The Montiferru

The griffon vulture's big volcano

Ancient volcanic masses formed of trachyte and basalt, and with peaks reaching to 1050m. Montiferru is certainly one of the most interesting mountain ranges in Sardinia.

There are large, dense, ancient forest of holm and cork oak, chestnut trees, majestic roverelle, yews and small, thick tracts of holly, some 6m tall. On the highest peaks, Monte Urtigu (1050m), Monte Entu (1024m) and Rocca Sa Tiria (970m) among the rocks, scoured bare by the wind and the rain, thyme, hellebore, armeria, peonies and various types of euphorbia can be found.

A few wild cats and hedgehogs can still be found here, in addiction to numerous boars, foxes, weasels, hares and rabbits.

The mouflon and Sardinian deer had become extinct in this area, but thanks to a, so far, successful reintroduction scheme by the Azienda Foreste Demaniali della Sardegna it is possible to see them again, in protected, fenced-off areas.

Other successful A.F.D.S. projects include, since 1987, in collaboration with the Lega Italiana Protezione Uccelli, the reintroduction on the griffon vulture. On the highs of Montiferru you can see the aviaries that contained the birds before to be freed, and watch those already liberated in flight, especially in the area of Cape Marrargiu, between Bosa and Alghero) where they are established about 40 copies of griffon vulture..

Apart from the easily-spotted buzzard, corvi imperiali, hoopes, kestrels and Sardinian partridges, if you're lucky, you might spot a peregrine falcon, a sparrow-hawk or the nowadays rare goshawk.  

Another beauty of this mountain is its abundance of springs.