More than 90% of Italian granite is mined in Sardinia. Gallura’s pink granite is one of the most important rocks worldwide and is known as Rosa Beta granite. It is the second most precious rock after Carrara marble. There are mainly two varieties of granite in Gallura: pink granite, also called ‘ghiandone’, and pearl-grey granite. Ghiandone granite can be found in Alta Gallura, whereas pearl-grey granite can be found in southern Gallura, especially in the area of Buddusò, where about 70% of the domestic production is mined.

Pink granite is the truly distinctive feature of Gallura’s landscape: you can admire it on the jagged coastline, windswept by the northwest wind and shaped by the sea waves. Granite is predominant in Gallura and is slowly carved by the forces of nature, thus resulting in shapes that resemble animals or geometric forms.

Generally speaking, it is important to highlight that Sardinia is considered the land of longevity. Some local municipalities, such as Arzachena, La Maddalena, Luogosanto, and Aglientu, show interesting data on people aged one hundred years old or over. Pes, the one who identified and studied Blue Zones worldwide, is working on new data, which would hint at Gallura being a new Blue Zone.

Life here seems to flow at a less stressful pace. The air is pure, and the surrounding nature is unspoilt. Narrow alleys, steep streets, and quaint small houses almost seem to protect these areas from the negative impacts of globalisation, enclosing them in a ‘bubble’ that safeguards the secret to longevity.

A healthy diet based on rural products, long walks, and a good dose of spirituality: the local relaxed and informal lifestyle can be a perfect antidote to the stress of modern life.

Craftsmanship, food and wine, local festivals, and the mild climate that ensures an almost seven-month-long summer every year make Gallura and Monte Acuto one of the most attractive and visited destinations in the Mediterranean Basin.

Many festivals and celebrations are held, which often provide the chance to savour traditional dishes and desserts and to enhance the typical, distinctive flavours of local municipalities.

This region attracts tourists not only for its white beaches and emerald-green waters but also for its local events, specialities, and products.

A journey to discover flavours and places to be enjoyed in autumn. A season to appreciate an authentic and uncrowded Gallura. A magic moment to cherish wild, crystal-clear waters. Autumn is a good season to enjoy the essence of Gallura.

The sea is not the only attraction. Discover the true Gallura and explore the hinterland without giving up relaxation and the beauty, flavours, and colours of the island. Enjoy a walk in the mountains and a visit to Gallura’s and Monte Acuto’s old villages.

The Sardinian countryside is tinged with warm, enchanting hues, and vineyards are ready to be harvested. The hills and the mountains offer breathtaking views with a variety of colours that enhance the landscape through the shades of autumn.

Helichrysum

Typical of the Mediterranean scrub, it grows copiously in the arid areas close to the sea. In Gallura, it blooms between April and May, and its fragrant flowers are of a golden yellow colour and very aromatic. Several preparations with Helichrysum can be used for respiratory and rheumatic disease, as well as to treat burns.

Wild Fennel

Wild fennel is a spontaneous herbaceous shrub belonging to the Mediterranean scrub. It adapts to arid lands exposed to the sun and protected from the wind. It can be used to season ragu sauce and cheese, and an excellent liqueur can be obtained from its leaves steeped in pure alcohol. Wild fennel has digestive, antiseptic, and antispasmodic phytotherapeutic properties.

Myrtle

Myrtle is probably Sardinia’s most famous and emblematic plant due to the renowned liqueur obtained from it. Myrtle bushes have extremely fragrant leaves and purple or black-bluish berries. In summer, the plant produces white flowers with five petals that are used to prepare honey with antibacterial properties.

Thyme

Thyme is a Mediterranean plant that grows spontaneously and blooms in spring and early summer. Thyme leaves and flowers contain an active substance with digestive, laxative, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory properties. It is also used to season soups, meat, and sauces.

Rosemary

It is another symbol of the Mediterranean scrub. Rosemary has therapeutic properties connected with memory and brain activity stimuli. It is extremely aromatic, which is why it is used to season several dishes. Furthermore, it promotes an antioxidant action on food, thus contributing to its conservation. It has digestive and diuretic properties and is used against rheumatism and joint pain.

Bay Laurel

Bay laurel grows spontaneously in the countryside of Sardinia and Gallura. Its berries and leaves can be harvested all year round, but they offer beneficial properties especially if they are gathered in winter and early spring. Bay laurel is used mainly to cook and is rich in antiseptic, antioxidant, digestive, and antitumour properties.

Arbutus

Arbutus gives Mediterranean vegetation a recognisable splash of colour thanks to its small berries which, in autumn, are yellow or red depending on their level of maturation. Arbutus fruits are used in Sardinian and Gallura’s cuisine to produce honey, preserves, and desserts as well as digestifs, liqueurs, and wines.

Fabrizio De André, a famous Italian singer-songwriter, and his wife Dori bought it in 1975: at the time, it was an abandoned farmhouse, and for some time, they lived there without water, electricity, and gas. Later on, they decided to renovate it. They wanted to turn it into a holiday farm, a place of hospitality, to have the chance to pass something on to their children. Thus, the renovation works began, and vegetable gardens and olive trees were planted all around the building. A barn was built to house the first Limousine cows ever imported on the island, and later on, an artificial lake was created, where Fabrizio wanted to breed trout. Over time, the rooms, the kitchens, and the outbuilding were renovated too.

The notes of De André’s music always resonate throughout L’Agnata: they come from the porcelain berry covering his home. However, you can also listen to songs by all the authors he admired and loved deeply: from Bob Dylan to Georges Brassens, The Beatles, Paolo Conte, and Franco Battiato.

If you love De André, you should indulge at least once in your life and visit his beloved L’Agnata, in the heart of Gallura’s hinterland. Everything here still speaks of him, from the olive trees he planted to the ever-growing vegetable garden. This place is rich in history and passion. .

It is also famous, and rightly so, for its original and extremely colourful market. Every Thursday from May to October, among the narrow alleys and the central square, you will find the best of Gallura’s agricultural production and many handmade creations, ceramics, wooden items, textiles, and so much more. Its exquisite natural surroundings and unique cultural and social characteristics make San Pantaleo a destination you cannot miss during your holidays in Gallura.