If the marvelous beaches and azure waters of Sardinia are reason enough to plan a trip, once you’re there, take some time to explore the region’s inner area, and especially Barbagia, where you’ll find the heart and soul of this magical island. Barbagia is a vast mountainous region of central Sardinia (province of Nuoro), extending alongside the Gennargentu massif and other lower peaks.

It is one of the least populated areas in Europe, dotted with tiny villages, where Sardinian language and its internal varieties are still spoken on an everyday basis, and cultural traditions persist. Examples include the Carnival masks known as Mamuthones, Thurpos and Merdules, whose origins go back to pagan fertility rites; the costumes are made with sheepskin and cowbells and the masks depict deformed or animal faces, to symbolize the contrast between good and evil; and the cantu a tenòre, a style of folk singing deriving from shepherds who used to gather and sing when they were away from home in the winter