The 3 best excursions to do in Villasimius and Costa Rei

 

Which excursions to choose to know the territory of Villasimius and Costa Rei? What are the best choices to be able to capture both the atmosphere of the places and the views and natural oases that abound in these places?

 

It is difficult to choose, but we thought of suggesting three different options, so as to have a broader and more transversal knowledge of this region where nature is the master, even if only 60 km from  Cagliari.

 

 

 

1° excursion: Marine protected area of Capo Carbonara

You can’t leave it aside. The beauty of this stretch of sea and its underwater fauna offer breathtaking underwater landscapes. This is a paradise for diving and snorkeling lovers.

 

You can choose from a variety of organised excursions, either in common excursion boats or in rubber dinghies, or you can even do something for yourself.

 

The area offers immense prairies of posidonia inhabited by groupers, bream, corvinas, barracudas and triggerfish. The presence of wrecks of old boats have been transformed over time by the mantle of the sea in multicolored gardens inhabited by an infinite number of fish and are a sight to see.

 

You can also go and see the submerged statue of Our Lady of the Shipwreck, near the Island of Kale. Every July it is visited for the traditional local festival.

 

The beautiful beach of Peppino, where a rock of about 30 meters separates the beach from that of Santa Giusta, should certainly be included in the itinerary.

 

On the way back you can pass by the Old Fortress, which for its location offers a breathtaking view of the Gulf of Cagliari and often allows you to see dolphins or other cetaceans crossing the bay. Often the fortress hosts installations or art exhibitions.

 

 

 

2° excursion: On all fours, motorized or not

Many times a trip gives us the opportunity to combine an excursion with a new experience. In this case, why not get to know part of the territory of Villasimius-Costa Rei in combining the tour with an experience like horseback riding or quad riding?

 

Horse riding along paths where the contact with nature is intense, and then lengthen the journey with the excursion on horseback on the beach, unique and unforgettable sensations. The local associations and structures offer different types of offers, starting from the basic lesson to the riding school for those who are not yet familiar with horses and then accompany you along the paths and beaches of the area for excursions that you will certainly not forget.

 

For the more sporty, or just for those who want to experience new emotions, there is the fun possibility of making excursions by quad on dirt roads in the area. We pass through paths not accessible to cars making the tour a unique experience, with stops at the beach for a swim in the crystal clear waters and then for a snack on the way back..

 

 

 

3° Excursion: Knowing the past

As in other parts of Sardinia, this region is also rich in important historical finds.

 

You can start by visiting the menhirs of Piscina Rei; they are 22 and date back to 5,000 BC.

 

From there you can visit the nuraghe Scalas, with an interesting megalithic complex consisting of 43 menhirs arranged in rows of 3, 4 or 5. It is assumed that this complex served as a stone calendar to identify the seasonal cycles.

 

You can continue towards the Sa Domu ‘e S’Orcu nuraghe, by car or mountain bike. It is considered one of the most important nuraghic systems in south-eastern Sardinia and is located near the beach of Costa Rei, in the territory of Castiadas.

 

Approaching in time, it is interesting to visit the castle of Quirra, built by the judges of Cagliari in the middle of the thirteenth century on a rock 296 m high above sea level. Object of many sieges for its possession, it was in fact in the hands of Pisa, Aragonese and Genoese.

 

The church of San Nicola di Quirra is also worth a visit. It was built around the twelfth century and is one of the most original architecture of the island, considering the material with which it was made: brick baked clay molded with clay.

 

The excursion ends with a visit to the former penal colony of Castiadas, opened in 1875, but which developed until 1952 becoming the largest agricultural penal colony in Italy. Recently, the municipality has recovered part of the structure, considered to be of high value and in the place that previously housed the herds of breeders-prisoners was built an open-air theater.

 

 

 

Giulio Sacripanti

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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