Roccia dell'Elefante (Elephant Rock)

A volcanic boulder shaped like an elephant, with two Neolithic tombs carved inside it

About 4 km south of Castelsardo on the road toward Sassari, a large boulder of volcanic trachyte eroded into the unmistakable shape of an elephant rises from the roadside scrubland. The natural rock formation is striking enough on its own, but more interesting are the two Neolithic burial chambers carved into its base — domus de janas, the Sardinian term for the prehistoric rock-cut tombs found across the island.

The tombs are small and you can see the carved chambers without entering them. The site is signposted from the road and requires only a short walk. Given its proximity to Castelsardo, it is easy to combine with a town visit on the way to or from Sassari.

things to do sight
A story
The two tombs inside the Elephant Rock are domus de janas — literally "houses of fairies" in Sardinian, though they are in reality Neolithic burial chambers carved into rock between 4000 and 2700 BC. The Sardinian name reflects a folk belief that the mysterious carved chambers were made by supernatural small people. Sardinia has more than 2,500 known domus de janas; the ones at Elephant Rock are among the most accessible.