In the heart of Gallura, just a few kilometres from the village of Aggius, lies one of Sardinia’s most fascinating and unusual landscapes: the Valley of the Moon, also known as Piana dei Grandi Massi, in the area of Li Parisi. Here, over thousands of years, nature has sculpted a veritable open-air museum, where enormous blocks of granite, shaped by the elements, take on spectacular forms reminiscent of human figures, animals and lunar landscapes.

These gigantic granite boulders, dating back to the Quaternary ice ages, have been smoothed by wind and water erosion to create a unique landscape, characterised by rounded rocks, tafoni and deep natural cavities. The silence that envelops the valley and the almost surreal appearance of its rock formations make this place an ideal destination for those who love hiking, photography and unspoilt landscapes.

The Valley of the Moon also preserves important evidence of human presence dating back to prehistoric times. Natural shelters, caves and caverns were used in the Neolithic period as dwellings, places of worship and burial sites, whilst in more recent times they provided shelter for shepherds during transhumance. Megalithic circles attributed to the Arzachena Culture have been identified in the area, along with the remains of the pre-Nuragic villages of Boda and Li Parisi – evidence that tells a millennia-old story deeply rooted in this land.

Among the valley’s most important archaeological monuments is the Nuraghe Izzana, one of Sardinia’s best-preserved nuragic complexes. Situated in the village of Finosa, it is striking for its imposing size, its characteristic triangular base and its large inner chamber covered by a spectacular tholos, a masterpiece of nuragic architecture.

Visiting the Valley of the Moon means immersing yourself in a landscape where geology, archaeology and nature coexist harmoniously. It is a place that recounts millions of years of Earth’s history and thousands of years of human presence, offering a unique experience amidst monumental rocks, profound silence and panoramas that seem to belong to another planet.