Carnival in Sardinia is much more than just a celebration: it’s a journey through ancient traditions and symbols that tell the deep soul of the island Each town celebrates Carnival with iconic masks and processions that evoke stories of struggle From the Mamuthones of Mamoiada to the Thurpos of Orotelli through the spectacular Sartiglia of Oristano and the wild races of Santu Lussurgiu Sardinian Carnival offers a mosaic of emotions and atmospheres that enchant visitors from all over the world Let’s explore together all the unmissable traditional parades of this extraordinary celebration. While here discover all the traditional masks of the Sardinian carnival. The masks of the Mamuthones are not just a distinctive element of Mamoiada’s Carnival but they embody the essence and cultural identity of the entire Sardinia The preparation of the Mamuthones is a complex and meaningful ritual that demands great attention and nearly 30 kg of cowbells that produce their distinctive sound creating a hypnotic and solemn echo of the bells Leading the procession are the Issohadores who use their ropes to capture the spectators drawing them into this ancient and symbolic ritual The origins of these masks date back to the late 1800s as documented by contemporary accounts that describe mysterious figures dressed in rags and with faces blackened by soot who would chase girls and improvise satirical verses creating an atmosphere filled with energy and chaos once wore demonic masks carved from cork and wool beards The strongest of them would dress as Urthos kept on a leash by a "trainer," who also wore traditional attire are not symbols of violence but rather embody a primordial strength and a deep connection with nature the old cork masks have been replaced by faces blackened with charcoal giving the Buttudos and Urthos an even more haunting look these wild figures gather in a kind of band such as scaling the facades of houses to reach balconies and windows the Buttudos and Urthos gladly accept offerings of food and drink and papassinos (a traditional Sardinian sweet) are often given after a simple knock and symbolize respect They also serve to calm the wildness of the characters breaking the tension with an act of hospitality The procession of the Boes and Merdules is a ritual that evokes the primordial struggle between man and animal one of the recurring themes in the island’s ancient carnival traditions and the distinctive hand-carved wooden masks make this celebration truly unique bull-like figures that represent strength and vitality the Merdules (the shepherds) attempt to tame the Boes using ropes and sticks in a dramatic reenactment that culminates in the symbolic capture of the animal this festival offers an opportunity to celebrate the history and millennia-old culture of the village providing an authentic glimpse into the island’s roots Tempio Pausania's Carnival is one of the most famous and lively events dedicated to papier-mâché carriages a must-visit celebration in northern Sardinia the festival reaches its peak with celebrations in honor of Re Giorgio a symbolic figure who parades through the streets of the town to the cheers and excitement of the participants The highlight of the event is the concluding ritual where Re Giorgio is burned in the square in a striking propitiatory gesture This act represents the purification from past misfortunes and symbolically marks the beginning of a new life cycle in conjunction with the arrival of spring.During Carnival Tempio Pausania transforms into a vast open-air stage characterized by a carefree spirit of camaraderie draws a diverse crowd from across Sardinia and other Italian regions making the Carnival a unique and unmissable event Among the oldest and most captivating Carnival celebrations in Sardinia the Carnival of Orotelli stands out for the traditional procession of the Sos Thurpos symbolic figures that evoke the agricultural and pastoral world of the past meaning "blind," refers to masked men who move solemnly and mysteriously through the village They wear long black coats with their hoods pulled low over their eyes and are distinguished by their faces darkened with ash—a striking difference from the typical wooden masks of Barbagia.The parade is not just a simple performance; the audience becomes an integral part of the celebration The Thurpos "capture" people with a symbolic rope and offer them drinks a gesture that harks back to ancient rituals of good luck and hospitality Among the most captivating events of the Sardinian Carnival the Sartiglia of Oristano stands out as a spectacular historical horseback ride held annually on Shrove Tuesday with roots tracing back to the 17th century pays homage to the medieval past of the city and embodies its cultural identity The Sartiglia comes to life with a procession of costumed knights who traverse the streets of Oristano showcasing their skills in thrilling equestrian games The highlight of the celebration is the "race for the star": the knights must pierce a suspended star with the tip of their lance The Carnival of Santu Lussurgiu stands out for its spectacular horseback acrobatics that energize the wild race of Sa Carrela 'e Nanti a unique event winding through the narrow streets of the medieval village dressed in Sa Mascherada with painted faces performing daring maneuvers that leave the audience breathless Considered one of the oldest horse races in Sardinia Sa Carrela 'e Nanti offers an unmissable opportunity to experience something truly authentic while also discovering the charm of Santu Lussurgiu a picturesque village nestled between Oristano and Bosa The most beloved and traditional specialties: from delicious zeppole to sweet orillettas via parafrittus and acciuleddi Italy’s