The Island of Asinara


The island was called Sinuaria by the Latins and covers about 5,200 hectares of land. It is 17.5 km long, 6.14 km wide at its broadest point and boasts a marine surface area of 21,000 hectares.
The western part is characterised by the high cliffs and headlands, with their sheer rock faces and numerous ravines, canyons and gorges, while the eastern side is made up of broad inlets and small beaches. There has been a human settlement here since pre-Nuragic times and the 'domus de janas di Campu Perdu' (fairy houses) are testimony to this ancient history. There are also numerous wrecks from the Roman era, which lie on the seabed off the east coast. The first real colonisation of the island dates back to Medieval times with the construction of the Camaldolite monastery at Sant'Andrea and the castle at Punta Maestra Fornelli. Between 1600 and the end of the 1800s the island was inhabited by a community of farmers and fishermen. In 1885 the resident population was ordered to leave the island to make way for a penal colony. The island's more recent history is characterised by the presence of a high security prison for criminals charged with involvement with the mafia and political terrorism. In 1997 the National Park of Asinara was established.


Fauna

About 80 different species of wild animals live and breed on the island, including some very rare species.

Among the amphibians and reptiles there is the Sardinian discoglossid, the emerald toad, the tree frog, the common tortoise and the grass snake.

There is also a wide variety of bird life, such as the Corsican gull, cormorants, peregrine falcon and the Sardinian partridge. The island is also the only place in Sardinia where the magpie lives.

Among the many mammals to see there are hares, weasels, moufflons, wild boar, horses, Sardinian donkeys and the characteristic white donkey.
The rich marine environment supports groupers and sargos.


Flora

The rich flora of the island is made up of 678 different species, 616 are native, while 45 have been introduced to the area. Nature lovers should look out for the centaurea horrida, limonium acutifolium, limonium laetum, and other varieties from the Sardinian-Corsican regions, such as the astragalu terracianoi and the erodium corsicum. The vegetation is characteristic of the Mediterranean scrub, made up of lentisk trees, arboreous euphorbia, fillirea, juniper and cystus plants. There is also a holm oak wood which stretches over approximately 6 hectares.