Oristano and Sinis · Provincia di Oristano

Things to do in Abbasanta

Things to see in Abbasanta, Sardinia: Nuraghe Losa, plateau nuraghi and giants' tombs, churches, casizolu cheese and travel tips.

Abbasanta, Sardegna — © Gianni Careddu · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0

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Abbasanta, home to about 2,500 people, sits on the basalt plateau of the same name in central-western Sardinia, some 30 km from Oristano. It is famous above all for the Nuraghe Losa, one of the finest and best-preserved prehistoric monuments on the island. Right on the SS131 highway and with its own train station, it is easy to reach: ideal for archaeology lovers, fans of cork-oak countryside and mountain cheeses, and as a base for Lake Omodeo and the Montiferru.

What to see in Abbasanta

Nuraghe Losa

About 3 km from town, Losa is a complex nuraghe, a Bronze Age stone tower-fortress, built in several phases between the 15th and 12th centuries BC. Its central tower, still about 13 metres high, is wrapped by a three-lobed bastion with three smaller towers. You can go inside and climb up through domed chambers and stairways built within the walls. The site remained in use in later times, when it served as a burial ground.

More archaeology

The plateau is dotted with ancient sites: the Zuras nuraghe, the Aiga nuraghe with its village, the Sos Ozzastros giants' tomb and several dolmens and domus de janas rock-cut tombs.

Church of Santa Caterina d'Alessandria

The parish church was built in the 16th century in Catalan Gothic style, over the remains of a nuraghe, and remodelled in the late 1800s. In the centre you will also find the 16th-century church of Sant'Amada (or Dorotea), 17th-century Santa Maria delle Grazie and a house from the Aragonese period.

Sant'Agostino park and sanctuary

A green area of cork and holm oaks around an old country sanctuary, ringed by muristenes, the little houses where pilgrims stay during the feast.

Things to do in Abbasanta

Tour Losa with a guide, then drive or cycle between the nuraghi and giants' tombs of the plateau. The area has a long tradition of horse breeding, which makes rides through the tancas (fenced pastures) a joy. Lake Omodeo is half an hour away for a day of canoeing. Scroll down for experiences from local operators and pick yours.

History

The plateau was densely settled in Nuragic times, then visited by Carthaginians and Romans; the great Roman road from Karales (Cagliari) to Turris (Porto Torres) ran through here, just as the SS131 does today. In the Middle Ages Abbasanta, recorded as Aba Sancta, was the seat of the Guilcer district in the Giudicato of Arborea. Aragonese rule and royal fief status followed, and it became a municipality in 1838.

Food and shopping

The star product is casizolu, a stretched-curd cow's milk cheese protected by a Slow Food Presidium. Beef from the plateau and nearby Montiferru herds is excellent too. Local crafts work cork and metal.

Festivals and traditions

Sant'Agostino: late August at the country sanctuary, with pilgrims staying in the muristenes.

Nearby

Santa Cristina in Paulilatino, with its famous Nuragic sacred well.
Ghilarza, with Casa Gramsci, and Lake Omodeo.
Santu Lussurgiu and San Leonardo de Siete Fuentes in the Montiferru hills.
Sedilo, for the Ardia of San Costantino horse race in early July.

Getting there and when to go

Abbasanta has its own exit on the SS131 and a station on the Cagliari-Golfo Aranci line. Cagliari airport is about an hour and 20 minutes by car, Alghero about an hour and a quarter, Olbia just over an hour and a half; the nearest port is Oristano. The closest beaches, at Santa Caterina di Pittinuri and on the Sinis, are about 40-45 minutes away. Spring and autumn are best for archaeological sites, without the summer heat.