second-largest island offers a weekend of active adventures archaeological sites and some of the finest beaches in the Mediterranean This article was adapted from National Geographic Traveller (UK).Sardinia has a wildness about it The Italian island’s north-east corner has craggy mountains and granite cliffs and in the heat of summer its landscape feels dry enough to shatter beneath your feet like pane carasau whipping through the corridor between the northern tip of the island and nearby Corsica And it’s not difficult to find isolation: Sardinia’s population density is just a third of the national average The windy bay of Porto Pollo attracts watersports enthusiasts from all over the world while the Maddalena archipelago offers stunning coastal hikes La Maddalena and Tempio Pausania are perfect for a drink there are scores of tiny islands and some wonderful beaches People live for a long time here — Sardinia has the highest percentage of centenarians in the world — and with this quality of life MorningFirst things first: this is an island in the Med so you’ll want to get acquainted with a beach or two If you’re after the spray on your skin and the wind in your hair the Costa Smeralda (Emerald Coast) — a 10-mile bump of coastline between the Gulf of Arzachena and the Gulf of Cugnana — has a host of beaches and high-end resorts from the sandy sweep at Cannigione to the millionaire-magnet of Porto Cervo head to the harbour town of Palau for a bowl of al dente spaghetti with fat mussels and baby tomatoes at Il Ghiottone with a hilltop fortress that can be visited on a guided tour Palau’s port is where you can join a car ferry (€60 [£51] return with departures every half an hour) for the 30-minute crossing to the archipelago of La Maddalena This is the place to rent boats to visit some of the other islands (such as Razzoli and its coastal road offers a very scenic drive It’s an elegant and vibrant town that deserves time in its own right with pastel-coloured buildings set along quaint streets jewellery and craftworks with a nautical theme as well as atmospheric bars that are perfect pitstops for a glass of wine or mirto This is a place with a pleasant buzz — and you can take your time because ferries back to Palau run through the night Shoppers in the picture-postcard old town of La Maddalena.Photograph by 4Corners ImagesDay two: history and handicraftsMorningStart the day with a rummage into Sardinia’s past Much of the island’s rich archaeology dates to the Nuragic people who lived here from 1500 BC until Roman occupation in 238 BC ranging from burial sites to mysterious conical towers called nuraghe You’ll find seven sites at Arzachena (combined ticket €25 [£21] or €7 [£6] per individual site) including an extensive complex of buildings at Nuraghe La Prisgiona where the dead of La Prisgiona were buried enter the towers and walk in footsteps that ring through the millennia AfternoonFour miles to the east is San Pantaleo a gem of a town surrounded by jagged mountain peaks At its heart is a square with blossom trees and a honey-stoned church while the surrounding lanes contain shops selling artisan jewellery and paintings by local artists There’s a buzzy cafe-bar in the square but it’s pricey so head for a lunch of pizza or pasta at nearby Ichnos After lunch, it’s a 45-minute drive west to the hilly village of Aggius, which is renowned for its weavers. MEOC, the ethnographic museum and explains the painstaking process of creating a carpet or wall-hanging decorated with traditional motifs you can buy one from the nearby workshop of Gabriella Lutzu EveningThe town of Tempio Pausania lies just a few minutes away through the hills Three-quarters of Italy’s cork comes from Sardinia and the area around Tempio Pausania— with its vast cork oak forests — is a major centre of production Many shops in the town sell items made of cork and you can even see a collection of old cork-making equipment at the Museo Storico delle Machine del Sughero (the Cork Machinery Museum) Tempio Pausania has elegant granite architecture and there are several historical churches to admire (including the Purgatory Church built in the 17th century by a local nobleman seeking absolution from the Pope for committing a massacre) where there’s a homely vibe and simple Italian food around an hour’s drive west of Olbia.Photograph by AlamyTop three island excursions from SardiniaFor nature: SpargiThis island in the Maddalena archipelago has granite coves and dense vegetation There’s also good diving (including a Roman wreck) and rich birdlife on the islet of Spargiotto For the beach: BudelliThis tiny isle is home to the striking Spiaggia Rosa whose pink sands are created by fragments of red coral so many tourists collected sand that the hue began to fade; now you have to follow a footpath behind the beach the Bertoleoni family declared this a separate kingdom The cemetery contains the grave of ‘King Paolo I’ Today it’s a marine reserve popular with divers Coddu EcchjuBuilt to hold the dead of the nearby village of La Prisgiona the ‘Giants’ Tomb’ of Coddu Ecchju dates as far back as 1800 BC A series of upright stones with slabs laid across the top form a burial corridor and a centrepiece stele — a sort of huge headstone — has a small opening where offerings were placed La Prisgiona This complex contains the extensive remains of La Prisgiona village Craftsmen’s huts are set around the nuraghe a central keep with two towers that probably formed the fortified residence of village leaders Church of San SimplicioThe 11th-century Church of San Simplicio in Olbia stands on the site of an early-Christian church that was said to mark the spot where the bishop Simplicius was killed with a lance The granite facade has a bell tower and a