Travellers Tales: Superb Sardinia

So after a busy fortnight in areas often without coverage there is quite a lot to catch up on so bear with....

The aire at Genuri served us very well although a walk on the Saturday evening saw us caught out by a bout of heavy rain just after we'd seen an impressive rock carving on a farm entrance. However Sunday was much brighter and we set off to ride over the Giara di Gestui limestone plateau that rose to the north. However despite a local prohibition the hunters were up there so we dropped back down and circumnavigated the upland mass via quiet roads and gravel tracks stopping for coffee at Nuragus before cutting across from Barumini to the mediaeval castle of Las Plassas perched atop a perfectly conical hill overlooking an attractive church.

After using the aire facilities which were well designed and functioned perfectly for a couple of euros we headed through the hills to Laconia for parking in the centre of town. We met a lovely British/Danish couple who advised us that the market the following morning would require us moving off early so we decided to relocate to the old station above town and parked under a large oak tree. Laconia had a remarkable park and formal garden laid out around the ruined Aymerich castle where a large open cave gave us the chance to watch a lesser horseshoe bat hanging around. The old station which still sees the summer narrow gauge tourist trains provided a very quiet overnight and as Sardinia has a number of these outfits which I doubt will run for much longer as many other rural lines have closed I am inspired to return in September 2026 for a few weeks enjoying all of them.

The market was a modest but entertaining affair and we bought a few bits and bobs before visiting the hugely impressive menhirs museum and then picking up a whole cooked chicken to scoff in the warm sunshine.

Up at Sorgono, the terminus of the railway, we spotted the old turntable and a remarkably rusted out old loco before a quick shop and a move on to Fonni from Tonnara only to find the direct road closed due to a bridge replacement.

As it turned out this was fortunate as whilst taking the longer detour we spotted a road up to the small and long since disused ski lift beneath Sardinia's highest peaks. We parked near a small agriturismo for the night which at -6 was the coldest for a while and the following morning drove as far as the end of the road beneath snow clad summits and ridges. We packed for a day in the mountains and began a steady walk up to the snow line and then along a ridge to the ski lift's top station which was clearly unlikely to operate again. A cafe remained half finished but it's terrace offered superb views in all directions. We followed the ridge west and then dropped to a col before the final climb over some large sections of snow to reach a summit with a large cross that we then realised was actually a few hundred yards from the true summit Punta La Marmora (6013') where we had lunch in warm sunshine as the cold wind had dropped. Dropping back we enjoyed some bum sledging and then took an alternative route back on the west side of Punta Paulinus to stay in the sun with a magical stop by a small stream before finally returning to the van after eight memorable hours. The location was perfectly aligned for the morning sun after which we dropped to Fonni which sported some beautiful murals and a very moving statue of the Virgin Mary in the chapel attached to the convent.

Marmoida hosted a fascinating museum devoted to the local masks festival that begins in March and has extended its remit to include similar masked festivals from across Europe and even featured English Morris Men : it was remarkable to see the similarities between countries thousands of miles apart. A chance discovery of a small restaurant tucked away in a courtyard led to an excellent lunch of local specialities before we called in on the church we had parked by which had stunning modern stained glass windows.

Orgosolo is renowned for its murals which are largely political and date back to the 60's but I will remember it for a nightmare maze of narrow streets, double parking and tight right hand bends on steep slopes that in any thing larger than this would have been impossible. The possible overnight in a scruffy parking lot adjacent to the cemetery didn't appeal so we headed out of town to park by a picnic area on a flat plateau just as herds of sheep and cattle were responding to the farmer's calling. It was a remarkable sight augmented by the bells and bellows and a few pigs adding to the flow whilst the grazing horses seemed content to stay longer as the sun set.

We returned briefly to Orgosolo to use the launderette filling the waiting time in a small cafe kept immaculately by its proud young owner.

Picking up a section of motorway briefly we then turned up in to the hills once more and spotted a place for lunch alongside a hunters bothy where the very strong winds soon had our bedding dry.

