Necropolis of Sa Pala Larga and Necropolis of Mesu ‘e Montes

Scenic road chapters

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Necropolis of Sa Pala Larga

   Bonorva sits on the edge of a high plateau in central-northern Sardinia, a town of grey stone looking out over the plain of Santa Lucia. Around it, the land is dotted with prehistoric remains, and the necropolis of Sa Pala Larga is one of several groups of domus de janas cut into the rock in this area. The rock-cut tombs are older than the nuraghi, and many have intricate interiors.

   Read the complete Necropolis of Sa Pala Larga write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Necropolis of Sa Pala Larga is where the day begins. Next is Petroglyph Park-b.

2. 2. Petroglyph Park-b

   The Logudoro in northern Sardinia is a high, rolling country of basalt plateaus and the worn cones of extinct volcanoes, where cork oaks and wild olives stand in dry pasture and every second hill seems to have a ruined nuraghe on it. Petroglyph Park-b lies near the small villages of Cheremule, Giave and Torralba, in an area where the rock itself was used as an archive, carved into tombs and marked with symbols by people who lived here thousands of years before Rome.

   Read the complete Petroglyph Park-b write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Petroglyph Park-b comes up about 25 km into the recorded legs. Next is Necropolis of Puttu Codinu.

3. 3. Necropolis of Puttu Codinu

   Domus de janas means houses of the fairies, and that is what Sardinians called the small chambers cut into rock faces across the island, believing them to be the homes of tiny supernatural women. They are in fact tombs, carved out by the island's Neolithic and Copper Age people some five thousand years ago, often with rooms arranged like houses, carved doorways, false roof beams and symbols such as bulls' horns. The necropolis of Puttu Codinu, near Villanova Monteleone in north-west Sardinia, is a group of these tombs cut into a low limestone outcrop amid fields and scrub, one of thousands across the island.

   Read the complete Necropolis of Puttu Codinu write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   about 59 km into the recorded legs you reach Necropolis of Puttu Codinu. Next is Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu.

4. 4. 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, about halfway. Next is Necropolis of Mesu ‘e Montes.

5. 5. Necropolis of Mesu ‘e Montes

   Inland from Sassari, the Logudoro is a country of limestone ridges, small towns of honey-coloured stone and fields enclosed by dry walls, and in its folds lies the necropolis of Mesu 'e Montes, near the villages of Ossi, Muros and Florinas. It is a group of domus de janas, the rock-cut tombs of Sardinia's prehistoric farmers, some of them richly decorated with carved pillars, false doors and the stylised bull horns that seem to have been a symbol of protection or power.

   Read the complete Necropolis of Mesu ‘e Montes write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Necropolis of Mesu ‘e Montes sits at 86 km, about halfway. Next is back through Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu.

6. 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 142 km into the recorded legs. Next is back through Necropolis of Puttu Codinu.

7. 7. back through Necropolis of Puttu Codinu

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Necropolis of Puttu Codinu write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   about 164 km into the recorded legs you reach back through Necropolis of Puttu Codinu. Next is back through Petroglyph Park-b.

8. 8. back through Petroglyph Park-b

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Petroglyph Park-b write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   back through Petroglyph Park-b, late in the day. Next is Necropolis of Sa Pala Larga.

9. 9. Necropolis of Sa Pala Larga

   Return visit. Read the place description above.

   Read the complete Necropolis of Sa Pala Larga write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   The route ends here after 221 km.