Things to Do and See in Southern Sardinia

In the capital city of Iglesias, there are numerous monuments and churches worth visiting, such as the Cathedral of Santa Chiara, dating back to the late 13th century, which houses many valuable statues and furnishings, including a late-Gothic cross from the 16th century and an 18th-century painting depicting the Virgin of the Assumption and the Saints. Carbonia, on the other hand, was once a marshy area but was reclaimed during the construction of the new city in the 1930s to provide housing for coal miners. At the entrance to the city lies one of Sardinia’s largest mining tunnels, now abandoned: the Grande Miniera di Serbariu. Today home to the Coal Museum, it stands as a living testament to what Carbonia was like in the past. When visiting the Campidano region, you can admire beautiful beaches, mines, boundless and wild plains, and the Giara highlands. Located in the heart of Sardinia, it offers numerous archaeological and Nuragic sites, some of which are found within the Giara Park. The small villages of Collina and Sanluri are full of houses built of local stone and brick with classic Sardinian roof tiles, as well as numerous religious buildings in the Baroque and Renaissance styles. Ogliastra comprises two provincial capitals: Ogliastra and Lanusei. Both boast numerous sites of tourist interest, such as the 18th- and 19th-century palaces in Tortoli, the Bishop’s Palace, and the Cathedral of Sant’Andrea, the main Catholic place of worship right in the historic center. Among the most notable archaeological sites are the nuraghi—ancient structures, many of which are open to visitors, such as the very well-preserved Serbissi complex.