Territory and History
In Southern Sardinia there are many points of environmental and historical interest that can be reached very easily from the B&B Shangrila. The Caves of Su Mannau and the Punic Temple of Antas are very famous for their perfect conservation, the Henry Gallery in Buggerru dates back to 1904 and can still be visited thanks to a characteristic train.
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The picturesque village of Portixeddu will surely leave you breathless for its enchanting position overlooking the long beach of San Nicolò and Porto Flavia is an extraordinary work of engineering worldwide for the time in which it was built.
The Punic-Roman Temple of Antas is a concrete testimony of the many populations that in the past faced the Sardinian coasts.
Its foundation dates back to 500 BC and although it was subsequently re-erected in Roman times, the quarry from which the Romans obtained the limestone rocks is in fact reachable a short distance away, preserving all the characteristics of Punic architecture.
It is dedicated to the God called by the Romans Sardus Pater and identifiable with the Carthaginian Sid Babay, whose inscriptions dedicated to the emperor "Templum de Sardi Pater Bab" are still visible.
The archaeological site is a set of wonders: in fact it presents the remains of a Nuragic village and necropolis where tombs and various objects dating back to the Iron Age were found and a road, of Roman origin, which leads directly to the caves of Su Mannau , where the cult of divination of the waters was practiced in ancient times.
The Temple of Antas in Southern Sardinia can be reached in about 10 minutes by car from B&B Shangrila .
The caves of Su Mannau have an extension of about 8 km and a half and the part that can be visited by tourists is about 500 meters that can be walked accompanied by expert and competent guides who can make you appreciate the different underground conformations in all their natural beauty. .
The caves are dotted with numerous rooms that have very different characteristics, but while the first, the archaeological room, shows traces of human attendance since very ancient times, the remaining part, the speological one, was really explored only in earlier times. recent.
This is due to the fact that the very word Su Mannau evokes a terrible and frightening place inhabited by the great Beast (in this regard we suggest you read the legend of Su Mannau)
The first room, 60 meters long, was therefore used by the Nuragic populations as a place of worship for the Waters, while in the remaining part of the entire karst cavity no one had ever dared to venture.
The Caves of Southern Sardinia can be easily explored on foot on steel walkways and offer their visitors enchanting scenery, with stairways, wells and waterfalls up to a large hall called Salone Rodriguez and its incomparable final viewpoint.
In about 5 minutes by car from the Shangrilà Bed and Breakfast you can visit these wonderful and fascinating natural temples of Southern Sardinia.
In the town of Buggerru, 10 minutes from the B&B Shangrilà , there is the most important work of the whole Planu Sartu mining complex, which crosses for about a kilometer until it flows onto the other side of the mountain with an outlet overlooking the sea.
It dates back to 1865 and its construction was made possible by the use of the steam locomotive at the time instead of the characteristic mules: currently it has been completely safe and can therefore be visited partly on a train of the time and partly on feet thanks to the many walkways and passages on the sea that make it unmistakable and very suggestive.
The path that crosses the Planu Sartu plateau also starts from the entrance to the gallery and reaches the Cala Domestica cove.
Porto Flavia is located near Masua, and takes its name from the daughter of the engineer Vecelli commissioned by the French Società della Vecchia Montagna in 1924 to solve the problem of too long times in the loading of minerals extracted from the mine that was there.
Vecelli carried out an extraordinary work for all the world engineering of the time, digging a tunnel in the rock overlooking the sea from where the materials could be unloaded directly into the holds of the ships: here is Porto Flavia, a port clinging to the rocky wall in front to the Faraglione of the Pan di Zucchero and surrounded by limestone cliffs.
Its charm, so unique compared to all other settings, makes it an unmissable destination for those passing by the Costa Verde.
We also like to remember Nebida among the places that deserve a visit and a half-day stop for the breathtaking view that can be observed from its position.
Nebida in fact is crossed in all its length by the road that connects it to Iglesias on one side and Buggerru on the other and which is scattered with numerous rest areas from which you can admire a coast overlooking the sea and a series of 5 stacks. ending with the majestic Sugar Loaf, the highest rock in Europe.
If you want to stop every minute to take unforgettable photos, especially at sunset with the sun going to die in the sea, don't worry, you will certainly not be alone.
Nebida is located after Buggerru in a southerly direction before arriving in Iglesias: by car from the B&B Shangrilà it takes about half an hour.
