

scenarios ‘hollowed out’ over millions of years

Very ancient karstic systems, created by the incessant force of water, characterise the limestone elevations in the south-west of Sardinia. Hundreds of caves and ravines, among which four real natural ‘works of art’ stand out and are as precious as they are delicate. Each one will surprise you with unique features: lakes, crystals, concretions and helictites with unusual shapes and even a road that crosses one of them. From lower Sulcis to Fluminese, this is an itinerary where natural surprises are accompanied by historical and archaeological attractions.

Journey length: 106 km

Road travel time: about 2 hours

Is Zuddas, Santadi

It starts in Santadi, known for Carignano wine, for its archaeological heritage and for the caves dug out of the dolomite rocks of Mount Meana. They are still active and each of their rooms has unusual concretions: one boasts the greatest concentration of helictite aragonites in Italy. Along the route, of approximately 500 metres, you can also admire splendid stalactites, stalagmites, flows and ‘straws’. At Christmas, the Organ Room hosts an evocative nativity scene.

Is Zuddas

In the Sulcis area, in the southwestern part of Sardinia, a splendid underground itinerary opens up between the dolomite rocks, created by the...

Cave of Santa Barbara, Iglesias

Travelling about another fifty kilometres, you will reach the territory of Iglesias, near the Monteponi mine and next to that of San Giovanni. It was a miner who first discovered the ‘oldest’ cave in Italy. The large, 25-metre-high room is dotted with stalactites, making it look almost like a majestic cathedral. You can also admire the honeycomb concretions and the small lake in the lower part. You can get there by local train and lift, along tunnels marked by the daily toil of the miners.

Cave of Santa Barbara

A masterpiece of nature at the heart of a mountain of the Iglesiente subdivision, in the south-western part of Sardinia, one of the oldest cavities...

Cave of S. Giovanni, Domusnovas

The shortest stretch, which is less than twenty kilometres, allows you to visit one of the only three caves in the world crossed by a road. Just outside Domusnovas, close to the Marganai forest - which is full of abandoned mining plants -, a long and evocative cave appears, the name of which comes from a chapel that is no longer there. Today you can travel along its 850 metres on foot, thus allowing you to admire the details of the limestone basins and the walls covered with stalactites and stalagmites.

shutterstock_297587093_grotte_domusnovas_sgiovanni_d.serra1_

San Giovanni Cave

In the Iglesias area, in the extreme south-western part of Sardinia, set between two hills, a large and dark door opens into the bowels of the...

Caves of Su Mannau, Fluminimaggiore

The last stretch is 35 kilometres long, concluding the itinerary not far from the captivating temple of Antas. In the territory of Fluminimaggiore, there is a complex that is still ‘alive’, although it emerged 500 million years ago. One room was used as a temple in the Pre-Nuragic age, while the speleological tourist route, between walkways and steps, allows you to admire pillars, crystal ‘trees’, small lakes, cave pearls and aragonites with a very original appearance.