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 A
walk from the black mountains of Montiferru to the Sinis wetlands
and the sea. This is a self-guided point to point hotel based walk
embracing the wild and romantic beauty of Western Sardinia,
through areas of scented Mediterranean maquis, coastal mountains,
abandoned mines and long empty beaches: all to be visited at your
own pace.
Montiferru
is a basaltic area famous for its green forests and the locally
produced red beef celebrated by the Slow Food Movement. The Sinis
is a nature reserve home to thousands of pink flamingo and a
wealth of other birdlife. It is a remarkable example of how low
impact fishing activity can co-exist without damaging the local
environment.
On
the walks you are rewarded with some very dramatic views and
opportunities to explore highlands, lowlands and coastlands. The
route is very quiet - far removed from the busy resorts of the
northeast. The terrain is rugged in parts, with high cliffs
ascending from the coast, interspersed with long white sand
beaches, grass covered dunes and of course breathtaking panoramas
embracing the coast and seaside blues. In
this area we have found some very charming accommodation to make
this tour memorable.
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Season
Any
day is possible from 1st of March to 30th of June
and then from 1st of September to 30th November.
Highlights
· The
Montiferru Mountain range
·
The cliffs of Su Tingiosu
· Sinis wetlands wildlife
· Fishing villages of Putzu Idu and Cabras
· Charming accommodation
Level
of Difficulty
6 walking days:
4 easy stages (mostly
flat)
1 medium stage (mostly flat but long)
1 challenging stage (hilly, mainly downhill)
Maps
& Route Notes
We
provide a booklet and maps.
General
Information
Breakfast:
in countries such as Italy is usually a continental arrangement, with
coffee and toast/croissant / cake.
Some establishments may do more: hams, cheeses, yoghurts and
fruits maybe provided. However if you want more for breakfast then we
would suggest you purchase some food the night before. It is important
for you to tell us if you have any dietary requirements when you book
your holiday so that we can inform everyone that you are staying with.
Single
Supplements: are payable on most of our tours. The single room
supplement guarantees the privacy of your own room, however, rooms can
at times be small and in some places may not enjoy the same facilities
as double/twin rooms. If you are traveling alone solo traveller
supplement will also be applied to cover luggage transfer costs. The
cost of moving 1 bag or 2 bags etc remains the same.
Language:
When traveling in less frequented areas you will not
necessarily come across people speaking English. Remember you have left
home to find things different so carry an Italian phrase book with you.
Luggage:
When staying in hotels, sometimes your luggage will have been taken
to your room awaiting your arrival. However don’t be surprised if your
luggage is waiting for you to take it up to your room.
Accommodation
Note that the descriptions
of overnight stops and the itinerary is the usual schedule of the
holiday, however we do need occasionally need to change places that we
use when our chosen hotels are full. This is particularly the case with
“late” bookings.
We believe that the accommodation is a very important factor of a hiking
tour, therefore we take the greatest care in carefully selecting small
family-run 3* hotels and country lodges with excellent regional cuisine.
In these places we hope it will feel like home.
The following properties have been selected for this tour (confirmation
in these places is subject to availability).
Night
1: SANTULUSSURGIU
In this sleepy little town in the
mountains, we stay in one of a number of linked ‘albergos’ small
guesthouses that form a chain within Santulussurgiu. All are
thoughtfully decorated and reflect something of the history of the
place.
Night
2: SANTA CATERINA DI PITTINURI
Our nice hotel located right on the coast high on a cliff. The beach
itself is not the best on the route (you will see much better beaches
during the tour) but it has a swimming pool, pleasant rooms and an
excellent restaurant. There are also some other excellent beaches nearby
(but not within walking distance). The located is the quiet / peaceful
village of Santa Caterina di Pittinuri, some 116km north of
Cagliari.
Nights
3 & 4: SU PALLOSU
The hotel here has been run by the Carta
family since 1970. located
in the unspoilt Capo Mannu, on the Northern tip of the Sinis peninsula.
Stunning scenery of white, lonely beaches and the turquoise sea give a
real plus to this place.
Night
5: SAN SALVATORE SINIS
Here we stay in a
charming countryside complex located in San Salvatore Sinis, a tiny
village in the heartland of the Sinis peninsula. Its U-shape layout
resembles that of a Spanish hacienda with 14 lovely decorated rooms
surrounding a flourishing garden in the central courtyard.
