Sentiero dei Giganti: walk from La Prisgiona to Coddu Vecchiu

A short link between two different stories

The name Sentiero dei Giganti refers to the roughly one-kilometre walking link between La Prisgiona and Coddu Vecchiu. The municipal tourism page describes a route through the Capichera valley, among lentisk, strawberry trees, rockrose and broom. Its value lies in connecting a settlement with a funerary monument, not in presenting two versions of the same site.

La Prisgiona is a nuragic complex with a central tower, two side towers and a village of huts. Coddu Vecchiu is a collective Bronze Age tomb, with a corridor and a semicircular forecourt centred on a large stone stele. “Giants” is a traditional name, not a claim about the people buried there. Seeing both makes the contrast between community life and funerary memory easier to understand.

Choose the order around access

If you have a guided visit or timed entry, build the walk around that booking and ask the site operator which monument is the starting point. With no fixed appointment, beginning at La Prisgiona and finishing at Coddu Vecchiu gives the visit a clear progression from settlement to burial place. The municipality describes the connection, but its page does not promise a walking time.

Do not mistake the stated kilometre for the length of the whole outing. Your day also includes reaching each site, admission, time to look around and a return or transfer to the starting point. Ask whether the link is open on your date, how entry to both sites is coordinated and whether archaeological work or maintenance limits access. Stay on the authorized route and respect barriers or staff directions.

Check tickets and prepare for the setting

Both monuments are part of Arzachena’s archaeological circuit, and the municipality’s current opening and price page is the place to check before travelling. Information can change by season or for conservation reasons. Confirm whether one ticket covers both sites, whether advance booking is needed and what rules apply to a guided visit; an old screenshot or review is not a reliable schedule.

Bring water, sun protection and shoes suitable for an outdoor path. The route description mentions Mediterranean scrub, not a shaded urban walkway, so consider the weather and time of year. The route notes do not list drinking fountains or services along the link; plan without relying on them. If travelling with children or anyone with limited mobility, ask the operator about the surface, slopes and accessibility before setting out.

What to notice at each end

At La Prisgiona, look at how the nuraghe relates to the village: the huts show that this was more than a solitary tower. Excavation and restoration continue, so do not assume every room is open to visitors. Follow the permitted route and rely on guides or interpretation panels for areas that cannot be entered.

At Coddu Vecchiu, notice the granite stele and the curved forecourt. They belong to the tomb, not to a nuraghe. Pause to compare the two places: first a lived-in settlement, then a funerary monument. If the connecting path is unavailable on your date, visiting the sites separately can still work, provided you confirm admission and transport between them with the operator.