Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean, suspended in the blue waters between Corsica and Sicily. In some ways there is no place in Italy that is less Italian than Sardinia. The island’s nearly pristine natural beauty has been sculpted by the wind rather than the chisel. Their cuisine is full of flavours nearly forgotten elsewhere. Their greatest monuments are bare stone megaliths, a secret prehistoric network that binds the island together from north to south.
The Walks
The walks on this tour are as varied as Sardinia itself: including a guided morning walk through Cagliari’s old town; spectacular walks along the island’s peerless coastline; walks in the mountains with breath-taking views of the interior and a forest walk to find the ruins of a Pheonician temple. They are from 10 to 14 kilometres long, taking 3 to 5 hours, and follow good trails over mostly undulating terrain. In some cases it is possible to shorten the walk or to opt out and join the walkers for lunch.
ITINERARY
DAY 1
Our exploration of Sardinia starts with two nights in the capital Cagliari, a buzzy but relaxed port that DH Lawrence likened to Jerusalem, “a strange and rather wonderful city”. We stay in a classic 4-star hotel on the edge of the old town, a short walk from the harbour and the castle. Dinner will be at a fine seafood restaurant nearby. (Dinner)
DAY 2
We will be taken on a guided walk through the historical centre of Cagliari, including a visit to its extraordinary archaeological museum and finishing with a light lunch on the bastions with spectacular views over the city and the surrounding coast. The evening is free. (Lunch)
DAY 3
Today we drive south, past lagoons filled with pink flamingos, around some of the most pristine and beautiful coastline in Europe. On the way we will stop for a lovely walk along the coast, picking up tracts of a Roman road before finishing at a beach classified as one of the ten best beaches on the island. (5 kms, 1.5 hrs, Grade 1)
After lunch, we then continue on to the southern tip of Sardinia, taking a short hop by ferry to a very small island, staying in a lovely harbour side town (virtually car-free), our base for the next four nights. After settling into our hotel, the evening is free to explore what I feel is one of the most pleasant Italian towns I have been to in years. (Lunch)
DAY 4
This morning we walk from the village across the northern tip island, following a winding trail that takes us down to a tiny bay. (8 kms, 2 hrs, Grade 1). On our way back to town, we have lunch followed by a wine tasting at the only winery on the island. After lunch, you’ll have the option of continuing back to town on foot or getting a lift. (8 kms 2 hrs, Grade 1). In the evening we will have an alfresco dinner at the town’s best restaurant. (Lunch/dinner)
DAY 5
This morning we take a ferry back to the mainland then a spectacular drive above the south-western cliffs. We take a walk following an undulating loop walk which takes us out through a narrow valley and then back following a ridge before descending to the well-preserved remains of a Phoenician/Roman temple, standing alone in a green valley. (12 kms, 3.5 hrs, Grade 3) After a picnic lunch, we’ll head back to our base, where the evening is free. (Lunch)
DAY 6
Today we leave the island, cross back to the mainland and drive across the plains to visit one of the most extraordinary Bronze Age sites in Sardinia, a 4000 year-old citadel recently added to UNESCO’s World Heritage list.
From here we drive up through the spectacular Gennargentu Mountains, stopping for lunch, before crossing through the Supramonte, a rugged range of limestone mountains which until 20 years ago were Sardinia’s ‘badlands’, an infamous hideout for the islands now extinct bandits. We will stay for the next four days in one of Sardinia’s most celebrated hotel, a 60-year country house in the heart of the walking country. Dinner is at our base. (Lunch/dinner)
DAY 7
Today we will be picked up from the hotel by two jeeps by local guide Fabrizio and his colleagues and driven up to the mountains above the town, the Supramonte, which is the north tip of the Gennargentu range. Starting at 1200 metres, we will walk to the highest peak Punta Corrasi, 1463 metres, to enjoy the spectacular views over half of Sardinia, where we’ll have a delicious picnic lunch of local produce, before heading back to the base. (6 kms, 3 hrs, Grade 2, it is possible to shorten this walk). (Lunch/dinner)
DAY 8
Today we get back into two jeeps with Fabrizio for a remarkable day exploring the heartland of Sardinia: rugged mountains, isolated villages and ancient traditions. This will include visits to the famous murals of Orgosolo (a bandit stronghold not that long ago); lunch with some local shepherds and a visit to fascinating local museum. (Lunch/dinner)
DAY 9
This morning Fabrizio will take us on one of the area’s classic walks heading up a long valley behind our hotel, before climbing up to Mt Tiscali, a ridge where the remains of two prehistoric settlements are hidden in a huge limestone cavern – a completely stunning and unexpected sight. (6.5 kms, 3 hrs, Grade 3) – there is a less challenging option, walking through forest on the floor of the valley. After a barbeque lunch, we’ll head back to our hotel, time for a swim in the pool. (Lunch/dinner)
DAY 10
This morning we leave the mountains behind us and head north to one of the most celebrated bits of coastline in Europe, the Costa Smeralda, which has been a ‘jetset’ destination since it was developed by the Aga Khan in the 1960s, driving to our base for the next three days, a lovely resort on a quiet bay overlooking the coast. Dinner will be at the hotel’s terrace restaurant. (Dinner).
DAY 11
Today we visit the nieghbouring Costa Smeralda, taking a loop walk that starts and finishes at a lovely village, the oldest in the area. The walk takes us through oak forest, under granite towers, with breath-taking views over the coast (6 kms, 2.5 hrs, Grade 2). After lunch we return to our base. Dinner is at the hotel.
DAY 12
As a finale, we will enjoy a day relaxing on the hotel’s two yachts, crossing the bay to explore the small archipelago that makes up the northern tip of Sardinia, including visiting an exquisite small bay with a beautiful beach that the locals nickname ‘Jamaica’ for its transparent water and brilliant white sand. After a quick dip, lunch will be served on board. In the evening we will have dinner at the hotel’s nearby agriturismo. (Lunch/dinner)
DAY 13
After breakfast, we’ll transfer you to nearby Olbia an hour’s drive away which has an airport (arriving at 10.00) and a port with ferries back to mainland Italy: to Genoa, La Spezia, Livorno (Tuscany) and Civitavecchia (Rome).
28th April – 10th of May 2023