Located in west-central Sardinia, within the province of Oristano, Cuglieri, lying on high ground with a barrier of the Montiferru hills behind it, looks out to the sea toward which its territory declines with a coastline now open in small bays or long sandy shorelines now rugged and wildly inaccessible.
Nature has been generous with Cuglieri: in its territory, which at 121 square kilometers is the largest in the province of Oristano, it gathers mountains, dense forests, rivers and springs, beaches, and imposing cliffs, and the charm of the places competes with that of a very long history. The signs of which range from nuraghi to vanished cities, castles, splendid churches, and a treasured tradition.
From its basaltic plateau, some 500 meters high, Cuglieri dominates the western slope of Montiferru. It is situated at an average altitude of 479 meters above sea level and its territory, which at 120 square kilometers is the largest in the province of Oristano. State Road 292, which runs through this area, almost creates a boundary between two morphologically differentiated areas: one flat and the other hilly-mountainous. The relationship between the sea and the mountains is very close: from the highest peaks, just ten kilometers away from the coast, the sea is always visible, and on the other hand, the geological events that determined the coastal morphology are closely linked to those of the mountains. The flat area is bordered by the Sea of Sardinia, while the hilly-mountainous area, which stretches over the heights of Montiferru, reaches as far as Monte Urtigu at an elevation of 1050 meters, going on to border the municipalities of Scano Montiferru, Santu Lussurgiu and Seneghe. From the highest peaks of Montiferru, the territory slopes down to the high and rocky coasts of Cabu Nieddu, to the limestone coasts of Santa Caterina and S’Archittu, full of beautiful inlets shaped by water, and to the low and sandy coasts of Is Arenas, now covered by a lush pine forest. The mouths of the Rio Mannu to the north and the Rio Pischinappiu to the south demarcate the approximately 16 kilometers of Cuglieritana coastline. The seaside resorts of Santa Caterina di Pittinuri, S’Archittu and Torre del Pozzo are part of the municipality of Cuglieri. It is easy for the weather to change rapidly in this area, and then a thick fog covers everything, at times swept by gusts of icy wind. The climate is mild, although heavy snow falls in particularly harsh winters.
