Tharros

Tharros is one of Sardinia’s most spectacular archaeological sites, built between the sea and lagoons at the southern end of the Sinis Peninsula. Its ruins tell a long story from Nuragic occupation to the Phoenician, Punic and Roman city.

Tharros occupies a strategic point on the Sinis Peninsula between Capo San Marco, the hill of San Giovanni and the Mistras lagoon. The city was founded by the Phoenicians in the late 8th century BC in an area already used during the Nuragic period, and later became an important Punic and Roman centre.

The visitor route passes streets, baths, temples, public buildings and neighbourhoods belonging to different phases of the city. The famous columns overlooking the sea have become a symbol of Tharros, but the wider site reveals a much more complex urban settlement.

Tharros changed over the centuries under different cultures. Necropolises, the tophet, fortifications and temples reflect the Phoenician-Punic phase, while baths, roads, an aqueduct and other structures belong to the long Roman period. The city continued to be used into the early Christian and early medieval eras.

A visit can be combined with San Giovanni di Sinis, Is Arutas and the wider Cabras area. The landscape is an essential part of the experience: archaeology, sea, lagoons and nature are concentrated within only a few kilometres.