Sardinia is a region in which time seems to pass more slowly, and where ancient traditions and customs still persist. The “nuraghe,” enigmatic prehistoric constructions, and the ancestral villages sheltered within the mountains of Gennargentu add to the fascination of this island with a thousand faces, always different. The interior is characterized by impervious mountain zones containing wide green valleys covered by scrub, a grassy land with a mixture of myrtle, serpillo, India figs and dwarf oaks. The coast presents an enchantingly splendid sea, bays and isolated inlets, grottoes, very long stretches of white and pink sand. To the northeast the mountains stick out along the Esmeralda coast, the most exclusive area of coastline on the island. Further south the coastline around the Gulf of Orosei is completely virgin. The area of Oristano and the strait of Bocche di Bonifacio are also noteworthy. Other important sites are the Bay of Alghero, the Gulf of Cagliari and Gallura.