The traditional "stazzo " La Cerra is a typical Gallurese farmhouse spread over 75 acres of pasture, woods and granite rocks shaped by wind and water, surrounded by Mediterranean shrubs; a true paradise for lovers of nature. It is 13 km away from Tempio, the main town of Gallura region in north -east Sardinia.
The Pesenti family lives at La Cerra and tend to a herd of wild cattle, a small herd of goats and other farm animals, an organic vegetable garden and a fruit orchard. For the last ten years, the family have hosted visitors from all over the world.
Located in the center of a triangle of land that forms the north-east tip of Sardinia, you could quickly reach a wide variety of interesting places for tourist. Our cool plain, situated opposite Mount Limbara (1300 m), is almost equidistant from the main coastal resorts reachable with a network of local roads seldomly used even in high season.
The STAZZO " La Cerra " was purchased in 1981 by my family. I was immediately captivated by this typical Gallurese farm, as well as its aim for self-sufficiency. I have to say that the early years were quite difficult , if we succeeded it was thankfully due to the local farming methods taught to us by our neighbors who have shown us the secrets of this special land so different from Italy .
The "stazzo" was abandoned for several years, with no water or electricity, the house without a roof and most of the fields overgrown with weeds. We worked very hard for the first 20 years restoring the house, reclaiming the fields and the vegetable garden,searching for an underground spring, building the barn and finally we were able to start the typical farm in this area with free range cattle. We have always believed in organic farming .
In 2001, with funding from the European Community for Rural Development we were able to build the holiday farmhouse, a 5 bedrooms building in respect of the local style. In 2009 we added a solar panel system 6.2 KW / h, which gives us self-sufficiency in electricity.
Our restoration and improvement of the natural environment and the rural way of life is very popular with guests, who have the opportunity of spending a few days in complete relaxation surrounded by the silence of nature, but also nourished by a healthy traditional cuisine.
The rooms
All the accommodation are built to duplicate the ancient Stazzo houses.
There are four comfortable double rooms + bathroom with an additional bed if needed and one annex with two double bedrooms and a bathroom
(suitable for families ). Guests can use the large and bright living room which has a fireplace, there is also a large veranda, a library, games,
music and a small exhibition on the extraction of cork. Here guests can enjoy breakfast, prepared with top quality products and our own
products as well as milk, tea and coffee, goat's milk yogurt, jam, honey, apple pie with yogurt or chocolate , cottage cheese and fruit from our
orchard. The main living room is suitable for seminars, meetings and residential courses for small groups.
The kitchen
A short walk from the apartments and you can try out the traditional cuisine of Gallura.
All the dishes, cooked expertly with simplicity, made with the best quality of locally sourced products, form part of a tasty and healthy diet.
From the dining room you can enjoy a wonderful view of the plains. Inside there is a large fireplace for roasting and a typical wood burning
oven to complete the hearty and sociable atmosphere.
The menu
Our menu changes with the seasons,you will always find the typical starters of cured meats and pickles made traditionally in the winter.
Our first courses, all made with fresh dough: Chiusoni ( Sardinian dumplings ), Fiuritti, Puliljioni (ravioli), Zuppa Gallurese, Pan'a fitti.
The meat comes from our live stock. The garden provides organic vegetables for our side dishes and for the vegetarian menu.
Our products
As in any Stazzo Gallurese , at La Cerra the main live stock is the free range cattle. The animals graze freely during the whole year in
enclosures called " Tanche " surrounded by dry stone walls that characterize our landscape.
The pastures are organically grown without the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides or chemicals.
Veterinary care are rare as well bred cattle have a high resistance to disease.
Some of the cattle supplies the meat used in the holiday farm house kitchen.
A few pigs are used for making sausages a few goats for milk, hens, chickens and a vegetable garden grown with the Permaculture method . A
dozen hives ensure the provision of high-quality honey from the Macchia Mediterranea (low Mediterranean shrub land) and the special bitter
honey from the strawberry trees.
The kitchen pantry is additionally stocked with a harvest of the fruits and berries from the surrounding forest as well as mushrooms, wild
asparagus and myrtle berries used in the preparation of our famous "Mirto" liqueur that we offer as a digestive at the end of the meal.
The activities
During your stay you can relax in La Cerra complex or outdoor, if you feel like doing sport, opportunities are available. We can provide all the
necessary equipment for:
Trekking:
We will provide maps and directions for each type of excursion. The farm is at the foot of a vast and uninhabited wilderness, "Sarra Lu Tassu"
also includes Mount Pulchiana which has numerous hiking trails running through the area of great natural beauty and archaeological heritage.
We can also arrange tailor made packages for groups of minimum 8 persons including hiking trails of varying difficulty and length, guide, lunch
and whatever else can be useful to enjoy the natural beauty of Gallura.
Here is an example of a package : Click here to view
Mountain Biking:
we have two professional Mountain Bikes and the traffic-free roads makes the area very interesting for cyclists. In particular, an old railway
track ( Calangianus - Monti) adapted for hiking 30 kilometers surrounded with Gallura cork forest!
Bird - Watching:
The country side around La Cerra is perfect for this activity. We can provide you with a bird watching telescope and show you the bestlocations.