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Borghi FantasmaAn atlas of Italy's abandoned villages

Italy › Sardinia › Gairo Vecchio

Photo of Gairo Vecchio

Photo: Photo taken nearby · trolvag · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Abandoned village · 1950s

Gairo Vecchio

Province of Nuoro, SardiniaOpen to visit

The floods of the early 1950s made the slope of Mount Trunconi unstable, and Gairo was rebuilt higher up, at Gairo Sant'Elena. The old village is still there: houses of granite and schist, little stairways and wrought-iron balconies sliding towards the valley.

Visiting

Before you go

Getting there
In Ogliastra, above the Rio Pardu valley: drive up towards Gairo Sant'Elena and go down to the old village.
The visit
An hour for the village; a full day with the nuragic complex of Perdu Isu and the Serbissi nuraghe.
When to go
Spring and autumn.
Good to know
Some houses are unsafe: do not go inside the buildings.

Practical information gathered from official and local sources on 9 October 2026. Opening times and conditions change: always check before you go.

Plan your visit

Where to stay nearby

Where to stayPlaces to stay near Gairo VecchioHotels, B&Bs and farm stays nearby · Booking.com ↗

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History

Gairo is an Italian comune of 1,268 inhabitants in the province of Ogliastra.

Text: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0 · translated from Italian

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