The black sheep of Arbus, the sand dunes of Piscinas and the mining area of Montevecchio

The Arbus countryside is home to the only black sheep farm in Sardinia, and a visit here is a unique experience. All the activities are still carried out sustainably and in harmony with the surrounding environment. It will feel fascinating straight away to witness how the shepherds raise their animals; the whole flock is in fact pampered and given great care every day. The cheese made on site is extraordinarily delicious because the black sheep, besides being raised free range, graze on fragrant wild herbs that give their milk an exceptional flavour.

As we taste the local cheese, we can also smell the sea in the air of the Costa Verde, or ‘green coast’, one of the most fascinating places on the island. It is here where a small desert of extraordinary beauty stretches over many kilometres of some of the highest sand dunes in Europe. The beach of Piscinas is also a magical place: the turquoise of the sea merges with the bright colours of the yellow sand and the dark green of the age-old junipers that grow, tirelessly shaped by the wind, on the imposing dunes.

Going up an old road immersed in Mediterranean scrub, we arrive in the Montevecchio mining area, rich since Roman times with veins of blende and galena, from which lead and zinc are obtained. In the nineteenth century, the mining activity here reached very important levels, and the structures and houses that are preserved, after the mines closed in 1991, feature architectural elements of considerable value. This is why Montevecchio is part of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network.

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