What to do · Olbia and the Costa Smeralda
Coddu 'Ecchju Giants' Tomb and La Prisgiona Nuraghe, Capichera
Information
- From
- €7 per adult, both sites
- Duration
- 1 h 30
- Season
- All year, 9:00 to 19:00
- Who it's for
- Everyone; with children, best first thing or late in the afternoon
In the Arzachena countryside, half an hour from the beaches of the Costa Smeralda, are two of the most photographed monuments of prehistoric Sardinia. The Coddu 'Ecchju giants' tomb is a collective Bronze Age burial with a 4.04-metre granite stele, and a kilometre away the La Prisgiona nuraghe keeps its tower and the village of huts that surrounded it. You can see them together in an hour and a half, with a €7 ticket.
What you see
Coddu 'Ecchju. The stele is an arched slab, with a frame in relief and a small opening at the bottom where offerings were left. At the sides opens the exedra, the semicircle of upright stones that served as a forecourt. Behind is the burial gallery, where the community was buried without distinction of age, sex or rank. According to the body that manages the park, the gallery was built between the 21st and 19th centuries BC and the exedra was added between the 18th and 17th centuries BC.
La Prisgiona. It is a complex nuraghe: a two-storey main tower, which today stands about seven metres high with its false dome of corbelled stones, inside a triangular bastion with two other towers. Around it spread a village of about four hectares, inhabited from the 14th to the 8th century BC. In the courtyard is the Meeting Hut, with its continuous bench, and a well more than seven metres deep that still has water. The excavations turned up a bread oven, pottery workshops and jugs for serving wine at the bottom of the well.
Getting there and parking
Both sites are in the locality of Capichera, about six kilometres from Arzachena on the SP14 provincial road towards Luogosanto. From Olbia it is about 40 minutes by car. The ticket office is at Coddu 'Ecchju: buy the ticket for both there and then continue to La Prisgiona, a kilometre away. The park's website gives no parking information.
Hours and price
They are open every day from 9:00 to 19:00. Entry to one monument costs €4, and the Capichera package, with both, €7. Under-12s go in free. There are five other monuments in the Arzachena archaeological park, such as the Li Muri necropolis and the Li Lolghi tomb, and the combined ticket lowers the price per site: €10 for three, €20 for all seven. For guided visits, the archaeology office answers on +39 393 897 5528.
When to go
In summer, first thing or after five: there is no shade and the granite gives back the heat. In spring and autumn it is fine at any time, and the countryside is green.
Tips
- Start with the tomb The ticket office is there, and the stele in morning light makes the best photo.
- Bring water and a cap Both sites are in the sun, among scrub.
- Add a third site For €3 more you can enter another monument in the park, such as Li Muri.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost?
€4 for one site and €7 for both. Under-12s do not pay.
How much time do I need?
An hour and a half for both, including the drive between them.
Is it open all year?
The park publishes hours of 9:00 to 19:00 every day, without indicating seasonal closures.
Can I go with children?
Yes. Under-12s go in free and the routes are short, though in the sun.
As a family
