Oristano and Sinis · Provincia di Oristano

Things to do in Tadasuni

Things to see and do in Tadasuni, a tiny village on Lake Omodeo in central Sardinia: churches, sunken history, canoeing and nature.

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

All Adventure and sport Culture and traditions Families and kids Food and wine Nature and hiking Sea Wellness

We are gathering the first experiences for this area. Check back soon, or tell us about an operator you know.

Tadasuni is one of Sardinia's tiniest villages: just over a hundred residents, dark stone houses and a spot on the western shore of Lake Omodeo, in the Guilcer, a historical district in the centre-west of the island. It makes a peaceful stop if you are driving along the main Carlo Felice highway and want a corner of Sardinia far from the crowds. It suits travellers who love authentic villages, freshwater landscapes and places with a story to tell.

What to see in Tadasuni

Church of San Nicola di Bari

The parish church dates from the mid-1800s. Built in dark stone in neoclassical style, it has a single barrel-vaulted nave and holds a 16th-century statue of the Madonna di Boele and a 19th-century gold and silver monstrance.

Santa Croce and San Michele

The village also has the 18th-century church of Santa Croce, while the small country church of San Michele Arcangelo stands out in the fields.

The lost churches of Boele and Zuri

The church of Santa Maria di Boele was flooded when the Tirso river was dammed in the 1920s; its wooden crucifix was brought up to the village. Nuragic remains and the old village of Zuri, later rebuilt higher up, also lie beneath the water.

Folk music instruments

For decades the parish house hosted a collection of Sardinian folk instruments, including the launeddas, the island's triple reed pipe. Ask at the town hall whether it can currently be visited.

Things to do in Tadasuni

Lake Omodeo steals the show: walks along the shore, canoe and kayak trips, birdwatching and sunset photography. The lake is a protected EU nature site, home to herons, ducks and peregrine falcons. When the water level drops, nuraghi and the trunks of the area's petrified forest, buried by volcanic eruptions millions of years ago, come back to the surface. Quiet country lanes are great by bike too. Scroll down to find the experiences offered by local operators and get out on the lake.

History

People lived here in Neolithic and Nuragic times. In the Middle Ages Tadasuni belonged to the Guilcer district of the Giudicato of Arborea, one of Sardinia's four medieval kingdoms, and is mentioned in the Condaghe of Bonarcado, a monastic register. Under the Aragonese it became a fief until feudalism ended in 1839. In the 20th century the creation of Lake Omodeo transformed the landscape for good.

Food and shopping

Expect the farming and shepherding cuisine of the Guilcer: homemade bread, sheep's cheese, roast meats and almond sweets. The best souvenirs are products straight from local shepherds and farmers.

Festivals and traditions

San Michele: late September, at the country church.
San Nicola, the patron saint: early December.

Nearby

Ghilarza, a few minutes away, with Casa Gramsci and an Aragonese tower.
San Pietro di Zuri, a Romanesque church moved stone by stone when the lake was created.
Soddì, with fossil tree trunks displayed by the church of Santa Maria Maddalena.
Sedilo, home of the San Costantino sanctuary and the famous Ardia horse race in July.

Getting there and when to go

Tadasuni is a few kilometres off the SS131 highway (Abbasanta exit). Oristano is about 45 km away; Cagliari airport is roughly an hour and a half by car and Alghero airport just over an hour. The nearest train station is in Abbasanta. Spring and autumn are ideal, with mild weather, green countryside and lovely light on the lake.