Cagliari: Barumini Unesco Site and Giara Park

Driving about 1 hour from Cagliari in to the country side of Sardinia, we'll reach Barumini and we'll see this wonderful place that from 1997 has been enrolled in Unesco World Heritage Lists because of its uniqueness.

First stop at Zapata Palace, Noble power, good taste and a display of luxury combined with a priceless cultural patrimony. In Barumini the beautiful dwelling of the Zapata family, the building of which was ordered by Don Azor, alcalde of Cagliari, at the end of the 16th century, over the ruins of a nuraghe. Since 2006, the Spanish residence has been a museum centre. The building is a rare example of Hispanic civil architecture in Sardinia, built based on classical-style models.

Second stop at Su Nuraxi, made from basalt, reveals two thousand years of stratification, from the 16th century BC to the 7th century AD, and consists of a complex Nuraghe - a bastion with a central tower and four corner towers - and, all around it, a labyrinth of 50 huts, wells and cisterns. The central tower (originally 18 metres high) is the most ancient: the diameter of its walls decreases gradually as you go up towards the top. It was later surrounded by walls with four smaller towers. The boundary wall, however, dates back to a period of war. It is still visible and made the Nuraghe unassailable. These circular huts with conical roofs date back to the Late Bronze Age (14th - 12th century BC) and this type of dwelling is a unique example based on its complexity. The most significant one is the meeting hut, where pots, ornaments, tools, arms and votive images were found.

After lunch(not included), we'll drive towards Gesturi, where we can have a walk tour in the Giara Park and meet the Sardinian Wild Horses.

Also in the park we can visit the older kind of Nuraghe "Proto Nuraghe". The fauna of the Giara includes some of the most common species of mammals that are normally present in the woodlands of Sardinia: wild boars, foxes, martens, wild rabbits, hares, and hedgehogs. Besides these, it is worth mentioning the many species of permanent birds, such as Sardinian partridges, sparrowhawks, and peregrine falcons, and a large number of migratory birds, both terrestrial (thrushes, blackbirds, woodcocks, wood pigeons) and aquatic (herons, ducks, snipes, marsh harriers). Nesting species include hawfinches, mistle thrushes, woodlarks, shrikes, black buntings, Dartford warblers, great spotted woodpeckers, jays, and bee-eaters. Your local guide will be keen to make the tour as personal as possible. He will assist you with his expertise and recall interesting anecdotes for you before driving you back to your hotel.