Giara di Gesturi

The giare are basalt plateaus that rise unexpectedly from the plain of the country, as huge natural fortresses.
Gesturi's Giara (in Sardinia language Sa jara manna) is the bigger: a plateau of 45skm rising up to about 600m. The plateau has an echo-system entirely different from the one of the surrounding country, with very many species endemic and autochthonous.
Little lakes no so deep are spread in the light depressions of the basalt crust and at spring get covered by the flowers of small water plants. The vegetation is characterised by more or less thick cork oaks woods, that never reach a considerable dimension because of the scarce water and the strong winter winds. Under the oaks a thick grass grows between the rocks.
In this environment flourishes unique variety of little horses, that someone says to be one of the very last wild herd in Europe, someone else says that they are the ultimate descendants of the ones brought in Sardinia by Phoenicians 2500 years ago. They are small (1,20m at wither), dark hard-coated and with a determined gaze. They live in herds of 7-8 specimens and are totally about 500.
They consider Gesturi's Giara their natural home and never leave it for any motive, even though nothing would prevent them from going down to the valley.
Along Gesturi's Giara perimeter rise 24 nuraghes, so that many archaeologists suppose this must have been the last bulwark of ancient Sardinia's peoples against the Phoenicians conquerors.