Things to do in Jerzu
Things to do in Jerzu, Sardinia: the town of Cannonau wine, wineries and wine festival, Ogliastra's limestone tacchi, hiking and climbing.
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Jerzu is a village of around 2,900 people in Ogliastra, central-eastern Sardinia, perched at about 450 metres beneath spectacular limestone towers called tacchi. It is known as the "town of wine": its vineyards, sloping down the Rio Pardu valley, produce one of the island's most prized Cannonau reds. It is ideal for wine lovers, mountain fans, hikers and climbers, and for anyone wanting to discover inland Ogliastra about half an hour from the sea.
What to see in Jerzu
The tacchi of Jerzu
The landscape is dominated by the tacchi, limestone plateaus and pinnacles rising from the woods like natural castles. Above the village stand Porcu 'e Ludu and Troiscu; the highest point in the area is Punta Corongiu, at about 1,000 metres. From up here the view sweeps over the valley to the Ogliastra sea.
Old centre and cellars
The village climbs a hillside with narrow lanes, stairways and stone houses. Many homes still keep their old family cellars on the ground floor, a sign of a life always tied to the vineyard. The Parish Museum gathers sacred objects and documents from the 16th to the early 20th century.
Country church of Sant'Antonio
Among the tacchi stands the little church of Sant'Antonio, linked to the village's main festival: a peaceful spot surrounded by nature, reached on foot.
Sa domu 'e s'Orcu nuraghe
On the mountain slopes lies this nuraghe, whose name means "the ogre's house", one of the area's traces of the Nuragic civilisation that built Sardinia's Bronze Age stone towers.
Things to do in Jerzu
- Cannonau tastings: visits to local wineries and tastings of Cannonau di Jerzu, a full-bodied, fragrant red.
- Hiking on tacchi trails among holm oaks, rocks and valley views.
- Rock climbing: the limestone walls of Jerzu and nearby Ulassai are among climbers' favourites in Sardinia.
- Mountain biking and quad tours on mountain dirt roads.
- Cooking experiences: workshops to learn how to seal culurgiones.
- The sea: the beaches of Cardedu and Tertenia are about half an hour away by car.
Below you will find the experiences offered by local operators: choose wine, mountains or nature and book directly.
History
The area was settled in the Nuragic age, as the nuraghi on the slopes show. In the Middle Ages Jerzu was part of the Ogliastra district of the Judicate of Cagliari, one of Sardinia's four medieval kingdoms; after the Aragonese conquest it fell within the feudal County of Quirra until feudalism was abolished in 1839. The village economy has always revolved around the vine: in the second half of the 20th century the founding of the cooperative winery, which gathers grapes from many growers, made Cannonau di Jerzu known far beyond the island. Today Jerzu is an official sub-zone of the Cannonau di Sardegna DOC.
Food and local products
Wine is king: Cannonau di Jerzu, intense and structured, pairs with traditional meat dishes such as roast suckling pig and lamb. The signature dish is culurgiones, ravioli filled with potato, cheese and mint and hand-sealed in an ear-of-wheat pattern. Breads include coccoi prenas, a filled flatbread, and coccoi de tamata, with tomato. To take home: a bottle of Cannonau, sheep's and goat's cheeses, honey and traditional sweets.
Festivals and traditions
- Sant'Antonio: on 13 June, the most heartfelt feast, with celebrations at the country church among the tacchi.
- Madonna delle Grazie: in May, at Pelau.
- San Giacomo and Sant'Anna: in late July.
- Wine festival: in early August, with Cannonau tastings, music and local dishes; on 10 August Calici di Stelle opens the old cellars of the historic centre.
Nearby
- Ulassai (about 15 minutes): the Su Marmuri cave and the Stazione dell'Arte devoted to artist Maria Lai.
- Osini (about 20 minutes): the Scala di San Giorgio, a cleft in the rock, and the Nuragic village of Serbissi.
- Gairo (about 25 minutes): the old village abandoned after the 1951 flood and the Perda 'e Liana tacco.
- Cardedu and Tertenia (about 30 minutes): beaches such as Museddu and Ogliastra's southern coast.
- Tortolì and Arbatax (about 40 minutes): red rocks and boat trips in the Gulf of Orosei.
Getting there and when to go
The nearest airports are Cagliari and Olbia, about two hours by car; the closest port is Arbatax. From north or south, follow the SS125 Orientale Sarda road and then climb inland. A car is essential. The best seasons are spring and autumn, ideal for hiking and climbing and, in September and October, for the grape harvest; August brings the wine festival, when the village is at its liveliest.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Jerzu called the town of wine?
Because Cannonau di Jerzu is one of Sardinia's most famous wines and the vine has always been at the heart of village life.
Is Jerzu near the sea?
It is a hill village, but the beaches of Cardedu and Tertenia are about half an hour's drive away.
How many days do you need for Jerzu and the area?
One day covers the village and a tasting; with two or three you can add the tacchi trails, Ulassai and Osini.
