Next to the first weir on the Flumendosa, the river with the highest flow rate in Sardinia, there is a large lake reflecting shades of blue, surrounded by archaeological legacies, ‘ghost’ villages and breathtaking landscapes. Bau Muggeris was originally the name of a gorge, where, according to tradition, the muggeris, meaning the women of the village of Villagrande Strisaili – in the area of which the reservoir is located - went to do their household washing. Today, it is the name of a dam, which was built, and of the artificial basin that emerged following its construction, which took place between 1928 and 1949. The first construction projects date back to 1915 but, shortly after the work began, it came to a sudden halt, when funds were redirected towards coal mining in Sulcis. Three power stations were built downstream, exactly at the ‘cascades’ in the river, which could produce up to 130 million kilowatts/hour at full capacity, equal to about one third of the electricity produced in the entire Italian peninsula in mid-20th century.

The ENEL (National Electricity Board) village also emerged next to the power station at the first ‘cascade’: as well as housing for the workers, it was equipped with a school, a shop, warehouses and a children’s camp. It was abandoned at the beginning of the twenty-first century, following the progressive automation of the power station. Today it is a ghost village, where vegetation has regained the upper hand and where flocks venture out to graze from time to time. In addition to providing power to the power stations, the basin of Bau Muggeris – with its 63 million cubic metres of water - guarantees an essential water supply for agricultural and drinking purposes and prevents the overflowing of torrential rivers in the area, which flow into the reservoir. The lake is rich in fish fauna: carp, pike, eels and above all trout. Three species can be identified, of which two were artificially introduced and one is a native species, the macrostigma sarda, the subject of recent protection interventions to avoid its extinction. You will be able to follow paths suitable for trekking and mountain biking around the shores of the lake, alongside the inlets, enjoying splendid views of the Gennargentu massif and the Buttes of Ogliastra.

A short distance from the ENEL village, you can also admire the remains of the nuraghe su Chiai and the Giants’ Tomb of sa Conca ‘e Pira Onne. Among the waterways that flow into the lake, there is also Bau Mela, ‘creator’, a few kilometres further north, of a spectacular show of nature: the natural pools of Bau Mela.