Places to visit in the territory of Cabras

The inhabited centre of Cabras is not as much interesting as the territory around it:  to start with the ruins of the Phoenician city of Tharros (2500 years ago it was one of the main Sardinia ports, then it passed to the Romans but,in the late-medieval age, the inhabitants abandoned Tharros because of the continuous Barbarian onslaughts), continuing with the Byzantine basilica of Saint Giovanni di Sinis and the rustic church of Saint Salvatore, erected on the homonym religious village, where there used to be a pagan sanctuary from the nuragic age.  The "Giovanni Marongiu" Civic Museum, conserve numerous archaeological findings discovered  in all the territory:  a sector is dedicated to Tharros, an other one to Cuccuru Is Arrius.

For the sea lovers, the sandy beaches of Is Aruttas and San Giovanni di Sinis, are probably the best around Cabras.  In proximity of Cabras , there are the ruins of the early-nuragic village of Cuccuru Is Arrìus, next to which numerous hypogean tombs have been found: at their interior archaeologists have identified small idols of different materials, dedicates to the Mother Goddess (Dea Madre).  Unfortunately, the village got destroyed in the Fifties during a canal construction works.  In the proximity of the town there is a locality called “Sa Perda fitta” (the fixed stone) because of a Menhir presence.

Just outside Cabras, we suggest you to visit the S’Uraki nuragh in the territory of San Vero Milis, that is a partial reproduction of the On Nuraxi nuragic site in Barumini, not far from there you will also find the Domus de Janas of Serra Araus.  For the fans of Sardinian handicraft, we suggest visiting Zeddiani in order to see and eventually buy the famous knotted carpets. Instead, San Vero Milis and Santa Giusta are renowned for the production of baskets, panniers and hampers.

In San Giovanni di Sinis, there is a beautiful Byzantine basilica of the VI century A.D., discovered through digging into a sand deposit. It is one of the most interesting example of early-Christian structure in Sardinia. Next to the beach of San Giovanni, there are some fishermen's huts, which are very peculiar: in the wooden structure where fixes rushes of sedge, a swampy grass called “sessini” or “cruccuri” in the local dialect. This construction are typical and unique of this specific zone. Unfortunately, the majority of these have been removed or destroyed.

The little rustic church of San Salvatore is located on the homonym religious village. It was built on San Salvatore hypogeum, a nuragic pagan sanctuary on which it was carried out the waters' cult.  On the walls of the underground rooms, numerous frescoes and epitaphs are still visible. In the Seventieth, the village was used as a cinematographic set for some western films: the “cumbessias” (the houses that hosted the pilgrims) have an Hispanic-Mexican style, and the scenery made the rest.

At few kilometers from Capo Mannu and Putzu Idu, it is well worth exploring the naturalistic oasis of Sal’e Porcus, used as a shelter and as a resting point by the pink flamingoes travelling from Africa to Central Europe.