Sinis peninsula
The Sinis Peninsula is a protected marine area on the western coast of Sardinia. The area consists of several excellent beaches (san Giovanni di Sinis, Is Arutas), and a large lagoon bellow ancient village ruins of Tharros. A coastline is pretty untouched and presented with geographical beauty.
Going north, the coast is sandy (here you can find the famous beach of Is Arutas formed by small white quartz sand), and it alternates to rocky cliffs that become high and imposing at Capo Mannu. Beyond, low reefs are alternated sandy coasts till the great complex of dunes of Is Arenas that stretches inland for 8 km forming a true desert area. In front of Capo San Marco, at approximately 7,5 miles, there is the Catalano, an ancient volcano of 230 m in diameter, nearly completely cracked in the middle by a deep fissure.
Sinis peninsula and Cabras
The Sinis Peninsula is a territory with meny naturalistic sites. Di Cabras lagoon is one of the largest lagoons in the Europe. It is pretty hard to reached because it has narrow and unmetalled roads. The banks are inhabited by interesting fauna for example rails, wild fowls and herons. The lagoon is also known for large quantity of fish (gilt heads, mullets, eels, bass). The reef scoglio del Catalano and Mal di Ventre island is also part of the Sinis territory. This reef is unpolluted and pretty wild, on the eastern side has lot of small beaches.
Archeological sites of Sinis peninsula
The province Cabras is worth visiting for lot of reasons: naturalistic, monumental, ethnographic and archaeological. Very beautiful in these area is from the 6th century hypogeum sancutary of S. Salvatore. A city founded by the Phoenicians called the Tharros is another important spot light. The town is one of the most famous archaeological areas in the Mediterranean. Phoenicians founded the city of Tharros around the 800 a.D. on an old “nuragico” settlement of the second half of II millennium a.D. and it was mainly as a city with trading purposes.
In the 238 a.D., it passed under the roman dominion, but then it has abandoned on the VIII or the IX century because of the continuous raids.
It was newly rebuilt in the 1052 until its definitive abandonment in 1070 when the judging system and the “Arcivescovado” has been moved to Oristano.
Is Arutas - quarz sandy beach
Traveling from Oristano towards Sinis Peninsula, you can find the quartz beach of Aruttas.Is Arutas is one of the most unusual beaches Sardinia. It is formed by small white pieces of quartz that the sea has deposited on the beach. You can arrive there, passing the small town called “San Salvatore”. After few kilometers crossing the middle of the Sinis countryside, you will arrive to the sea. The marine environment: The meadows of Posidonia reach here the maximum depths of the Mediterranean, beyond 40 m, due to limpid water and pristine habitat. The waters of the sea and the sea banks are animated by a great variety of fish, mollusc and crustaceans: Dam selfish, common Cuttlefish, Octopus, Sea Slug, Blenny, Rockfish, Groper, Rainbow wrasse and the rare Sea Bug and Lobsters. At deeper depths, Corals, Madrepora and Sponges cover the rocky banks with many colours. In the waters in front of the coast it is easy to sight dolphins that follow the boats, the Loggerhead Turtle and sometime the rare Leather Back Turtle.