If you want to immerse yourself in local maritime traditions, you absolutely must visit the MuMA — Museum of the Sea and Shipwrights. A hidden gem that holds the secrets of shipbuilding, where you can discover the art of the Master Shipwrights: artisans who can read the wood, shape it, and transform it into unique boats—authentic works of art crafted by human hands. You can witness firsthand a living tradition, carried on by small family-run businesses dedicated to building flat-bottomed boats such as su ciu, used for fishing in the lagoon, as well as fishing boats and lateen-sail vessels. And you’ll discover that fishing on the island is still practiced today using ancient methods, passed down from generation to generation.
The MuMA is also home to the CEAS Isola di Sant’Antioco, the Center for Environmental Education on Sustainability, which features a section dedicated to the biodiversity of the sea and the lagoon: an invitation to learn about and preserve the ecosystems that make this area unique in the Mediterranean.
On the upper floor, you’ll find a room dedicated to Sardinia’s lighthouses and the Sant’Antioco Salt Pans, featuring exhibits that guide you on a journey into the world of salt, which remains a thriving industry today thanks to the Sant’Antioco Salt Pans managed by Atisale. The new community map of the saltworks brings together a heritage of people, nature, traditions, and ingenuity: a collective treasure to be preserved and passed on.
Thanks to the project Le Guide del Sale you can book a guided tour of the salt flats and immerse yourself in a landscape where biodiversity, culture, and production come together in a unique way.
Once you’ve visited the MuMA, your stroll along the waterfront will take on a whole new meaning: you’ll look at the boats on the lagoon with fresh eyes, aware of the history behind every wooden vessel. And you’ll carry with you the secrets of “white gold”—the salt we all use in the kitchen—and of the salt workers who still cultivate the sea today.
Group tours of the MuMA are available year-round by reservation: please contact us to schedule your tour.
From November through March, tours are available by reservation only.
