Giara di Gesturi
Gesturi · Sud Sardegna
A basalt plateau at 550 metres between Marmilla and Sarcidano — home to Europe's last free-roaming wild horses.
Location
The Giara di Gesturi is a plateau in the interior of Sardinia on the border between Marmilla and Sarcidano. The basalt tableland at 550 metres covers about 43 km², is almost flat, roughly 12 kilometres long and 5 kilometres wide on average; the only notable rises are the volcanic cones of Zepparedda (600 m) and Zeppara Manna (580 m). Because the basalt is impermeable, large shallow pools known as "paulis" form in winter, providing habitat for amphibians and stopovers for migratory birds. The Giara is famous for the cavallini della Giara, small horses living free on the plateau that gather at the waterholes in summer. Cork oak woods, rock roses and spring carpets of buttercups and orchids complete the picture.
Highlights
- Free-roaming cavallini della Giara
- Winter pools (paulis) on basalt
- Cork oak woods and spring blossom
Tips
- Do not feed or crowd the horses — watch from a distance.
- Access from Gesturi, Tuili and Setzu; on the plateau go on foot or with a guide.
