The marine protected area of Sinis, on the central west coast, is a place of rare beauty and interest. Is Arutas, Mari Ermi and Mai Moni beaches have precious quartz sand, and eco sustainable beach bars and restaurants. There are salt lakes with flamingos and rich birdlife, many varieties of wild flowers, wheat and rice fields. Surfers gather at Capo Mannu, one of the hot spots on the island for the sport, which is also popular for windsurfing, kitesurfing and sailing. Sinis has areas of great historical and archaeological interest, such as Tharros, founded by the Phoenicians around 800 A.D., later a Roman site, and the 5th century church of San Giovanni di Sinis. The hamlet of San Salvatore di Sinis was used in the 1960s as an on-location setting for spaghetti westerns