Oristano and Sinis · Provincia di Oristano

Things to do in Bauladu

Bauladu, Sardinia: nuraghe Crabia with intact tholos, giants' tombs, Romanesque churches and the San Giovanni horseback festival.

Bauladu, Sardegna — © Tiuliano · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

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Bauladu is a small village of around six hundred people in the Oristano area, about 18 km from Oristano, set on the slopes of the Abbasanta basalt plateau with Montiferru to the north and the Campidano plain to the south. Its name, Baulàdu in Sardinian, means "wide ford", recalling the crossing on the rio Cispiri. It's ideal if you're after well-preserved nuraghi, genuine village festivals and a quiet base halfway between the Sinis coast and the heart of the island.

What to see in Bauladu

Nuraghe Crabia

The area's most important monument is in excellent condition: its ground floor keeps an intact tholos, the corbelled false dome typical of Nuragic towers, and a staircase leading to the upper floor.

The giants' tombs of Muraguada

Nuragic collective tombs built from large basalt blocks with a rectangular entrance, an evocative spot to pair with the nuraghe.

The church of San Gregorio Magno

The parish church in the old centre has a 13th-century Romanesque core with a bare stone façade and was remodelled in the 18th century. A side chapel holds a gilded, painted wooden Madonna and Child attributed to a 17th-century Neapolitan-school carver.

The church of San Lorenzo

Older than the parish church, it stands in a leafy garden and, with San Gregorio, is the medieval church locals hold dearest.

Things to do in Bauladu

The countryside between hills and plain is perfect for hiking and cycling to nuraghi and springs, and the village's love of horses shines through at its festivals. In minutes you reach the Montiferru trails and Vernaccia wineries, and in about half an hour the Sinis beaches. Below you'll find the experiences offered by local operators: choose one and book.

History

The area was inhabited in Nuragic and Roman times. Tradition says the first village, Santa Barbara de Turre, was abandoned after an epidemic and the survivors placed themselves under the Camaldolese monks of Bonarcado, to whom the judges of Arborea had granted the village in the 12th century. After Arborea fell it passed to the Marquisate of Oristano and then to Aragon; in 1767 it joined the Flores Nurra marquisate of Arcais and in 1839 it became a municipality. Merged with Milis in 1927, it regained independence in 1946.

What to eat and buy

Farming and sheep rearing shape the local economy: the plain is cultivated and the hills are grazed. The signature dish is boiled mutton, alongside sheep's cheeses and local wine.

Festivals and traditions

Santa Vittoria (mid-May): a large bonfire is lit.
San Giovanni Battista (late June): a procession of men and women in traditional dress, the women's in red, and horsemen, followed by riding games, displays of horsemanship and a mutton and cheese festival.

Nearby

Paulilatino: the Nuragic sanctuary and sacred well of Santa Cristina, about 10 minutes away.
Bonarcado: the Romanesque church of Santa Maria and the Bonacattu sanctuary.
Milis: orange groves, San Paolo and Palazzo Boyl.
Tramatza: the Roman bridge over the Cispiri.
Villanova Truschedu: nuraghe Santa Barbara.

Getting there and when to go

Bauladu is a few minutes off the SS131 Carlo Felice highway, about 20 minutes from Oristano. The nearest airport is Cagliari-Elmas, about an hour and a quarter away; Alghero is about an hour and a half. The handiest ports are Cagliari, Porto Torres and Olbia. Spring and early summer are best: green fields, mild weather for walking and, in late June, the San Giovanni festival.