Why this ride
218 km from Sennori to Sennori, about 4 h 16 of riding. On the way it passes Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu, Necropolis of Su Crucifissu Mannu, Necropolis of Anghelu Ruju and back through Necropolis of Su Crucifissu Mannu.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Domus de janas of Orto del Beneficio Parro and Necropolis of Anghelu Ruju
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 218 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 16
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Domus de janas of Orto del Beneficio Parro
Most prehistoric tombs in Sardinia sit out in the countryside behind a gate and a dirt track. The domus de janas of Orto del Beneficio Parrocchiale are different: they are in Sennori itself, a few steps from the houses, carved into the soft limestone in what was once, as the name suggests, a garden belonging to the parish. A handful of chambers opens out of the rock, small rooms with low doorways, the work of Neolithic farmers who lived on this ridge thousands of years before anyone thought of building a church here.
Read the complete Domus de janas of Orto del Beneficio Parro write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Domus de janas of Orto del Beneficio Parro is where the day begins. Next is Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu.
2. Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu
Sardinia is covered in small rock-cut tombs called domus de janas, the houses of the fairies, or of the witches depending on who tells the story. They were carved into soft rock by the island's Neolithic and Copper Age communities, more than five thousand years ago, and there are thousands of them, from single chambers to complex underground houses for the dead. The necropolis of Monte Siseri, near the village of Putifigari in the hills behind Alghero, includes the tomb known as S'Incantu, the enchantment, one of the most elaborate on the island. Its chambers imitate the interior of a house, with carved details such as roof beams, pillars and doorways, and traces of red and black paint that once decorated the walls. The domus de janas have recently joined the UNESCO World Heritage list, a long-overdue recognition of Sardinian prehistory.
Read the complete Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu comes up about 29 km into the recorded legs. Next is Necropolis of Su Crucifissu Mannu.
3. Necropolis of Su Crucifissu Mannu
Sardinians call them domus de janas, houses of the fairies, and when you crouch at the entrance of one you understand the name. They are tombs cut straight into the soft limestone by the island's Neolithic and Copper Age people, small chambers linked by low doorways, sometimes with carved false doors or bull horns on the walls. The necropolis of Su Crucifissu Mannu, just inland from Porto Torres, holds a couple of dozen of them scattered across a low rocky plateau among fields and scrub, one of the largest groups in the north of the island.
Read the complete Necropolis of Su Crucifissu Mannu write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
about 75 km into the recorded legs you reach Necropolis of Su Crucifissu Mannu. Next is Necropolis of Anghelu Ruju.
4. Necropolis of Anghelu Ruju
Not far from Alghero, on the flat land behind the coast, lies the largest group of domus de janas in Sardinia. Anghelu Ruju is a necropolis of more than thirty rock-cut tombs, dug into the sandstone with stone tools around five thousand years ago and later reused for burials into the Bronze Age. The site was found in 1903 when workers were preparing land for a vineyard, and excavations revealed chambers with carved bull's horns, false doorways and painted ochre, together with pottery, figurines and personal ornaments now displayed in museums in Sassari and Cagliari. The bull motifs are thought to have been linked to fertility and protection, and they give these dim chambers a surprisingly powerful presence.
Read the complete Necropolis of Anghelu Ruju write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Necropolis of Anghelu Ruju, about halfway. Next is back through Necropolis of Su Crucifissu Mannu.
5. back through Necropolis of Su Crucifissu Mannu
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Necropolis of Su Crucifissu Mannu write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Necropolis of Su Crucifissu Mannu sits at 125 km, about halfway. Next is back through Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu.
6. back through Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
back through Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu comes up about 175 km into the recorded legs. Next is Domus de janas of Orto del Beneficio Parro.
7. Domus de janas of Orto del Beneficio Parro
Return visit. Read the place description above.
Read the complete Domus de janas of Orto del Beneficio Parro write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Domus de janas of Orto del Beneficio Parro closes the day.
Leg by leg
Domus de janas of Orto del Beneficio Parro to Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu
Domus de janas of Orto del Beneficio Parro → Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu is 29 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu to Necropolis of Su Crucifissu Mannu
Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu → Necropolis of Su Crucifissu Mannu is 46 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Necropolis of Su Crucifissu Mannu to Necropolis of Anghelu Ruju
Necropolis of Su Crucifissu Mannu → Necropolis of Anghelu Ruju is 32 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Necropolis of Anghelu Ruju to back through Necropolis of Su Crucifissu Mannu
Necropolis of Anghelu Ruju → back through Necropolis of Su Crucifissu Mannu is 35 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Necropolis of Su Crucifissu Mannu to back through Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu
back through Necropolis of Su Crucifissu Mannu → back through Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu is 33 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu to Domus de janas of Orto del Beneficio Parro
back through Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu → Domus de janas of Orto del Beneficio Parro is 43 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.