Holiday apartment in Arbus between the coast and mining culture

Holiday apartment in Arbus for coast, beach and sea

You can reach Spiaggia di Piscinas either via Guspini and the mining route or from Arbus towards Ingurtosu and then Piscinas. At Spiaggia di Funtanazza, you can expect light golden, medium-grained sand and shallow seabeds that are suitable for children to play in. South of Funtanazza as far as the turn-off for Punta Sa Cabada Bianca, a geological trail of exceptional significance with fossils runs along the coast. The seabeds off Capo Pecora are particularly popular with divers and spearfishing enthusiasts. In spring, Costa Verde also offers conditions for surfing, with waves that surfers can ride.

Nature between dunes, forests and mountains

The Oasi WWF di Scivu covers around 600 hectares of coastal landscape within the municipality of Arbus. The Nuraghe di Scivu is located within the oasis. Monte Arcuentu is a 784-metre-high volcanic massif with holm oak forests and habitats for Sardinian deer, wild boar, birds of prey and other wildlife. Trekking is possible there on unpaved roads and paths, including CAI Trail 192 from Montevecchio, starting at the village of Sa Tanca. The Nuraghe Cugui offers views over Arbus and the mountain range of Monte Linas. Montevecchio itself lies in a forest of holm oaks, downy oaks and cork oaks; Sardinian deer can reach the village there at dusk and dawn.

Mining history and museums

The abandoned mining village of Ingurtosu formerly served as the administrative centre of the Ingurtosu and Gennamari mines. Both the Ingurtosu mine and the Montevecchio mine are among the eight mining sites of the Parco Geominerario Storico Ambientale della Sardegna, which was recognised by UNESCO in 1997. Montevecchio is an important example of industrial archaeology and preserves mining warehouses, ore-processing facilities, shafts, accommodation for workers and employees, and the management building.

The restored Pozzo Gal mining site houses a multimedia museum. The museum commemorating mining at Pozzo Gal comprises five rooms and uses interactive video panels to tell the story of the miners and their families who worked and lived there. Pozzo Amsicora is a restored example of mining archaeology within the Telle mining site in the Montevecchio complex. The site represents an important part of local mining history and the miners’ labour struggles: in 1991, around 86 workers occupied the shaft and remained there for approximately 27 days.

The museums in and around Arbus also focus on different subjects. The Museo del Coltello Sardo presents the heritage of Sardinian blades and the history of knife-making in four rooms. A visit includes films about knife-making techniques and guided tours during which Mastro Pusceddu occasionally makes a knife live. The Museo Etnografico Antonio Corda preserves the cultural heritage of rural life with objects, tools, furnishings and reconstructed traditional interiors. The Museo dei Diorami shows life in mining in different eras and presents this content through a specially developed educational tour. The Museo Mineralogico displays an extensive mineral collection, most of which comes from the Montevecchio mine and is supplemented by specimens from other Sardinian, Italian and foreign mines.

Historic sites and routes

The Chiesa di Santa Barbara in Ingurtosu was inaugurated in 1916 as a church dedicated to the patron saint of miners. It has three naves and a bell tower. From there, a Way of the Cross follows a path lined with Mediterranean vegetation to a natural rock complex with three crosses of Calvary. The Palazzo della Direzione Ingurtosu is a neo-medieval mining administration building constructed around 1870 and is also referred to locally as „castle“. The archaeological site of San Lussorio includes Roman Imperial-era thermal baths and a necropolis, as well as a cemetery and a church from the Spanish period dating back at least to the 17th century.

In the centre of Arbus, the historically valuable Montegranatico is located on Piazza Immacolata. It houses the information centre and serves as a venue for numerous temporary exhibitions. CEAS Ingurtosu can be contacted to arrange a visit to Pozzo Amsicora. CEAS organises natural history and cultural excursions, manages museums and mining archaeology sites, and provides tourist information in the mining villages of Montevecchio and Ingurtosu.

When choosing your holiday apartment in Arbus, you can therefore consider which experiences should shape your days: coast and water, family-friendly beach activities, observing nature, trekking or the multifaceted history of Sardinian mining. For other places in the surrounding area: Villamar, Sardara, Turri, Ingurtosu, Marina Di Gutturu Flumini, Tuili, Lunamatrona, Sanluri.

For the higher-level travel overview: Medio Campidano.