SYNISCOLA
Between the mountain and the sea
Siniscola is a town of twelve thousand inhabitants, the most populous of the Baronie, second in the province of Nuoro, 50 kilometers from Olbia. In Roman times it was Portus Lugudonis, a mansion in the littoral towards Karalis. All around a multifaceted scenery: limestone relief, gorges and overhangs, hills and plains, pastures and vineyards, lagoons and beaches, ideal places for trekking, horseback riding, caving, free climbing and surfing. Along the silvery ridge of theAlbo, you’ll travel evocative routes, once the paths of charcoal burners and shepherds, among archaeological sites and pinnettos, among forests of holm oaks and Mediterranean scrub, populated by mouflon, golden eagle and chough.
The grandeur of Montalbo dominates the landscape: the ‘Sardinian dolomite’ with its white rocks overlooks 25 kilometers of coastline, half of which is fine, clear sand.
The summit is ‘lunar’, downstream sinkholes, chasms, underground rivers and caves, inhabited in prehistory: Bona Fraule, where iron weapons have been found, Gane ‘e Gortoe, rich in limestone concretions, sa Conca ‘e Locoli, eroded by the impetuousness of the water, and sa Prejone ‘e ‘Orcu, nuragic cave-sanctuary. There are thirty nuragic settlements in all, including the villages of Luthuthai and Rempellos, the Conca Umosa nuraghe, and the Giants’ tombs sas Kolovranas, su Itichinzu , and su Piccante. The first human traces are from the sixth millennium B.C., in the cave of Elène Portiche, next is Cuccuru ‘e Janas, ‘hill of the fairies,’ a cave with radiating burial chambers.
From the mountains, paths reach the beaches, interrupted by low cliffs and framed by clear, turquoise waters. First stop, La Caletta, seaside hamlet and marina with five-kilometer golden beach bordered by pond on Graneri and pine forest. Heading south you will find St. Lucia, a fishing village, where Flavors of the Sea with seafood tastings take place in June and the International Festival shows in September. This is followed by the enchanting s’Ena e sa Chitta, the ‘confetti beach’: white sand and smooth rocks. A little further south, the giant dunes and centuries-old junipers of Cape Comino, a movie setting. Behind, the ponds of Salina Manna and Salinedda. Still further south, you will come to Bèrchida, pearl of the east coast with its dazzling radiance, given by white sands, emerald waters and golden reliefs.
In Spanish times the coast was protected by watchtowers, reminders of Saracen raids. One remains in Santa Lucia and one from 1608 that dominates, along with the 18th-century parish church of St. John the Baptist, the medieval town center. Worth visiting is Our Lady of Health, built near the ‘healing’ spring of Luittu, one of many that dot the area. Endless events: fireworks of St. Anthony the Abbot, carnival, Holy Week, the Spring Stage in Baronia. In mid-October, the most heartfelt (and secular) celebration for Our Lady of Grace. Religiosity is also manifested in various festivals, in which you will grasp the authenticity of the community and taste cannonau and pecorino cheese, suppa thiniscolesa menus and roasted meats. The emblem of Siniscola is sa pompia, a large citrus fruit, a cross between citron and lemon, from which delicious sweets of laborious preparation are made: pompìa intrea and s’aranzata. It is also used in cosmetics and herbal medicine.
EXPLORE
The places of culture
The historical evolution of the Alta Baronìa,
a historical subregion of northeastern Sardinia
.