Cabras between Lagoon, Coast and Cultural Heritage
Accommodation in Cabras
Cabras combines an impressive coastal landscape with wetlands, archaeological history and a distinctive local food culture. This gives you a wide range of experiences to choose from when planning your trip: religious traditions, ancient sites, wildlife watching, activities by the sea and the speciality bottarga.
File:Church San Giovanni di Sinis - Cabras - Sardinia - Italy - 04.jpg
Photo: Norbert Nagel via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
History and Living Traditions
The Corsa degli Scalzi is a religious ritual that has been repeated on the first Sunday in September for more than 400 years. The seven-kilometre route leads from the Church of Santa Maria Vergine Assunta in Cabras to the village of San Salvatore. The procession thus connects Cabras with a firmly established spiritual tradition and a clearly defined route.
The Museo di Cabras opened in 1997 and displays archaeological finds from the municipality of Cabras. It is also home to the Giganti di Mont’e Prama, considered one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in the Mediterranean region. A free guided tour service complements the museum visit.
Tharros and the Ipogeo di San Salvatore provide further historical highlights. Tharros is an ancient Phoenician-Punic-Roman city founded between the 8th and 7th centuries BC on the promontory of Capo San Marco. The Ipogeo di San Salvatore is an underground site originally associated with the Nuragic culture and connected with a pagan water cult. Its walls bear numerous inscriptions and paintings dating from the early Christian period through to the Middle Ages.
Traditional clothing is also part of the local culture. The characteristic women's costume of Cabras is considered simple yet austere and elegant, but it is increasingly falling out of use. The men's costume has disappeared.
Coast, Lagoon and Marine Protected Area
San Giovanni di Sinis Beach is located on the Sinis Peninsula of the same name, within the municipality of Cabras, in the Province of Oristano. It stretches for approximately two kilometres from the promontory of Torre di San Giovanni to the village of Funtana Meiga. Along the way, sandy sections alternate with rocky coastline.
Stagno di Cabras is Sardinia's largest pond and provides a habitat for flamingos and herons. In the wetlands and along the coastal zone of the Cabras area, natural paths and trails make trekking, horseback excursions and mountain biking tours possible. They also offer opportunities to observe the landscape, fauna and flora.
In the Area Marina Protetta marine protected area, there are around 20 diving sites along the coast between Scoglio del Catalano and Isola di Mal di Ventre. Snorkelling is also possible in numerous stretches of sea. Boat trips along the coastline and to Isola di Mal di Ventre are also available. Depending on your interests, you can therefore focus your stay on culture, nature, physical activity or maritime experiences.
Bottarga and Local Cuisine
The connection between the lagoon landscape and regional cuisine is reflected in bottarga. This high-quality bottarga is made from the mullet found in Stagno di Cabras. Cabras also hosts the recurring Festival della Bottarga, a food festival centred around Bottarga di muggine.
For 2026, the Festival della Bottarga is scheduled for 18, 19 and 20 September in the historic centre of Cabras. Dishes based on bottarga will be offered for tasting. The combination of the festival dates, the local speciality and the other cultural and natural attractions gives you various opportunities to make Cabras the focus of a trip to Sardinia.
Other Destinations
If you would like to consider other places for your trip in addition to Cabras, here are the direct destinations: Gonnosnò, San Vero Milis, Torre Del Pozzo, Bosa Marina, Sorradile, San Giovanni Di Sinis, Seneghe, San Nicolò d'Arcidano.
For the overarching travel overview: Oristano.
