Discover Luras

In the locality of Santu Baltolu di Carana, a short walk from Lake Liscia, grow the ancient wild olive trees of Luras. The largest, S’Ozzastru, is estimated to be between three and four thousand years old, with a trunk about 12 metres in circumference. Next to it stands a second wild olive of about two thousand years.

Since 2013 the tree has been protected by the Region of Sardinia as a natural monument. It is one of the most visited places in inland Gallura: come in the morning or late afternoon, when the light filters through the branches.

The territory of Luras is home to four of Sardinia’s dolmens: the allée couverte of Ladas and the simple dolmens of Alzoledda, Ciuledda and Billella. They date from the late Neolithic, between 3500 and 2700 BC, and were both collective burial sites and places of worship.

The Ladas dolmen is the most impressive: a gallery six metres long and more than two metres high, covered by two large slabs. The rear slab measures about fifteen square metres.

Lake Liscia opens up among the hills north of Luras, surrounded by Mediterranean scrub and cork oak woods. It is one of the main water reserves of Gallura and one of the most peaceful landscapes in the area.

The paths along its shores are suitable for walks and trekking, and the lake is also popular for fishing. The thousand-year-old wild olive trees stand on its banks.

The museum is housed in a late-18th-century home in the historic centre. On the ground floor are the tools of wine-making, farming and herding; on the first floor the kitchen, bedroom and dining room of a Gallurese home; on the top floor the working of cork and wool.

The museum is known for the femina agabbadora, a controversial figure of Sardinian tradition, and holds a simple wild olive branch found in a stazzo (farmstead) near Luras.

The historic centre of Luras is best discovered on foot, among granite houses and uphill lanes. It is the heart of the Pro Loco’s festivals: during Domos Abbeltas the historic houses open to visitors, with craftspeople, local produce and music.

The area is also known for its wine and cork, which for centuries have shaped the work and the landscape here.