Top 20 Natural Monuments around Tèmpiu/Tempio Pausania

At an altitude of 120 meters, the granite "Guardian", sculpted by nature, watches over the La Maddalena archipelago and tells of ancient Mediterranean seafarers.

Great view and great place for a break

A beautiful Nuragic giant's tomb, not far from Arzachena, nestled in a lovely landscape with orchards. It lies close to the road from Arzachena to Luogosanto.

This impressive mountain range is the highest in the region and offers an unmistakable panorama with its two striking granite peaks, Punta sa Berritta and Punta Balistreri. The rugged peaks contrast with the densely forested slopes, which form a green band around the bare peaks with chestnuts, pedunculate oaks, pines, firs and firs. As soon as you reach the summit and look as far as Corsica and the island of Asinara under clear skies, you will understand why so many hikers rave about this place. Your starting point could be the hiking car park below the summit, where the small Madonna della Neve chapel rises from granite rocks. From here you have six different trekking routes available. But maybe you would like to start the adventure in the town of Vallicciola and set off on a hike into the mountain range. Such a circular tour takes between two and a half and four hours, depending on the route. You should be alert on the way, because wild boars roam this area. It is advisable to avoid the forest and take to the road, especially at dusk. Would you like to take a break? Then find a place near the church where you can enjoy the peace and quiet and the view. And when you finally drive along the winding road that takes you into the mountains, you will find that the journey is an adventure in itself. The best time to tour the Monte Limbara mountain range is between May and October. But even in winter, the snow-covered peak offers a charming sight. You need to be sure-footed on your hike, because nature shows its wild side here. But that is precisely what makes this region so charming. So, lace up your hiking boots and set off on a journey of discovery!

The giant tomb of Coddu 'Ecchju is a magnificent example of Nuragic funerary architecture. It is an imposing communal tomb, likely containing the remains of the deceased from the nearby village of La Prisgiona. This Bronze Age monument was constructed in two phases: The exedra was added to a gallery tomb (10.50 m long) or semicircular chamber built around 1800 BC (probably between 1600 and 1400 BC). This chamber was enclosed by a series of slabs set into the ground, with a large, arched stele (4.04 m high) in the center, decorated with a relief frame and featuring a small door at its base, likely used for placing offerings inside the tomb. The deceased was probably buried from above by removing one of the slabs covering the corridor. The burial of the deceased was likely carried out from above by removing one of the slabs covering the corridor. ``` The burial chamber was enclosed within a large mound of earth and stones, encompassing the area behind the exedra. This mound served the practical function of housing the mound itself, but also defined the ceremonial space where ancestor rites were performed, as evidenced by the numerous ceramic vessels found in the area. Ancestor worship was of great importance in the Nuragic culture. Source: https://www.gesecoarzachena.it/?page_id=1246

The Malchittu Temple is an interesting and original Nuragic cult building in excellent condition. It lies on a hollow between two granite hills 120 meters above sea level and was protected by a nuraghe on the hill in front of it, of which only the collapse remains today, and by a defensive wall. There is also a large round hut on a lower level. Along the path that leads to the small temple there are numerous tafoni, natural gorges in the granite formed by the erosion of water and wind, which in ancient times served as shelter and burial for people. The small temple has a space with a semi-rectangular floor plan and a rounded shape, preceded by a quadrangular atrium created by extending the side walls on the facade and ending with a small pediment. The structure of the building is almost completely preserved and allows us to understand well the original appearance. All that is missing is the roof, which was probably gabled and made of wooden beams resting on a ridge beam. Inside the room one can see the furnishings that may be related to the rituals that took place here, such as alcoves, seating, counters and a circular hearth in the center of the room. Unfortunately, due to the small number of finds, we do not know which rituals were in use and to which deity they were addressed. From the hearth come the remains of the embers that provided carbon-14 dating of the last phase of the monument's presence in the 10th century. B.C. The found fragments of ceramic artefacts, which have a characteristic decoration with vertical triangular ribs, suggest that the life of the small temple dates back to the Middle Bronze Age, around 1600 BC. BC, began. Source: https://www.gesecoarzachena.it/?page_id=1581

Monte Limbara is the highest mountain massif in northern Sardinia. The two bare granite peaks Punta Balistreri (1,363 m) and Punta sa Berritta (1,359 m) are visible from afar. The slopes of the Monte Limbara massif are forested almost to the summit with chestnut, pedunculate oak, pine, pine and fir trees. (Source: Wikipedia)

The Monte Limbara is a mountain chain that you can hike through a wonderful circular tour. We did a 10km loop hike and it was totally worth it. You can take a wonderful break at the church. The drive up along the serpentines is an experience in itself and not without it.