Information English

Dates & Facts:

Sardinia is the 2nd largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and about 7 times bigger than Mallorca. It is geologically older than the Italian Continent and is of volcanic origin.

It belongs politically to Italy and the maintown is Cagliari.
It's Southern tip is only 180 km (112.5 miles) away from the African Continent.
It is about 300 km (187.5 miles) long and 130 km (81.25 miles) wide.
It's coast line is 1,800 km long (1,125 miles).
The highest mountain is "Punta La Marmora" at 1,834 m (6,015 feet).
The surface is more than 24,000 square kilometres (9,266 square miles).

The most ancient traces of human presence on the island go back to 8000 years.

Sardinia

Giant tombs

History & Archaeology:

A geological history of hundreds of millions of years has rendered Sardinia a land of many different faces.

Perhaps Sardinia is unique in the great number of monuments from all periods of history and prehistory scattered over the entire island.

Most striking are the Nuraghe towers. These great circular stone structures bare austere and silent witness to one of the major cultures of the ancient Mediterranean. So renewed are they that they have become the symbol of Sardinia's prehistory.

Equally fascinating, however, are the unusual menhir, the Tombs of the Giants and the Domus de Janas - graves that popular tradition calls by "the abodes of fairies".

The civilisation of the Nuraghs (1500 - 300 BC) is one of the most ancient and impressive of the Mediterranean Sea, with their various megalithic constructions in different dimensions. There are still more than 7,000 Nuraghe buildings spread over the island.

Because of the distance from the mainland Sardinia developed differently through the centuries. As a result of the continuos incursions of the Arabs, from the 8th cent. AC on, the towns and villages along the Sardinian coasts were almost abandoned. Peoples didn't live along the coast anymore.

This is one of the reasons why the Sardinian coasts and the sea is still among the most beautiful in the entire world.

The typical Sardinian handcraft is proof of this unique culture, which has maintained its traditions through the years. Mining industry, sheep breading and agriculture together with tourism are the main economic activities. Today the island has about 1.7 million inhabitants.

Sardinian donkeys

Crystal clear seawater

Weather & climate:

Its central position in the Mediterranean Sea and its closeness to Africa favour a mild climate. Only rarely nocturnal temperatures fall for a short while below zero degrees Celsius, the maximum winter daily temperatures maintain mostly around and over +15 degrees Celsius.

The precipitation is rare and brief. To this could be added an "unfortunately" because there have been many years of drought. In winter it snows in the mountains.

During the summer the maximum temperatures exceed 30 and sometimes 40 degrees C. Thanks to pleasing winds the temperatures seem reduced, like breezes from the sea, the Mistral wind and winds from the South.

Rainfall per month:

0

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sept

Oct

Nov

Dec

mm
16

7

21

27

28

6

0

5

4

5

60

82

inch
0.65

0.30

0.84

1.07

1.13

0.24

0

0.19

0.15

0.20

2.37

3.22

Tradition & Nature

Try and enjoy the hospitality, the friendliness and the generosity of the people and last but not least: the crystal-clear seawater, clean sandy beaches, lonely rocky bays, beautiful plants and typical animals, mountains, forests, lakes, rivers, nature - In short: the richness and variety of the Sardinian landscape!

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Procession Sant'Efisio