Walking Sardinia

We depart for Sardinia via Munich.

We arrive and transfer to our hotel in Palau for a 3-night stay. The rest of the day is free until our Welcome Dinner.

For our first walk, we take in the idyllic town and surroundings of San Pantaleo, nestled between imposing granite mountains, set above the famous Costa Smeralda. This rustic town was on the Roman road that led from Olbia to Santa Teresa di Gallura, and to the ports of the Gulf of Asinara. There will be time to explore the town with its bohemian vibe, artsy shops and cafes. This afternoon we’ll discover the fascinating Giant’s Tombs Coddu Ecchiu - a Sardinian megalithic gallery grave built during the Bronze Age.

We head to Aggius for a trek in the famous Moon Valley, a quiet place far from the main roads. The landscape includes mountains and plateaus of various shapes, colossal granite boulders and jagged granite peaks. In the afternoon we’ll visit the town of Tempio Pausania before returning to the hotel.

We travel to Costa Paradiso, and walk on a trail rich in the colours and scents of Mediterranean maquis, with nearby pink granite walls. The path runs by enchanting hidden coves with crystal clear waters, beautiful white sand beaches and offers amazing panoramic views. We continue by coach to Castelsardo to visit this town perched on a plateau facing the sea, and then to one of Sardinia’s most beautiful medieval cities - Alghero, our home for the next four nights.

We visit the natural oasis of Punta Giglio - a limestone promontory which encloses the Bay of Porto Conte. This area, which boasts numerous lily plants in the springtime, is a Marine Protected Area. Because of its strategic position, it was an important anti-aircraft base during WWII, and structures like barracks, anti-aircraft platforms and arms storage still exist (built of local limestone and camouflaged from the view from the sea). After a tasty lunch at a local farm, we’ll head back to Alghero for our walking tour. We’ll discover its old centre with narrow cobblestoned lanes, impressive Gothic buildings and many coral shops. This evening we are free to discover the many restaurant options in this town.

Today we discover the Limestone Cap of Capo Caccia facing the Gulf of Alghero. The trail follows the edge of the cliff overlooking the sea. Walking along this "limestone giant", we'll reach 200 meters above sea level, for unique panoramas of the Foradada Islands and the Bay of Porto Conte. At the Capo Caccia Lighthouse, we’ll begin to descend towards the sea. Following an ancient path, we'll reach one of the 16th century Spanish defensive towers. Later, we’ll visit the Neptune Caves.

We explore one of Sardinia’s hidden treasures - Argentiera Mines, an abandoned mining village where miners once extracted lead, silver and zinc, set in a very scenic area overlooking 2 amazing beaches with transparent waters. Later we visit a wine cellar and enjoy a tasting of some of the great wines produced in this region. Afternoon at leisure in Alghero.

We depart for Cagliari with a stop en route at the basalt Plateau of the Giara to admire the scenery and the unique Sardinian wild horses. We’ll enjoy an easy walk through the Giara Plateau and enjoy a typical Sardinian snack. Later we’ll visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Su Nuraxi di Barumini - an ancient megalithic building found only in Sardinia. Today it has become the symbol of Sardinia and its distinctive ancient culture. More than 7,000 nuraghi have been found on the island. We continue to the Sardinian Capital of Cagliari, for a 4-night stay.

We travel to the Regional Park of Sette Fratelli - one of Sardinia’s largest natural parks, with 7 mountain peaks. The stunning landscapes here include dense forests, steep cliffs, canyons, towers of pink granite rock, a lagoon coloured coastline, unique flora and rare wildlife. The park is home to many Sardinian deer., as well as wild boars, golden eagles and rare Sardinian goshawk. Later we’ll explore the old part of Cagliari on foot. The medieval quarter has mighty walls that surround the Castle, imposing towers, the Bastion of Saint Remy, the old port, a Cathedral and narrow alleys. There is also a Royal Palace, the Museum of the Citadel, antique shops and artisans.

We visit the beautiful Capo Spartivento, whose granite promontory reaches 66 meters. From here there are amazing views of beaches, the rocks called “The Pavilions” and the Isola Ferraglione. A dirt road will lead us to an ancient lighthouse that illuminated the way for sailors for over 160 years. This evening is free to further explore the marvellous waterfront town of Cagliari.

We discover the Oasis Monte Arcosu - the largest WWF reserve in Italy, with almost 4000 hectares of forest, where the Sardinian deer roams undisturbed. We enjoy an easy trek here, and tonight is our Farewell Dinner.

The day is free, until our late afternoon flight to Frankfurt, where we will overnight.

We fly back to Canada.