All About Baronia, Our Home Base
Baronia is not yet fully covered by the Lonely Planet guide! Do you know what it means? It means that Baronia is one of the last hidden corners of Sardinia. The Baronia region is a fertile land with a beautiful coastline, where you will be able to discover the authentic spirit of the island!
Baronìa lies between the well known regions of Barbagia and Gallura, with Siniscola being the main village of Baronia, at just 30 minutes by car from Olbia port/airport, and 30 minutes away from Nuoro, the main city of Barbagia. Its territory is rich and diverse, ranging from the limestone massif Montalbo of Siniscola to the crystal clear waters of its white sandy beaches – which, by the way, have been awarded again in the year 2018 with the first prize by Legambiente and Touring Club Italiano for “mare più bello d’Italia 2018”; the best, more beautiful and cleanest sea of Italy in 2018.
Baronia carries its name from the medieval “barons” that governed the region during the Aragonese domination of the island; Baronia was the last feud to be released from the feudal system in 1860, when Sardinia entered the newly formed “Reign of Italy”. But the history of Baronia goes way back, as demonstrated by the many interesting and unspoilt archeological sites that cover thousands of years of history. Among the most important archeological sites of Baronia are the neolithic Domus de Janas (also called “House of the witches”), the caves of Sa Conca ‘e Elene Portiche where it is still possible to find splinters of obsidian stone, and the many nuragic monuments and settlements among which the Nuraghe San Pietro in Torpè, the Tomb of the Giants of Su Picante in Capo Comino, and the Temple of Janna ‘e Pruna in the territory of Irgoli, also home to the famous sacred fountain of su Notante.
The medieval village of Posada was the Capital of Baronia, and the importance of the village is marked by the presence of the Posada castle Castello della Fava, build in the 12th century when Sardinia was independent and divided into 4 kingdoms – the so called Giudicati. Posada is also the name of the river that starts at a natural spring on the Monte Tepilora, in the wild territory of Bitti, transformed in the Natural Park Oasis of Tepilora in 2014. The park, together with the area of Montalbo, has been declared a Mab Unesco protected biosphere reserve in 2017.
If you choose Sardinia for a relaxing holiday, then Baronia’s coastline is the right destination for you, with all its nice white sand beaches that are never really crowded even during summertime, specially if you know where to head to find the last hidden corners.
The Natural Reserve of Capo Comino is one of our favourite spots! Capo Comino is also the eastern tip of the Sardinian island, with several nice trail to explore, such as the one that takes to the old Capo Comino lighthouse, from where there is a spectacular view on one of the wildest area in East Sardinia. Capo Comino and its white sand dunes became famous in 1974, thanks to the successful Italian movie “Travolti da un insolito destino nell’azzurro mare di agosto” (Swept Away). A little further down Capo Comino there are two more incredibly beautiful beaches, Berchìda and Bidderosa, two of the best hidden beaches of Sardinia, also protected areas labeled as Sites of Community Importance (SCI) and Special Areas of Conservation (SAC).
Food gets also its unique finds in Baronia, thanks to Sa Pompìa, which represents the unicity of the gastronomic tradition of Baronìa. Pompìa is a unique citrus fruit that grows only in the Siniscola area. It cannot be eaten as fresh fruit as it’s very bitter, and traditionally needs a long cooking process to get transformed into a sweet gourmet delicacy, very popular for desserts, traditional wedding cakes and liquors. The producers of Sa Pompìa got together in 2004 by joining the Slow Food Network and creating the Slow Food Presidia of Pompia Siniscolesa that, together with the traditional “Sa Supa Siniscolesa” and the local Cannonau red wine, are always a classic fix at all important local traditional feasts and ceremonies.
There are plenty of opportunities to visit Baronìa all year round. Local festivities and celebration start on January 16th with a big bonfire in honour of Sant’Antoni ‘e su ocu, which officially opens the local Carnival. There are plenty of interesting traditional folk rituals and ceremonies during Easter week, and several spring festivals. The week-end after Easter also opens the celebrations in Posada dedicated to “Madonna del Soccorso”, while during the second week of May a not-to-be-missed event of the region is the Saint Patron’s celebration in La Caletta. In summertime, it is just a matter of choice, as the calendar is packed with cultural and gastronomic events across the entire region.
If you are interested in discovering Baronia at a slow pace, then have a look at our several tours and experiences we dedicated to our region: Experience Hidden Baronia, Best Beaches of Baronia, Capo Comino Hike + Snorkel, Siniscola Sunset Hike è Aperitif and the Posada Free Walking Tour are definitely the most popular. Check out all our Sardinian slow tours and experience, and don’t forget to follow Sardinia Slow Experience on Facebook for special tours and packages, and last minute openings. Also, get in touch if you want us to take you and your group around the region on a dedicated tour and experience you will cherish forever!
