Dorgali

Dorgali is one of the most characteristic small towns in the province of Nuoro and is situated just a few kilometres from the Golfo di Orosei.
The territory belonging to Dorgali is one of the largest in Sardinia with its 225 square kilometres and a population of 8.190 inhabitants. It has a wealth of historical evidence from the past and its natural heritage is varied and of rare beauty. The town itself dates back to the Middle Ages, although the area was already inhabited in prehistoric times and Roman times, as we can see from the dwellings in basalt stone that are still standing in the historical town centre. As well as the Church of Santa Caterina, dating back to the 18th century, there are many others churches that can be visited in the surrounding countryside and together with the numerous archaeological sites they represent a portfolio of cultural assets of considerable interest. You should visit the 17th century Church of “Babbu Mannu” (Great Father), just north of Dorgali along the SS 125, which is surrounded by large, centuries-old wild olive trees. The building consists of a single nave and a wooden roof and on the day of Pentecost, they hold one of the most characteristic Sardinian country festivals here.
The nuraghic village of “Serra Orrios” is surrounded by dense Mediterranean maquis, which provides the site with a suitable backdrop making the ruins even more fascinating. There are about 70 huts with a few wells, a sacred precinct and two small, rectangular temples. The items found during the excavations are on display in the Archaeological Museum in Dorgali. This small museum in Via Lamarmora has a rich selection of objects in flint and obsidian, pottery from the Neolithic era, as well as necklaces and implements from the Phoenician and Roman times, most of which were found on the sea bed. You can see the “tomba dei giganti”, known as “S’Ena’e Thomes’” in the valley of the Rio Isalle; it dominates the surrounding landscape and is regarded as one of the most important monuments of Sardinian prehistory.
Dorgali is perhaps the most important centre for tourism in Barbagia and is well-known for its arts and crafts, whose traditional skills have been handed down by generations of master craftsmen and are still kept alive today in the small workshops in the town and the farms in the surrounding countryside. The jewellery made with gold filigree like the classic gold buttons, that decorate the traditional Sardinian costumes, and the typical, oriental style of carpet-weaving all merit a particular mention.
The majority of local wines are produced in the cantina sociale, which is particularly famous for its Cannonau but also for the quality of its other wines. The cheese factory, the olive oil bottling plant and the local bakeries, that make “pane carasau”, all make their own contribution towards the preservation of standards in the production of traditional products.
The natural landscapes that surround Dorgali are a priceless treasure of amazing beauty and variety. The Grotta del Bue Marino and the beaches of Cala Luna are particularly famous. The grotta is about 5 km south of the well-known and popular bathing resort of Cala Gonone, and can be reached on foot via a long footpath, or by boat on one of the many boat-trips that are organised daily from Cala Gonone. The name of the cave derives from the fact that it used to be a place of refuge for the monk seal. Visitors to the cave are always struck by the almost surreal atmosphere created by the natural sculptures, produced by water erosion, and by the small underground pools to be found in the two branches inside the cave.

The splendid beach of Cala Luna is situated about 7 km south of Cala Gonone. At the back of the beach there are six enormous caves inside the limestone cliffs there, that make the setting even more stunningly beautiful. If you continue southwards by boat you come to Cala Sisine, where the lofty rock walls intermingle with the greenery of the centuries-old ilex and carob trees.

Hidden among the mountains to the north of Dorgali you can visit one of the largest caves in Europe: the Grotta di Ispinigoli. It stretches for about 10 kilometres inside the mountain and houses a stalagmite that is about 40 metres high and a deep chasm known as the “Abisso delle Vergini” (Virgins’ Abyss) and was probably a place of worship during the Punic era.

One of the places you have to visit if you come to Supramonte is the ravine known as “Su Gorroppu”, to the south of Dorgali. You can get there by taking a long footpath that winds between the rocks occasionally following the Rio Flumineddu. The entrance to the ravine with its towering rock walls provides the finishing touches to this extremely impressive landscape painting.

If you drive along the Dorgali-to-Baunei road and turn off towards the Valle di Oddoene and then cross the bridge of “S’Abba Arva”, you can take a footpath through the oak woods that leads to Monte Tiscali. When you reach the top of the hill, you can see the ruins of a nuraghic village built in the hollow of the mountain – this is the village of Tiscali.