Ogliastra, a region including both a wonderful seaside and staggering mountains, offers the tourists that discover it for the first time or that come here every year a huge variedness of natural landscapes.
Starting from the north, this region presents one of the most beautiful coast in Sardinia: grey calcareous cliffs follow red porphiries in a seashore which is a succession of sand and small coves (towns of Tortolì, Arbatax and S. Maria Navarrese).
After passing through a green and tepid plain, a tourist route will lead to the greenest heart of the region, where you can easily sight through closely-planted trees wild-boars, mouflons, foxes, weasels, buzzards and hawks (villages of Talana and Urzulei). Continuing southwards, you will meet a wild and very exciting area: high calcareous towers called "tacchi" fall sheer into deep, frightening flumes where the tributaries of the Flumendosa River run quietly. Here two villages have been recently specializing in high-hills tourism: Seui, a typical Sardinian village, and Villagrande Strisaili, where you can taste the famous "prosciutti".
Our suggested itinerary ends in the southern part of Ogliastra, which extends from the last offshoots of the Gennargentu Mountain to the sea. Here tracts of green vineyards, from which the marvelous, ruby-coloured wine called 'cannonau' is produced, occupy a lowered plain, while the higher part is harsh and dry, reminding of a far-west scenery.
The seaside is the least explored of all the Ogliastra coast: you can find very small coves and stretches of white sand as well as riffs and pebbles. The towns of Gairo, Cardedu and Tertenia have been preparing to offer tourists new constructions without altering this uncontaminated environment. In Tertenia you can taste the best Sardinian cheese (the "pecorino sardo") and the famous "culurgionis", ravioli pasta filled with mashed potatoes and pecorino cheese.
