For
here the visitor will find Sardinia
at its most traditional and genuine.
This is a perfect place for hikers
in search of days on end of uninterrupted
stillness wandering through a
pristine wilderness.
The
cliffs of the Gennargentu abound with
cork oak, maquis and arbutus forests
that are home to wildlife such as Sardinian
deer, wild pigs, wildcats, falcons,
kites and black vultures.
Rivers&Lakes
Rivers
and LakesAlthough surrounded by the
loveliest and clearest waters of the
Mediterranean, Sardinia itself is
relatively dry. Its only natural lake
is Lago Baratz near Argentiera, and
there are approximately 80 ponds and
lagoons along the coast. Sardinia
also has several large rivers which
flow from the mountains down to the
sea.The Flumendosa river winds its
way through southern Barbagia to Muravera
on the southern coast.
Its
deep ravines form natural boundaries
and its course is interrupted by three
embankment dams that form artificial
lakes. The scenery in the Sarrabu
region, through which the Flumendosa
also flows, is astonishingly varied
with its plains, mountain ranges,
ponds and the omnipresent sea. In
summer, the Flumendosa becomes a sluggish
waterway whose banks are rife with
fruit trees and intensely pinkish
red oleander.
The
Flumendosa valley near Muravera contains
numerous menhirs and sacred wells
from prehistoric times.Sinuous, 20
kilometer-long Lake Omodeo is Italy’s
largest artificial inland waterway.
Here, amidst a wild and rocky mountainous
region stand two massive walls that
dam the Tirso river, which flows through
western Sardinia’s inland Oristano
region.
The
banks of the Tirso, which abound with
lush vegetation, are cultivated, and
prickly-pear cacti and thick reeds border
pastures in which Vernaccia grapes,
apple trees and lemon trees thrive.Apart
from its lakes and rivers, Sardinia
also has numerous underground springs
which bubble to the surface in grottoes
and caves, often forming waterfalls.
