North-West · Città metropolitana di Sassari

Things to do in Laerru

Things to do in Laerru, Sardinia: Monte Ultana archaeological park, Bopitos tomb, Su Coloru cave, Santa Margherita church and briar pipes.

Laerru, Sardegna — © Gianni Careddu · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Laerru is a village of around 800 people in the heart of Anglona, set on a hillside at the edge of the Tanca Manna plateau, about 30 km from Castelsardo. Its name is thought to come from the Latin alaternus, the Italian buckthorn, an evergreen shrub common here. It is known worldwide for its briar pipes, and on Monte Ultana it has an archaeological park spanning prehistory to early Christian times. Perfect for lovers of caving, archaeology and fine craftsmanship.

What to see in Laerru

Church of Santa Margherita

The parish church was built in the 16th century in late Gothic style and later altered; inside it has two Aragonese Gothic chapels. The village also has the Baroque 17th-century Rosario oratory and some 19th-century mansions.

Monte Ultana archaeological park

Monte Ultana brings together many eras: fossil trunks of a petrified forest, domus de janas (rock-cut tombs), a giants' tomb, a nuragic temple, a large nuraghe surrounded by its village and a 4th-century Christian tomb. The highlight is the Bopitos tomb, a megalithic burial from the 3rd millennium BC.

Rio Altana and Santa Vittoria

Along the Rio Altana, the area's earliest human traces were found, dating to the Lower Palaeolithic. At Santa Vittoria, not far from the village, are the ruins of a castrum and Roman tombs.

Things to do in Laerru

The Tanca Manna plateau is full of springs and caves: the most famous is Su Coloru, one of Sardinia's largest karst caves, to be explored only with experienced cavers. Rugged hills and green plains make the area great for hiking and cycling to find nuraghi, some very well preserved. A visit to a workshop making Sardinian briar pipes is well worth it. Browse the tours and experiences offered by local operators just below.

History

Inhabited since the Lower Palaeolithic and then in pre-nuragic, nuragic and Roman times, in the Middle Ages the village, once called Laerro, belonged to the Giudicato of Torres, one of Sardinia's medieval kingdoms. It then came under Doria influence and, around 1450, passed to the Aragonese. In the 18th century it joined the principality of Anglona and was freed from feudal rule in the 19th century.

What to eat and buy

The economy is based on farming: cereals, fruit, vines, sheep and cattle. The souvenir to take home is a Sardinian briar pipe, the craft that made Laerru famous worldwide.

Festivals and traditions

San Giovanni, in late June, with the traditional feast of boiled mutton.
Santa Margherita, the patron saint, in July.

Nearby

Perfugas, with the Predio Canopoli sacred well and the archaeological and palaeobotanical museum.
Martis, with San Pantaleo, the Carrucana petrified forest and the Triulintas waterfall.
Bulzi, with the Romanesque church of San Pietro del Crocifisso.
Castelsardo, a medieval seaside village, about 35 minutes away.

Getting there and when to go

Laerru is about 50 minutes by car from Sassari. The nearest airports are Olbia, about an hour and a quarter away, and Alghero-Fertilia, just over an hour; the ports are Porto Torres and Olbia. The station is on the tourist Trenino Verde line. The nearest beaches are at Valledoria and Castelsardo. Spring and autumn are ideal for hikes and archaeological visits.