Sulcis and surroundings

The weather in Sant'Antioco Island is mild both in autumn and spring, with very little rain. During the summer season the high temperature is mitigated by the North-West wind, typical wind of the area.

Sant'Antioco Island is located in a very fascinating area rich in archaeological and mining sites, museums, churches, which can be visited all year long. Moreover, Sant'Antioco Island is located in the Sulcis area, an agricultural region, where a particular wine is produced named “Carignano del Sulcis”. Recently this wine has become famous and is appreciated worldwise.

In Calasetta and all around the island of S.Antioco there are beautiful beaches and crystalline waters, where to sunbathe and to go swimming. 

Nolomar in Calasetta harbour, rents any kind of rubber boats. 

Cars, motorbikes and bikes are rented by Nolo Basti.

If your children want to learn how to sail, the Calasetta Harbour offers children sailing courses. 

In Sant'Antioco Island and surroundings, you find good restaurants, with tasty fresh fish and the typical food from Sardinia. For lovers of fish-food, we suggest to buy fresh fish directly from the fishing-boats in the port of S.Antioco.

In Calasetta we suggest to visit the Sabauda Tower and the Museum of Contemporary Art. Calasetta is the second most important town of the island of Sant'Antioco and preserves the typical unchanged traits of its Genoan and Tarbarchin origins in both its traditions and characteristics. Life in the centre of Calasetta began in around 1769, when a group of Tabarkans from the island of Tabarka, (an island situated in front of Tunisia), but originally from Pegli (near Genoa), asked King Carlo Emanuele permission to populate the northern coast of the Island of Sant'Antioco, right in front of the Island of Carloforte. In fact, ever since its first period of domination on the island, the Kingdom of Savoy, had always intended to promote the repopulation of the whole of Sardinia, including the Island of Sant'Antioco, where first, colonies of Tabarkans arrived, followed by Piedmontese and finally Sicilians. The inhabited centre stands on a little hill which descends towards the port, giving the village a polygon-shape. Seen from above the centre gives an idea of extreme severity for the regularity and the order of its straight streets which intersect forming a orthogonal grid.

In Sant'Antioco, the Archeotur Company will guide you to the discovery of the archaeological sites located all around the island. 

In Sant'Antioco, visit the Bisso Museum. BISSO is a precious sea silk secreted by a Mollusc. Making byssus thread is a real work of art: the filaments, which are produced by the mollusc as an anchor, are harvested in the Santa Caterina pool in May. The flock is desalinated in the same pool, adding fresh water little by little to prevent the fibre from becoming rigid if done too quickly, then it is dyed with herbs harvested during the new moon, it is dried in a southerwesterly wind, treated with goats milk, threaded onto a cane spindle and then finally woven on the historical table loom. 

Carloforte, joined to Calasetta by ferryboats every 1 hour and an half (30 minutes of trip), is the only town on the Isola di San Pietro. Founded a couple of hundred years ago by some Genovese coral fishers who had previously been living for a century or so on the island of Tabarka, just off  form of Genovese, with vowel sounds that are quite different from standard Italian and more like French. The people of this island are not Sards, but Carlofortinian. Their dialect is an old-fashionede inhabitants of the city are in some form connected to fishing (mostly Tuna) or tourism. Four beautiful trees make the town square a lovely place to sit and relax.

In Carbonia are located various archaeological and mining sites: Monte Sirai and Serbariu Mine. The Italian Centre for Coal Mining Culture, which is located in the Great Coal Mine of Serbariu in Carbonia, was opened on 3rd November 2006. The mining site was closed in 1964 and has been restored and modified to become a museum and educational centre. With the development of this project to recover and improve the site, it is now possible to visit the surface area and the buildings that constitute the Coal Mining Museum.

In Santadi, we suggest to visit Is Zuddas Caves. The caves of Is Zuddas open out in the Cambric limestone of Monte Meana (236 m above sea level) at Santadi, and they stretch for an overall length of around 1650 m even if the tourist trail, made up of a number of stately chambers, is limited to 500 metres. It consists of different chambers, each of which is distinguished and differentiated for the particular characteristics of the concretions.

In Iglesias you find Museums, Churches and the Geo-mining Parc of the Town.

The area has been inhabited since the Nuraghic age, as witnessed by the remains visible in many sites: Is Cadonis, Medau Mannu, Punta Sa Pannara, Santa Barbara, the domus de janas of San Benedetto, the tombs of the giants of Genna Solu and Martiadas and the temple at Serra Abis. Iglesias’ history has always been linked to mining activity. Today, the old mines scattered in its territory constitute a world-level mining heritage, whose importance has been sanctioned by UNESCO. Iglesias’ other claim to fame are its many churches. If you’re pressed for time, try not to miss the Cathedral of Santa Chiara, built in the 13th century, but also the church of the Madonna delle Grazie and that of San Francesco, with its attached 16th-century monastery. A fascinating glimpse into Iglesias’ mining past is offered by its Mining Museum and the Machinery Museum, which has on display huge pieces of mining equipment. And if these sights have whetted your appetite, why not opt for a guided tour to some of the main mines in the area, which include Monteponi, San Giovanni and Masua, and where the industrial heritage couples with splendid landscapes. To experience pristine wilderness, explore the nature area of Monte Marganai, a forest with amazing lush vegetation 

Moreover, don’t forget to taste the wine “Carignano del Sulcis”, this vineyard is present only in this area. Visit the wine cellars:

Cantina di Calasetta in Calasetta

Cantina Sardus Pater in Sant'Antioco

Cantina di Santadi in Santadi

Cantina Mesa in Sant'Anna Arresi