Things to do in Oristano

Oristano's old centre, watched over by the Torre di Mariano II, comes alive every February or March for the Sartiglia, a masked horseback joust that's been run since at least the 1500s. The city is really the gateway to the Sinis peninsula, though: the Roman-Punic ruins at Tharros sit on a headland with the sea on three sides, and Is Arutas beach is made almost entirely of quartz grains rather than sand — taking any home is illegal and fined. Below are the top-rated tours and day trips.