Austis: Granite Landscapes, Trails and Sardinian Traditions
Accommodation in Austis
Austis combines a landscape shaped by granite with striking rock formations, historic churches and the Sos Colonganos carnival. When planning your trip, you can first consider what interests you most: trails and nature, culture or a seasonal experience. This also makes it easier to choose a hotel based on the things you want to experience in Austis.
Nature, Rocks and Trails
The area around Austis is largely shaped by granite. Chestnut, holm oak and centuries-old oak forests alternate with extensive cork oak stands and Mediterranean scrub. This landscape provides the setting for a range of nature experiences: Sa Conca de Oppiane features a hollowed-out rock from which you can admire the landscape. Su Nou Orruendeche is in the Ghea woodland and consists of two granite blocks stacked on top of each other. A passage at its base leads into a natural chamber. Sa Conca de Su Cannizzu, meanwhile, is a rock near Austis whose shape resembles an eagle.
The trails also vary in terms of how you travel and their route format. For mountain biking, there is the Austis–Pasa Procu–Sa Perdarba–Sa Pranedda–Borta Melone–Austis loop, as well as the Sa Crabarissa–Austis MTB route in one direction. On foot, the Borta Melone hiking trail, route 511c, is another specific option. Sa Crabarissa can be reached on a walk of about one kilometre. When planning, you can distinguish between a mountain-bike loop, a one-way route and a hiking trail; the approximate length of the walk to Sa Crabarissa is also provided.
Churches, Art and History
The rural church of Sant’Antonio da Padova was built in 1669 on the Sa Sedda de Basiloccu plateau. The church of Maria Vergine Assunta houses a wooden crucifix and other works of art. The two sites offer different cultural points of interest: at Sant’Antonio, the year it was built is part of its history, while at Maria Vergine Assunta, the works of art inside take centre stage. The Austis area also preserves several nuraghi, which bear witness to its Nuragic past.
You can also encounter art in the streets, where murals by Danilo Carta, Ferdinando Medda, Angelo Lai and other artists from across Sardinia adorn the area. Together with the churches and nuraghi, they offer different ways to explore Austis’ culture, from mural painting and religious art to archaeological heritage.
Carnival and Rural Experiences
The Sos Colonganos are the masks of the Austis carnival. Their masks are distinguished, among other things, by the use of animal bones and strawberry tree wood. Each year during the carnival celebrations, the Sos Colonganos gather in front of a bonfire lit especially for the occasion, strike the ground with sticks and jump on the spot. This creates an archaic, ominous sound.
Other experiences offer a different focus: the honey experience in Austis ends with a tasting of various kinds of honey. An experience at an educational farm includes a day in the countryside among farm animals. The first focuses on tasting different varieties, while the second is about spending time in a rural setting with farm animals. These activities complement the trails, rock formations and cultural sites with two different themes to consider when planning your trip.
Discover more destinations: Nuoro, Silanus, Santa Lucia, Orotelli, Orosei, TalavĂ , Irgoli, Ovodda.
Back to the main travel overview: Nuoro.
