Holiday homes in Cala Gonone and Siniscola, open in autumn too
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Autunno in Barbagia 2026 is the Cortes Apertas calendar, the weekends when the villages of the Nuoro area open the courtyards of their historic houses to visitors, and it runs until 13 December. The next stops are Aritzo, Olzai and Ottana on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October, then Desulo on 31 October and 1 November, and Mamoiada from 6 to 8 November.
From September, weekends in Barbagia have a different rhythm: open doors, the smell of woodsmoke and chestnuts, courtyards where you taste cheeses and exchange a few words with the people who make them. The 2026 edition is the 26th and involves 31 villages. It started in Bitti on 5 and 6 September and has already visited, among others, Oliena, Dorgali, Gavoi, Orgosolo and Tonara. Here you will find the stops that remain, meaning the ones you can still plan for, and practical tips from people who live in Sardinia all year round.
Cortes apertas means “open courtyards” in Sardinian. On the days of the event the historic houses of the village open their courtyards, and inside there is a route of food, wine and art: you watch local products, such as cheeses, being made, taste them and buy them directly from the people who produce them.
The first Cortes Apertas was organised by Oliena in 1996. In 2001 the municipalities and the Nuoro Chamber of Commerce decided to join forces and the circuit was born Autumn in Barbagia. Today it is promoted by the Nuoro Chamber of Commerce and its special agency ASPEN, through the official portal cuoredellasardegna.it.
Each village has its own character and its own programme. The dates are the same for everyone, but times, routes and events change from stop to stop and are usually published just before the weekend.
All the dates below come from the official calendar of cuoredellasardegna.it, checked on 21 October 2026.
| Date | Village | Don't miss |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 24 – Sun 25 October | Aritzo | The chestnut and hazelnut festival, Sagra delle castagne e nocciole (54th edition): chestnuts in every form among the woods of the Gennargentu |
| Sat 24 – Sun 25 October | Olzai | Programme on the official website |
| Sat 24 – Sun 25 October | Ottana | Programme on the official website |
| Sat 31 October – Sun 1 November | Desulo | All Saints' long weekend in one of the mountain villages of the circuit |
| Fri 6 – Sun 8 November | Mamoiada | Three days in the village of Cannonau and Granazza |
| Sat 7 – Sun 8 November | Ovodda | Easy to combine with Mamoiada on the same weekend |
| Sat 14 – Sun 15 November | Nuoro | The provincial capital opens its courtyards |
| Sat 14 – Sun 15 November | Tiana | Programme on the official website |
| Sat 14 – Sun 15 November | Ollolai | Programme on the official website |
| Sat 21 – Sun 22 November | Atzara | The only stop of the weekend |
| Sat 28 – Sun 29 November | Gadoni | Programme on the official website |
| Sat 28 – Sun 29 November | Oniferi | Programme on the official website |
| Sun 6 – Tue 8 December | Fonni | Three days over the Immaculate Conception long weekend |
| Sat 12 – Sun 13 December | Ortueri | End of the season |
| Sat 12 – Sun 13 December | Orune | End of the season |
| Sat 12 – Sun 13 December | Seulo | End of the season |
Aritzo, 24–25 October. It is the first usable weekend for anyone reading today. The official pages describe a land of chestnut and hazel trees, whose wood also feeds local crafts, and the Aritzo festival reaches its 54th edition. The detailed programme usually appears on the festival's Facebook page.
Mamoiada, 6–8 November. Mamoiada is known for the Mamuthones and the Issohadores, but be careful: they are Carnival masks and their traditional appearance is tied to Sant'Antonio Abate in mid-January. The official page for the stop does not say whether there will be parades in November, so do not take them for granted. In November people come mainly for the wine, because Cannonau and Granazza are grown here.
Without a car you cannot get around Barbagia, and we say so plainly. The “Mobility” page of the official site refers to the Sardegna Mobilità Travel Planner for public transport and does not announce dedicated shuttles . Buses exist, but at weekends the timetables are limited and are not designed for anyone who wants to visit three or four villages in a day. Before setting off, check the programme of the individual village: if there are shuttles or outside car parks, they are usually listed there.
The roads are mountain roads: bends, changes in elevation, sometimes fog or rain at altitude, and in late autumn even ice in the morning in the higher villages such as Fonni and Desulo. Always allow a margin. The times below apply in normal conditions, without counting the approach into the village on festival days:
In October, on the coast, at midday you can still wear a T-shirt. In the villages, at 800–1,000 metres, the evenings are properly cold. Dress in layers and bring a waterproof jacket and comfortable shoes with a good sole: the old town centres have slopes, steps and paving that gets slippery in the damp.
Each village publishes its own programme. The liveliest moment is generally the Saturday and Sunday afternoons, when more people arrive. Two practical tips:
The most sought-after weekends are the ones with a long weekend, namely Mamoiada (6–8 November) and Fonni (6–8 December), and the ones with more villages on the same weekend. Anyone who wants to stay in the area needs to move early.
If you arrive from the mainland by ship, Grimaldi Lines is a partner of the event and offers a discount for the Autunno in Barbagia period on the Civitavecchia–Porto Torres route too. Conditions and dates are on their website.
To experience Barbagia in autumn without giving up the sea, Cala Gonone is the base we recommend to our guests. In about an hour you head up towards Nuoro, Oliena, Orgosolo and Mamoiada. The next morning you come back down to the Gulf of Orosei for a stroll along the seafront, with a milder climate than in the mountain villages. They are two different Sardinias in the same weekend. If you prefer the sea at Siniscola and Santa Lucia, we have houses open in autumn there too: on the SS131 DCN, Nuoro is about 40–45 minutes away.
From Porto Torres and Alghero, that is from the north-west, Barbagia is further away: to Nuoro you need roughly at least an hour and a half or two hours each way, and more for the Gennargentu stops. You can do it in a day, but for a Cortes Apertas weekend done properly we recommend staying on the eastern side.
Our houses in Cala Gonone can be booked directly on our website, with no middlemen. By booking direct you save up to 15% and you talk to people who have known the area since 2011.
In autumn we keep the air-conditioned houses open: here are the ones we recommend on the Gulf of Orosei.
On 13 December 2026, with the final stops at Ortueri, Orune and Seulo.
Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 October in Aritzo, Olzai and Ottana. Then Desulo on 31 October and 1 November.
As a rule you can enter the village and the courtyards freely, while tastings and products are paid for. Conditions do change from village to village, though: check the programme of the individual stop.
The official site does not announce dedicated shuttles and refers to the regional Travel Planner for public transport. The car remains the most practical choice.
It is not guaranteed. They are Carnival masks and the official page for the stop does not announce their appearance. Check the programme just before the weekend.
Yes, but there and back it is several hours by car. To enjoy it properly it is better to sleep closer, for example in Cala Gonone.
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