The Regional Park of Monte Linas-Oridda-Marganai


The Park covers 22,220 hectares of land and embraces five towns in the Province of Cagliari: Domusnovas, Fluminimaggiore, Gonnosfanadiga, Iglesias e Villacidro.
The Park stretches over a mountainous terrain which can be divided into two main areas: the first area incorporates Monte Linas (1,236 m. above sea level) and is essentially made up of granite, whilst the second area covers Manganai (932 m. above sea level) and is a calcareous terrain.
The two areas are separated by the wild, rugged plateau of Orrida (600 m. above sea level).

This varied landscape has created very distinct natural environments. The area where granite prevails boasts the splendid waterfall of the Riu Muru Mannu the waterfall of Sa Spendula at Villacidro.

Instead, in the calcareous terrain, a rich underground hydrography has developed over hundreds and thousands of years, resulting in numerous grottoes.
Among the many grottoes to visit, we recommend the Grotta di S.Giovanni.

The park also offers visitors the chance to see various ruins which bear witness to the mining activity in the area in the nineteenth century.
These mines are currently the object of a restoration project since they represent the only mining archaeology of its type in Italy and probably in the world.

The flora of the district is typical of Sardinia and consists of holm oak forests and Mediterranean shrub.
The fauna is mainly represented by the Sardinian deer (cervus elaphus corsicanus), a slightly smaller and slimmer Sardinian-Corsican strain of the European deer. It lives and breeds in Sardinia prevalently in the mountains of Capoterra, Sette Fratelli and the Iglesias district.

Besides this symbol of the island, there are also wild boar, foxes, wildcats, Sardinian hares, weasels, martens, buzzards and sparrow-hawk.