triple-mullioned window Olbia Archaeological MuseumThe extensive collections of Olbia’s archaeological museum chart the history of this region from prehistoric times to the 20th century The exhibits feature many finds from craft that sunk around the coast Malchittu TempiettoThis hilltop Nuragic temple at Arzachena was built from boulders around 3,500 years ago It contains niches and a shelf where offerings were presented to the deities though broken by the roots of a tree growing through the floor Windsurfers take to the waves at Porto Pollo a hub for water sports on the island's northeast coast.Photograph by AlamyThree water sports activities in SardiniaSunny north-east Sardinia is one of Europe’s watersports capitals a huge bay of white sand divided by a narrow spit Planet Travel can organise everything from accommodation in the area to equipment hire group or individual lessons (including for children as young as four) or refresher courses Windsurfing & SUPYou’ll find a distinct east-west divide at Porto Pollo The bay’s eastern part sees side-offshore winds and calm water super-steady board and arrange a lesson or two You’ll start on a ‘simulator’ (a board set into the beach itself) and should quickly get the hang of how to steer which is perfect for hunting for hidden coves along the coastline KitesurfingThe western section of Porto Pollo is broader and hit by side-onshore winds but it’s those swells and ripples that make it such a perfect playground for kitesurfers adrenaline-junkies use the waves as ramps to launch their boards many metres into the air allow for at least two or three morning lessons to learn how to assemble and control the kite; you’ll be issued with a radio helmet to keep you in contact with an instructor Below the surfaceThere are some excellent snorkelling and dive sites here, and the team from Orca Dive Club in Santa Teresa Gallura can take you to them in their Zodiac The underwater landscape in this part of Sardinia is one of granite boulders You’ll see red anemones and shoals of damselfish darting among banks of mermaid’s wine glass a sea plant with flowers the shape of cocktail glasses San PantaleoMuseo Storico delle Machine del Sughero Tempio PausaniaOlbia Archaeological Museum Published in the Jul/Aug 2021 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK) Por un futuro en el que los humanos vivan en armonía con la naturaleza WWF® and ©1986 Panda Symbol are owned by WWF You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Anna Grindi began work as an eighteen-year-old seamstress in Tempio Pausania the second-biggest Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea After years of cutting cloth beneath the shadows of the town’s famous and centuries-old cork trees - Quercus Suber L. the entrepreneurial tailor created a fabric that would revolutionize the clothing industry Named after the ancient cork trees of Sardinia Suberis® is a trademarked and much sought after material whose myriad properties and multiple applications are laying new patterns across the world of high fashion and fabrics Grindi began the research and development (R&D) of a new fabric Working with a small team of assistants and using only raw materials and attached the cork with viscose – an organic liquid – into blocks using cotton the blocks were cut into strips as thin as three millimeters and treated with natural resins such as suberin – a waxy substance from the cork tree that is highly water- resistant Grindi’s inventive process resulted in a new unique qualities that defy simple definition or categorization Suberis – the name of the fabric - is a truly revolutionary material breathable and washable at thirty degrees Centigrade It can be prepared for personal or industrial use either in the form of spun yarn – in coils one hundred and forty centimeters high - or as large sheets of fabric The fabric’s versatility and uniqueness allow for multiple applications elegant and sporting clothes; for headwear It is also used in furniture and accessorized upholstery and in a variety of other purposes and industries Grindi’s fabric is ecologically sound to produce Recognizing the potential value of the new fabric and wanting to advance its research r.l (Grindi) – in order to promote the revolutionary invention while protecting its intellectual property rights (IPRs) Grindi officially presented a range of Suberis clothes at a fashion show held in the prestigious opera and ballet venue La Scala Milan in Italy The fashion collection caused an immediate sensation launching the Suberis brand onto the global fashion market Understanding that Suberis was indeed a revolutionary fabric attracting world-wide attention Grindi sought to protect the invention in all the countries and regions in which it planned to sell the product After testing and codifying the process for treating the linenized cork sheets, in 1998 Mrs. Grindi filed an international patent application through the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) The company’s inventive treatment has been granted patents by the European Patent Office (17 countries) and the Republic of Korea while the manufacturing processes for cork has been patented by the European Patent Office (20 countries) allowing the company to expand with confidence and without hindrance into new markets In line with its marketing goals, Grindi has taken steps to bolster its corporate image and extend its brand awareness by protecting the Suberis name with a trademark. Suberis is a registered figurative trademark in the EU through the Office for the Harmonization of the Internal Market (OHIM), in the USA through the United States Patent and Trademark Office ( USPTO) and in other key markets. Suberi’s marketability and general appeal is vastly increased