Ancient towns guarded by medieval castles cling to mountain tops and mysterious, prehistoric towers that some claim link the island to the myth of Atlantis dot the landscape.

To escape here, if only for a day or so, can bring an added dimension to your Mediterranean holiday – and show why there’s probably nowhere else in Italy that is less Italian. The Logudoro (literally, "golden speech" - it’s where the Sardinian language is apparently heard at its most melodious) and Goceano area lies to the east of the popular resort of Alghero in northern Sardinia.

Appropriately enough, with Western movies in mind, it’s a centre for horse breeding but there are also large flocks of sheep and some of the largest remaing yew forest forests in Europe. And while it’s not necessarily the best place to find top class Italian cuisine, there’s plenty of superb sheep’s cheese, and enough lamb, mutton and pork to satisfy the healthiest appetites.

Places to see

Nuraghe Santu Antine

The ancient history of the area is inextricably linked to the nuraghi – stone built conical towers which date as far back as 1500BC. The biggest and best preserved is the Nuraghe Santu Antine on the Torralba plain. Built of basalt blocks it shares the physical attributes of Dr Who’s Tardis. Outside it appears a large, but reasonably-sized ruin. Inside, corridors, courtyards, staircases and hidden rooms make it seem like a prehistoric palace.

Climb up the central tower (once 80ft high and in the process of being renovated) and you can see several other examples of the astonishing 7,000 nuraghi which still survive on the island. No one seems absolutely sure who built these Bronze age towers or what they were used for, although clearly the original builders had some defensive role in mind. In recent years there’s been an attempt to link them to the Atlantis myth – so perhaps the Dr Who analogy isn’t too far off the mark.

Grotte di Sant’Andrea Priu

Carved into the side of a hill to the east of the town of Bonorvo around 3500 to 2700BC this neolithic necropolis was in use up to Christian times. Made up of three large rooms and 15 individual burial chambers it still has a chilly if not haunting atmosphere and is graced with Byzantine carvings and frescos. The top of the rock outcrop it’s built into is crowned with what’s though to be a carving of a bull dating from 2000BC. The head is missing, but the giant lichen-encrusted haunches and torso remain (pictured left).

Burgos

Spanish settlers gave this town of just over 1,000 inhabitants its name and links with it’s bigger counterpart in Spain remain. It clings to the top of a hill and surrounds a granite spur upon which is lodged the most romantic-looking castle on the island.

The first view of it, from the road winding around the surrounding mountain is straight out of Lord of the Rings. Close up – and after a strenuous hike from the town centre the castle ruins are actually a slight disappointment. It’s that initial sighting which delights. But there is a decent museum and there’s also the chance to visit some local bakeries where the thin, twice-baked and wafer-like pane fresa is produced.

The spawling forest of Burgos surrounding the 1,260m hight Mount Rasu with its yew and oak trees is also a delightful place to picnic. Beware though, of the wild boar who roam through the forest at will.

Continued on page 2: where to stay and what not to eat

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Places to stay

The area still has some way to go before it can offer all the facilities that holidaymakers now expect to receive, but there are places which offer solitude and comfort if you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the coast.

Mendulas is a "holiday farm" close to the Temo river and Lake Moteleone and about 25km away form Alghero. Built in a ranch style it has several attractive bedrooms and also offers horse riding facilities.

Monte Minerva is a former feudal manor house which has 10 en-suite rooms, an outside dining area with impressive views over the countryside and extensive sports facilities. It forms a great base for country walks.

What not to eat

Taken for a "typical country picnic" with local farmers in the forest of Burgos I witnessed first hand eating habits which may not appeal to all. A whole sheep had been barbecued. This was chopped up and and after the splendid antipasta and pasta courses, was brought in cork platters to the table. Staring, unappetisingly from the centre of one platter was the complete sheep’s head.

The mayor of the nearby town of Burgos broke it open and scooped a large portion of brain, greyish and sludge-like, on to some bread and wolfed it down. Not to be outdone, his colleague, picked out the eyeballs, popped them into his mouth, chewed them and swallowed them. After that, the rest of the meal didn’t seem quite so appetising.

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