The hut would be a cosy retreat in winter with it's corner log fire and had panoramic views from all sides. Twisty mountain roads took us through Ussassai and Seui to Sadali where the village provided an aire. A young Italian couple had just arrived and phoned the caretaker so in due course we were pitched up and plugged in for a very reasonable ten euros a night. If villages provide working facilities for a reasonable price then I feel vanners should use them and here particularly the provision of good bins and recycling was much appreciated.

The caretaker was also a guide for the nearby Grotte de Janas and said there was a tour at midday next day so after a quiet night we walked through the 'village of water' to admire the old mill, various fonts and a large sinkhole before heading out to the cave after making use of the service facilities.

The hour long tour was excellent with the cave sporting some huge formations and although the tour was in Italian a friendly girl took the time to explain much of the commentary to us. After the cave we walked down in to the gorge to admire a huge resurgence pouring out of a fissure in the rock face.

Down at Lanusei the planned park up beside the hospital was just a layby on a busy road so we dropped to the coast stopping for a while at the very moving abandoned village of Gairo Vieillo which had been threatened by landslides and torrential floods. We pulled up at an approved spot alongside the Eurospar supermarket in Tortoli which was far better than it sounds.... Two larger vans turned their noses up at it but we enjoyed a walk in to the large town on a lively Saturday night and found an excellent restaurant with a friendly waitress fluent in French, English and Italian who was originally from near Paris.

On the Sunday as our final week began we walked the picture perfect beach of Santa Maria Navaresse before heading north on the mountain road passing through numerous concrete galleries that protected the route from rockfalls. A panoramic viewpoint allowed us to look back over to the snowy peaks we had recently climbed and by early afternoon we were taking a rough track up to the Lanaittu Valley to a spot described on P4N as a park up. The small clearing in amongst shrubs and trees had no services and was provided free of charge apparently by Salvatore (who we never even saw) as he wants people to enjoy the area. A young German couple were parked up well away but otherwise we had the place to ourselves and felt it was OK to get the table and chairs out for a few hours of warm sunshine. When this disappeared behind the ridge we walked back along the track to look at a few caves and then dropped drop down to a remarkable resurgence that has been dye traced to the Sorgentu cave high in the hills with the water taking a month to flow through indicating a substantial system. On our return we were surprised at the number of vehicles coming out of the valley around sunset but it soon turned quiet and we had a comfortable night, initially with the door open to experience a superb night sky.

The following day (Monday) we were away on the bikes to ride a few miles up the valley, stash them amongst the trees and then begin the steady hike up to the Tiscali Nuraghe with views across to neighbouring limestone ridges and peaks and back along the Lanaittu valley. The walk became steeper and twisted through limestone outcrops, stunted juniper and then turned sharply through a narrow cleft in a huge split rock. Beyond that a curved raised beach led us to a final scramble amongst the rocks and the astounding site of a 5,000 year old Nuraghe village built in the shelter of a huge sinkhole and cave. The caretaker makes this unique commute every day and was obviously surprised to see us there so early, the bikes having saved us a ninety minute walk, he leaves his 4x4 near where we had locked the bikes. Fortunately for us the sun was just right to illuminate the site where over a hundred stone huts had been built in this sheltered and secure spot although only a few, and one in particular, remain in any substantive form. We enjoyed a good hour there and decided we had the time, energy, food and water to continue on quite a demanding path around the rest of the Tiscali mountain. My downloaded and therefore available offline Mapy.cz showed the route accurately and returned us to the start of the descent adjacent to the cliff fissure. It was great to have the bikes for the final ride home where a Brit had arrived but otherwise the place was empty. After another peaceful night we followed the path Salve had made out to a panoramic viewpoint over the gorge before heading off and filling with water at a tap by the resurgence.

Heading away reluctantly but promising ourselves to return we left Salvatore a note of thanks and 20 euros and took quiet roads north towards Bitti and Budduso. Sardinia has over 7,000 recorded Nuraghe sites with a good many found around Bitti and Budduso so we were tempted by a sign to Romanezsu to go and have a look. As we arrived at lunchtime we enjoyed ours in the sunny car park before going in and meeting the friendly caretaker who was, judging by the visitor book, not hugely overworked.

