Find out more about the Asinara Park

The Island of Asinara has an area of approximately 52 km2 and is the second largest island in Sardinia, after Sant’Antioco.
Its shape is narrow and long, arch-shaped, measuring 17.5×6.14 km.
There are four small groups of hills joined by isthmuses, i.e. long strips of land.
The Cala di Sgombro Isthmus, with its approximately 250 metres, is the narrowest point on the island.

Morphology
The western coast is sloping, characterized by the presence of metamorphic rocks called mica schists. The cliffs, overlooking the sea, are several hundred meters high. The eastern coast, on the other hand, is sinuous, low and full of inlets with small sandy coves. For this reason the Romans gave the island the name Sinuaria (sinuous). The highest peaks are located in the south (Punta Maestra di Fornelli, 265 m.) and in the north (Punta della Scomunica, 408 m.).

Vegetation
The vegetation is made up of the characteristic Mediterranean scrub of north-western Sardinia. Rock Rose, Mastic, Euphorbia and Spiny Broom are some examples. There are approximately 700 botanical species and 30 plant endemism such as Centaurea horrida. A special mention must be given to the marine environment, very well preserved. The Posidonia oceanica meadows extend for around 15 km2.

Fauna
The fauna is also very rich. There are about 50 species of terrestrial vertebrates, including the typical white and grey donkeys, goats, horses, mouflons and wild boars. They all live in the wild. The fish fauna consists of cetaceans, groupers, sea bream and many other species. On Asinara Island there is a single cemented road, approximately 25 km long, along which there are the old Penal Colony structures and the Quarantine Maritime Sanitary Station. Established in 1885, the agricultural penal colony of Asinara was in fact organized into 10 small agro-pastoral villages called branches.
The main ones are Fornelli, Santa Maria, Tumbarino, Stretti, Campu Perdu, Trabuccato and Cala D’Oliva.
The low-risk and semi-free common prisoners carried out any activity necessary for the sustenance and maintenance of the penal colony.