Arborea's showcase square, Piazza Maria Ausiliatrice is a beautifully tended space that wouldn’t look out of place in a Swiss alpine village. Overlooking it is the clocked facade of the Tyrolean-style Chiesa del Cristo Redentore and, over the road, the art-nouveau Municipio (Town Hall).
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
22.22 MILES
In the heart of the voluptuous green countryside near Barumini, the Nuraghe Su Nuraxi is Sardinia’s sole World Heritage Site and the island’s most visited…
10.27 MILES
The choppy blue waters of the Golfo di Oristano provide a magnificent backdrop to the ruins of ancient Tharros. Founded by the Phoenicians in the 8th…
21.25 MILES
Rising above the rolling green landscape, La Giara di Gesturi is a high basalt plateau famous for its wild horses and uncontaminated natural beauty. The…
21.29 MILES
Just off the SS131 north of Oristano, the sanctuary at Santa Cristina is an important nuraghic complex. The nuraghic village's extraordinary Bronze Age…
29.7 MILES
A sensational sandy beach wedged into a natural inlet between craggy rocks, Cala Domestica is a heavenly spot. Its shallow blue waters are ideal for…
26.69 MILES
An impressive Roman temple set in bucolic scenery 9km south of Fluminimaggiore, the Tempio di Antas has stood in isolation since the 3rd century AD. Built…
17.66 MILES
This magnificent beach is a picture of unspoilt beauty. A broad band of golden sand, it's sandwiched between a big-wave sea and a vast expanse of dunes…
8.93 MILES
Oristano’s elegant outdoor salon sits at the southern end of pedestrianised Corso Umberto I. An impressive, rectangular space, it comes to life on summer…
Nearby Western Sardinia attractions
0.2 MILES
Housed in a renovated mill, this civic museum charts Arborea's Mussolini-era origins, including its architectural planning, the influx of new residents…
2. Spiaggia di Marina di Arborea
2.7 MILES
The tiny settlement of Marina di Arborea gives onto this long and rarely busy beach. Backed by dense pine woods, the sandy strip extends northwards for…
3.42 MILES
Six kilometres to the south of Santa Giusta, the Stagno S’Ena Arrubia is a paradise for birdwatchers – flamingos, herons, coots and ospreys are regularly…
7.49 MILES
This landmark Romanesque church is one of Sardinia's architectural jewels. Dating to the early 12th century, it sports a severe sandstone exterior…
5. Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta
8.85 MILES
Lording it over Oristano’s skyline, the Duomo's onion-domed bell tower is one of the few remaining elements of the original 14th-century cathedral, itself…
8.93 MILES
The 14th-century Crocifisso di Nicodemo, considered one of Sardinia’s most precious carvings, is the highlight of this 19th-century neoclassical church…
8.93 MILES
Piazza Eleonora d'Arborea became the city's central square through 19th-century urban reforms. Today it is a quiet spot where you can sit beneath the…
8.93 MILES
Oristano’s elegant outdoor salon sits at the southern end of pedestrianised Corso Umberto I. An impressive, rectangular space, it comes to life on summer…