Given that to us this was one of the most remarkable, moving and impressive sights we have seen this was surprising and we were totally captivated by the couple of acres of hut ruins complete with original horseshoe shaped seating, meeting huts with stone benches around the walls and a central hearth, a stunning sacred well and bathing area with tiered seating and two temples with concentric walls and well defined recesses for offerings and the like. Many more acres remain to be excavated but for now the peaceful setting amongst cork oaks with numerous lizards scurrying over the warm rocks has become one of many great memories from this remarkable island. Two T shirts were bought as reminders of the place and we headed off to park up by another impressive Nuraghe structure Nuraghe Noelle. This was fully accessible and had yet more panoramic views and although overnight stays are OK I had my eye on an alternative just ten minutes away. This was an old grassed over quarry with its broad ledge reached through a tight gap between two rocks that would exclude wider vans and offered expansive views over the Lago des Canales reservoir south to the mountains around Tiscali. Goat and sheep bells were the only sound as the sun set and we woke to another hot sun after a very quiet night.

Still heading north we turned off for a long climb up to the numerous masts and towers draped over Punta Balistreri where we had lunch and took a walk amongst the weather sculpted granite outcrops before dropping to Tempo Pausiana for coffee in the square. Carnival preparations were under way and a guy was happily attaching banners and a smiling mannequin from a cherry picker right above our heads.

We arrived at an aire on the north coast and met the owner just as she was going out who said just to park anywhere so we chose a flat spot giving the other occupant, a friendly German guy, plenty of room as we didn't want hook up - he had electric bikes so I guess needed it and we took a quick look at the quirky outdoor shower before returning to the van for warm ones. The following day we called at the house to pay and were slightly irritated that they said their water wasn't potable although down at the service area it didn't seem too bad so we filled up anyway and dumped the loo in a huge tank stood alongside and presumably emptied by whoever deals with the house cesspit.

Detouring out to Capo Testro we walked out to more amazing sculpted granite outcrops with the limestone cliffs of Bonnifacio over on Corsica just a few miles away and then across to the lighthouse and semaphore house.

Thus on a Thursday afternoon we reached Palau which is mainly centred on the ferry service over to the island of Maddalena part of the eponymous archipelago of 7 larger islands and numerous smaller ones which make up a Nature Reserve. Two ferries provide a half hourly service all year round (and even hourly through the night) and there is a large marina alongside where after a couple of false starts and two narrow roads we were able to park. It was very quiet at this time of year but would be heaving in the season as the whole area has many holiday villas and resorts which are low key in design but still quite intrusive.

Saturday saw us catching the ferry for the twenty minutes journey to Maddalena town, we felt sorry for a French lady who had picked up a puncture on the boat but at least there was a bike shop opposite the arrival point.

We had a quick coffee and a donut in a cafe, noting the higher price of a resort establishment before taking various almost deserted roads to circle right round the island stopping at beautiful coves and beaches en route. Should we return as planned we would definitely revisit some of these for swimming when the water is still warm.

A bridge and causeway took us across to the smaller island of Caprese where we ended up at a small hamlet by a quiet pier. The road out to the most easterly point was about to be closed for some hunting so we turned back, spotted and indeed smelt some large horned goats and were back to Maddalena bang on time for the 6pm ferry.

Yesterday we cycled around the coast passing some lovely bays with crystal clear waters but the car parks were spoilt by endless fly tipping.... The restrictions and fines on campers really annoy me as clearly most of this was domestic and construction waste and if vans were allowed to overnight I think some of the issues might be resolved. There are plenty of local police and environmental police driving around but unless they get out and actually look the problem seems unrecognised. Ironically I fear this may just be good conditioning for my onwards travels through Turkey from what I hear.

Cannigione was a smart enough marina with a coast guard look out, million dollar boats and a friendly cafe that set us up for a return through the hills to the coast and back to Palau for our final night on Sardinia.

Today has been composing this humble offering before we head off to Olbia for the overnight ferry to Civitaveccia from where we head to Rome for three days, a return home for Mandy on Thursday and a whizz to Brindisi for my ferry to Greece on Saturday!