In Sulcis-Iglesiente hundreds of caves among the most fascinating
In the Sulcis-Iglesiente area, there are hundreds of caves of different extents (mostly not communicating with the external world) originated by phenomenons of deep karstification: they attract thousands speleology lovers from all around the world. The cave of the Lago and those of Su Mannau, Santa Barbara, San Giovanni and Lao Silesu are the most fascinating. The wildest sites are the destinations of people who love hiking, free climbing and going for a walk outdoors.
The most famous cave in the zone, is Su Mannau, only a few kilometers away from Fluminimaggiore (near the Antas valley) among the calcareous mountains, which attract thousands of tourists every year. It is possible to visit the main hall and some lateral branches, in which there are little lakes and some stalagmites.
A stone's through away from Domusnovas, a town founded during the Middle Ages, there is the cave of San Giovanni, the only one in Europe to be crossed by a tarmac road: from one entrance to another it is longer than 800 meters. The nuraghic peoples, or maybe even those prehistoric, built Cyclopean walls in its entrance. During the rainy season, the waters of a torrent flood the road which crosses the cave.
Very charming the caves of Is Zuddas, a few kilometers away from Santadi, at the foot of the Monte Meana. It is possible a guided visit. Open to the public from 1985, they are characterized by visible stalactites, aragonites and traces of fossils. It always causes a stir the most internal cavern, known with the name of “Sala del Teatro” (theater hall), similar to a natural amphitheatre hollowed in the rock by the water over the years. In the territory of Santadi, there is also the cave of Su Benatzu, used as a place of cult and in which different kinds of ceramic vases have been found. Certainly reserved to speleology experts the visits to the caves of the Capra and of the Campanaccio. In the territory of Santadi it is possible to even visit the caves of Perda Tuvura and of Su Benatzu.
The cave of Santa Barbara, located inside the mine of San Giovanni (Gonnesa), is about 500 years old and it is one of the most important in Sardinia. 30 meters high, it was discovered during the exploitation works of the mine south side set up by an English Company in 1867. Unfortunately, the large quantity of exploded mines has ruined a part of the thousand-year calcareous structures, formed on the rock. The ceiling reaches an high of 50 meters.
On the Monte Sirai (Carbonia) there is the neolithic cave of Su Carroppu, already exploited in the VI millennium B.C. by the aboriginal peoples.
