Villasimius Town Tour.
Villasimius is a small village on the south-eastern tip of Sardinia, on the west bank of the Foxy River, which flows into the Gulf of Carbonara. Villasimius, located just 35 km from Cagliari and founded in 1812, is not only beaches and sea, it is also full of discos, clubs, pizzerias and restaurants, and one of the most preferred places for lovers of “night” life.
The main beaches of Villasimius, starting from the south coast (Mediterranean Sea) and moving east (Tyrrhenian Sea), are: Porto sa’Ruxi, Piscadeddus, Campus, Spiaggia del Riso, Spiaggia del Porticholo (beach by the harbour), La Fortezza, Santo Stefano, Cala Burrone (near Cape Carbonara) and some others.
The large beach of Campulongu, located in the Gulf of Carbonara, is frequented by cormorants. The road leading to the bay leads to the marina, recently restored and modernised for the needs of yachtsmen. To the left is the beautiful beach of Simius, sheltered from the sea currents and inhabited by marine life and plants, where the water temperature is always a few degrees higher than elsewhere. From the harbour, boat trips to the offshore islets and diving excursions to shipwrecks are organised.
The coastal area of Villasimius, declared a marine reserve in 1998, is known among divers for the rich diversity of its marine ecosystem. The Notteri Lagoon, which stretches along the strip of land that connects the Gulf of Carbonara to the coast, is home to several interesting species of waterfowl.
Villasimius and its surroundings are home to Phoenician monuments and a Roman necropolis. In Spiaggia del Riso, on an area of 54 square metres, there are rock-cut chamber tombs, the so-called Domus de Janas, dating back to the Stone Age; nuraghes and tombs of giants.
An old fortress stands on Cape Carbonara, built around the 14th century and reorganised in the 16th century by Philip II to fortify the coastal zone against the Turks. To the Porto Junco tower, built in the 16th century from local granite.
But of particular note is the lighthouse on the islet of Cavoli, built in the second half of the 19th century, The Cava Usai quarry, a monument to Villasimius’ mining “vocation”, founded in the second half of the XIX century and used until the 50s of the XX century, is also of interest. There are also the ruins of the abandoned Cava Usai factory, near which stretches a magnificent pebble beach washed by turquoise waters.
