The Montiferru

Discover the Montiferru and its treasures with our excursion ...

The Montiferru, situated in the northern part of the province of Oristano, is an ancient complex of volcanic origin composed of basalts and trachytes that extends on the municipalities of Santu Lussurgiu, Bonarcado, Cuglieri, Seneghe and Scano di Montiferro.

The basaltic flows poured out from the Montiferru formed on the east the plateau of Abbasanta and on the west high sea cliffs.

It's an area of natural importance for the presence of many animal and vegetable species but also of many streams and waterfalls.

The big mountain complex is covered with wild forests of evergreen oak (Quercus ilex), downy oak (Quercus pubescens), holly (Ilex aquifolium), taxus (Taxus baccata) alternated with maquis shrubland: strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo), erica (Erica arborea), hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), mastic (Pistacia lentiscus), but also forests of cork oak (Quercus suber) and chestnut.

For the fauna, on the Montiferru we can see many foxes (Vulpes vulpes ichnusae), boars (Sus scrofa meridionalis), hares (Lepus capensis mediterraneus), martens (Martes martes latinorum), wildcats (Felis lybica sarda) and also eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius), great spotted woodpeckers (Dendrocopus major), common buzzards (Buteo buteo arrigonii), kestrel (Falco tinnunculus), northern goshawks (Accipiter gentilis arrigonii) and sparrowhawhks (Accipiter nisus).

There are also many waterfalls in the area, as "S’Istrampu ‘e Massabari", in the area of Cuglieri, or "S’Istrampu ‘e Molinos" around Bonarcado.

The coastline, in the west side, is made of compact and craggy cliffs in which we can find great cormorants (Phalacrocorax carbo), european shags (Phalacrocorax aristotelis), yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis), manx shearwaters (Puffinus puffinus) and rarely also the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus brookei).

It's important to mention also the natural monument of "S’Archittu", in Santa Caterina di Pittinuri, in the municipality of Cuglieri. It's made of limestone,15 meters high, and characterized by an arch of rock shaped by erosion.

Discover the Montiferru’s ancient treasures