The guided excursion to Nuraghe of Barumini and the Giara’s mini horses starts from Cagliari, usually in the morning, and lasts for a half day.
Visit the Nuraghe of Barumini
The guided tour of the archeological site of Barumini will introduce you to the origins of the Sardinian culture.
“Su Nuraxi“, the Nuraghe of Barumini, located just few steps from the village of Barumini and from the Park of Giara, in the region of Marmilla. Declared a World Heritage Site in 1997 by UNESCO, the Nuraghe of Barumini is definitely one of the most famous and most important archaeological sites of Sardinia.
The importance of the archaeological “Su Nuraxi“, discovered and brought to light in the course of the ’50s, during excavations conducted by the great archaeologist Giovanni Lilliu, is its complexity and its excellent condition.
The immense Nuraghe of Barumini consists of megalithic stones conceals tholos of incomparable beauty and perfection. Barumini is a symbol of Nuragic civilization that contains the greatest secrets of Sardinia.
The monument, with a floor plan and architecture of the most extraordinary that the Nuragic culture has produced, has the keep and a rampart, comprised of four towers connected by curtains straight. To East and South of the fort there is an agglomeration of 200 huts relevant to the village.
Visit to Giara of Gesturi and Giara’s horses
After visiting the Nuraghe of Barumini the excursion will continue to the Giara of Gesturi to admire its gorgeous nature and the famous wild horses of Giara di Gesturi.
Sardinia has a long tradition in riding, the Sardinians have a special affinity with horses as demonstrated by Sartiglia of Oristano and S’Ardia of Sedilo. Sardinia is one of the last regions in Europe where you can still find wild horses, like the famous “Cavallini of Giara di Gesturi“.
The Giara’s horses, imported by the Phoenicians or coming from the Greece brought by sailors, are today
the only survivors of numerous groups that until the late Middle Ages lived in the wild on the island.
In the vast plateau, the small horses (they are not ponies!) are about 500 specimens. They have found here an ideal habitat that brought them to the actual morphological and behavioral caracteristic and to recover, at least partially, the genotype of the horse Wild.
The small horses of the Giara have a nevrile and indomitable character and although apparently peaceful, they have a sense of strength and resistance whenever unsuspecting the a man threatens to deprive them of his freedom.
The dimensions are small compared to those of traditional horses, although its graceful proportions are not those of a small pony. The average height is approximately 1.20 m. The mane and tail are thick.
They live in small family groups consisting of a stable male-dominated and 7 or 8 females with their ponies, although it is not uncommon to find groups of “bachelors” males, usually older horses of 15-20 years. Each group has a well-defined territory.
Additional info on Excursion to Nuraghe of Barumini and Giara’s horses
- Tour type: Nature, Adventure, History.
- Tour level: Easy.
- Location: Nuraghe of Barumini, Giara di Gesturi
- Starting time: Morning: 08:30.
- Starting Point: Historic Center of Cagliari.
- What is included: Tour, Professional Eco-guide; Optional: Lunch box, fruit and beverages.
Information about Nuraghe of Barumini and Giara di Gesturi
- Nuraghe of Barumini
- Management of the Nuraghe of Barumini: Sistema Cultura Foundation, Viale San Francesco 16, 09021 Barumini
- Opening times of the Nuraghe of Barumini: December-January-February 9: 00-17: 00; March 9: 00-17: 30; April 9: 00-19: 00; May 9: 00-20: 00; June-July-August 9: 00-20: 30; September 9: 00-19: 30, October 9: 00-18: 30; November 9: 00-17: 30
- Admission to the Nuraghe of Barumini: € 8.00 (full price), € 6,00 (reduced for young people between 13 and 18 and groups of 20 people), € 5.00 (reduced for children between 7 and 12 years adults over 65 years old); Ticket exemption: children under 6, military, disabled people and carers.
- Giara di Gesturi
- Horseback rides on the Giara Gesturi: Guided rides cost €7 for 30 minutes, €12 per hour.
- Entry ticket to Giara di Gesturi: Admission: €3.