The hotel has a restaurant and comfortable living room. In the park
outside the hotel, there are even two tennis courts...What a racket!
Nights
6 & 7: CABRAS
Here we stay in a
small villa. This lovely property is located in a restored house in the
centre of the village of Cabras, in the Sinis wetlands. The whole
building has been decorated following traditional building methods local
architecture and the result is really dramatic. Under the same
management, the nearby restaurant ‘Il Caminetto’ is renowned among
locals for its traditional cuisine.
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Flights
British
Airways flights from
London Gatwick direct to Cagliari can be arranged through Sherpa. OR
There are low cost airlines that you can book on the internet yourself
e.g: Easyjet fly daily from
Luton to Cagliari.
Ryanair fly daily to Alghero.
As
Alghero is nearer the start and Cagliari is nearer the finish, you may
want to fly in with Ryanair and back with Easyjet, although bear in mind
that your return airport in the UK will be different to your outbound one!
On
Arrival
The
starting point of the tour is near to the town of Santulussugiu. We can
arrange a dedicated transfer to collect you from the airport and take you
there and then at the end of the tour take you back to your preferred
airport. Private transport from either airport to the start must be
arranged in advance:
Transfer
rates per person (min. 2 persons):
Cagliari
- Santulussurgiu: E 70
Cabras
- Cagliari: E 60
Alghero
– Santulussurgiu: E 55
Cabras
– Alghero: E 80
Itinerary
Day 1:
Transfer or independent arrival at our hotel in Santulussurgiu, welcome
meeting with local representative: explanation of the route, map and route
notes.
Day
2: Santulussurgiu – Santa Caterina di Pittinuri (22/15 km) The route
descends from the village of Santu Lussurgiu, in the Montiferru Moutains,
to Santa Caterina di Pittinuri located right by the sea. Along the way you
will be crossing oak forests, olive groves and passing through quiet
pastures.
Day
3: Santa Caterina di Pittinuri – Su Pallosu (16 km) After the
village of S’Archittu (which owes its name to the popular natural arch
along the nearby coast), we
enter the vast forest of Is Arenas, whose pine trees protect the area from
sand dune erosion. At the end of the forest, we find the Is Benas lagoon,
home to a large colony of Grey
Herons and Pink Flamingos. A beautiful track on the cliff leads us to the
beach of Su Pallosu.
Day
4: Su Pallosu loop (10 km)
Today we walk along the cliffs of Capo Mannu, along to the lighthouse
and the ancient Spanish watchtowers.
After Putzu Idu, a village located on a stretch of coast often frequented
by the strong Mistral wind,
which makes it a popular spot for sailing and surfing, we return to our
hotel in Su Pallosu.
Day
5: Putzu Idu – San Salvatore Sinis (19 km)
The day starts by walking along the amazing cliffs of Su Tingiosu, 6
km of limestone with plenty of bird nests. The cliffs end in the beautiful quartz beaches of Is Aruttas
and Mari Ermi whose sand is made of little grains of quartz quite similar
to rice seeds. In the final part of the day, you move inland, crossing
artichoke and wheat fields to arrive in San Salvatore Sinis, famous for
its church erected over a Roman hypogeum – or underground temple.
Day
6: San Salvatore Sinis – Cabras (11 km)
A pleasant path
leads you out of San Salvatore to Cabras, main town of the Sinis. During
the itinerary you walk along artichoke fields, Vernaccia grape
vineyards, olive groves and past the Cabras
Lagoon, the largest in the area, famous for the grey mullets and above
all its Bottarga, the cured roe
of mullet. Don’t miss the fresh fish, the Bottarga and the Vernaccia
wine.
Day
7: Cabras loop (15 km)
If you are
passionate about birdwatching today is your day! We’ll cross the swamp
of Pauli ‘e Sali, a protected area where an immense number of birds
(some are very rare) usually nest. Sheltered by the canes we can take
beautiful pictures without disturbing them. We go back to the hotel
walking along the lagoon shores.
Day
8: Departure day
Tour ends after
breakfast.
Included
Flights
from the UK (based on full UK package price) 7 nights accommodation in 2-3
star hotels and “Albergos” (guesthouses) ensuite throughout. Bed &
breakfast (usually continental style) only. Baggage transport between
accommodations. Route notes and maps.
Not included
Local
transport arrangements on arrival and departure, all lunches and dinners
personal expenditure such as drinks and admission into museums and
archaeological sites.
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