not only because of its versatility but also because of its economic and ecological viability. From beginning to end, the Suberis manufacturing process is pollution-free, using natural, sustainable products in its manufacture, products such as the cork tree bark itself – which does not involve felling trees in order to harvest it- cotton, silk, hemp and resin. Given its environmentally sustainable credentials, the fabric has been anointed “Vegetable Fiber” or “Vegetable Leather”. Moreover, as Suberis is available both as fabric and coiled yarn and it can be worked by hand or by industrial machines, industry experts believe that it will become the material of choice for designers and fabrics users, over-taking its  main competitor – leather – which is ecologically more costly to produce and  comparatively limited in application. Anna Grindi invested wisely in Suberis, intelligently protected its IP, and astutely expanded its market appeal. The seamstress from Sardinia is now an internationally renowned inventor, a sartorial entrepreneur and head of a company whose headquarters rise above the cork trees of Tempio Pausania. from the north of the island to the southernmost tip Jürgen Scheeff / Unsplash Alghero Tours With its atmospheric historic centre medieval gothic architecture and traditional tavernas hidden behind colourful Alghero is the scene-stealer of Sardinia’s cities As well as excellent bars – head to the sea wall to bag a prime spot for sunset cocktails – the restaurants are excellent and it has dramatic scenery on tap with views over the glittering yacht-dotted bay towards the towering cliffs of the Capo Caccia peninsula Christian Keybets / Unsplash Cala Gonone Tours There are plenty of hairpin bends on the route to Cala Gonone Hidden away at the base of steep rugged mountains it’s the jumping-off point for boat trips up and down the Gulf of Orosei where Sardinia’s best beaches lie hidden away Maurizio Savigni / Unsplash Tempio Pausania Tours If you fancy a day off from the sea and sand Tempio – up in the mountains at the north end of the island – has a moody with plenty of excellent hiking routes to set off on The lush hillsides of Mount Limbara are cloaked in gnarled cork oak trees as well as looking like something out of the Lord of the Rings set produce the cork products – from keyrings and coasters to shoes bags and even dresses – sold in the town’s boutique shops Massimo Virgilio / Unsplash Santa Teresa Gallura Tours If you want to base yourself in an affordable more contemporary Piazza Vittorio Emanuele popular beach and is a short drive from the rugged with its wind-carved granite boulders and more secluded little beaches Sign up to our newsletter to save up to $800 on our unique trips See privacy policy Jürgen Scheeff / Unsplash La Maddalena Tours The central town at the heart of the Maddalena archipelago colourful town is the jumping-off point for exploring the 60-odd islands that dot the Bonifacio Strait You can charter a private boat to visit those open to the public or take your car on the ferry over from Palau on the main island and drive over to Caprera a largely uninhabited island fringed by enough picnic blanket-sized beaches for everyone to have their own Local legend says this pretty coastal town was named after the lovestruck Princess Navarra who eloped to sea one night with her lover but Navarra was saved and so dedicated a church to the Virgin Mary out of gratitude as this place has enough real fairytale magic on its own Enfolded within groves of olive and pine trees at the base of soaring limestone cliffs and fringed by a white sand beach Daniel Dorfer / Unsplash Castelsardo Tours Founded by a Genovese family during the 12th century Castelsardo is famous for its ancient castle crumbling fortresses and traditional handicrafts – throughout the city you’ll see women weaving patterned baskets for sale the citadel has been preserved and transformed into a cluster of traditional restaurants and bars with gobsmacking sunset views over the endless stretch of sand along the island’s north coast Agent Wolf / Shutterstock For pure postcard prettiness there are few places that best this charming little village in the hills above Olbia With its cluster of original stone cottages (many housing boutique shops and cafes) bar-encircled church square and dramatic Dolomite-like backdrop of spiky granite peaks it’s a must-visit – even if just to stop by for its weekly bric-a-brac food and fashion market (every Thursday) and a gelato in its piazza while local kids kick a football back and forth Ivan Ragozin / Unsplash Italy Trips and Tours Consider the ease of a packaged multi-day itinerary and the insights of a friendly local guide for your next visit to Italy island adventures or cultural and culinary discoveries this collection of Italy trips can offer you an authentic taste of Italy This is an updated version of an article originally by Gillian McGuire Art A Tour of Bernini's Masterpieces in Rome See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in September See & Do The Best Hiking Trails in Italy Guides & Tips The Best European Cities to Visit in November Guides & Tips A Guide to the 5 Most Dazzling Views in Catania See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in Summer See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in October See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in Autumn Guides & Tips Beat the Crowds with these Alternative Summer Destinations Guides & Tips This Is Europe's Ultimate Road Trip Guides & Tips The Best European Cities to Visit in December See & Do The Best European Cities to Visit in July US: +1 (678) 967 4965 | UK: +44 (0)1630 35000 tripssupport@theculturetrip.com © Copyright 2025 The Culture Trip Ltd