The Gutturu Xeu Gorge A naturalistic trail, along the Gutturu Xeu gorge, where you will discover the historical roots of Iglesias among the harsh limestone rocks of the Marganai, massive megalithic walls, remains of a sacred nuragic well and a sanctuary cave. Route by Car Departure from Carraras, easily reachable from the centre of Iglesias. From the Rimembranze park (opposite the cemetery) take the road that passes to the left of the Valverde church, keep to the right and go straight on. Go past two school buildings, a nursery school and a secondary school (Ragioneria e Geometri), follow the main road. Turn left at the second crossroads (asphalted), just before you will see a small farm. Go up, past a water tower, come back down and go straight on. After about 1km the road rises slightly, on the crossing there is a clearing and an entrance on the right closed with a chain (ST). Trail on foot (ST) At about 200m from the chain on a small hill on the left you will notice some scattered ruins. At the top you can make out the presence of a sacred nuragic well (A) with only the vertical well still conserved. Continue in order to arrive at a big amphitheatre among the rocks, it is a limestone quarry (B) extracted for the construction of the dam on the River Canonical. After this area the path narrows, the Gutturu and Xeu gorge begins (literally the gorge of the church) characterized by high limestone walls, an ideal habitat for some bird of prey species, including the golden eagle. With a careful eye you can individuate the remains of a massive megalithic wall (C) that in the pre-nuragic period closed the access to the gorge. The hill ends with a bridge (D) placed perpendicularly to the path. Turn right and continue until the crossroads (E) Turn left, after a few hundred metres the isolated outline of the former Beneck holiday camp appears, (F) a structure built in the sixties by the Monteponi mining company, to accommodate the employees’ children during the summer. Return on the main road and turn left, the path rises again to the Foresters station, loc. Marganai (refreshment room located here). Adjacent to the houses the interesting mountain garden of Linasia has been created(guided visits possible) which has some of the many endemisms present in the hilly massif. To return you can take the same road you took to arrive or follow the road indicated on the map. Arrive at point (J) and keep to the right. The path offers a wide panorama from the Cixerri plain, to the town of Iglesias and the green reflections of the Corsi lake.. On the left you will notice ancient mines, this is the Tintillonis iron mine (M) that finishes with the cargo hoppers. On reaching the asphalted road you will quickly reach your car. Legend of nodal points map ST Chain A sacred well B limestone Quarry C Massive Megalithic wall D Bridge E Y-shaped crossroads F Beneck holiday camp G Clearing H Marganai Foresters station I Heliport J Crossroads with signposts K Path on the right L Panoramic road Trail proposed by Centro Escursioni Etnos : www.etnostour.it, +39 0781 43137 ... <detail>

The Temple's valley Imposing archaeological ruins which rise in the wild nature that characterizes the valley of Tempio, testimony to the deep religiosity developed on the island. Route by car Point of departure is the Antas temple, along the road that goes from Iglesias to Fluminimaggiore. Trail on foot (ST) Leaving from the car park of the ticket office of the temple of Antas take the path on the left, pass the remains of a nuragic village on the left and follow the ancient track from the roman age (in some stretches the furrows left by wagons that covered these impassable paths, full of lead and silver, are clearly visible). After approximately an hour you arrive at the Su Mannau caves (E) (possibility of a guided visit in the tourist part and with equipment in the speleological part). From the car park go back up for 800 m towards the mine of Terras Nieddas, from where you catch a glimpse of the entrances of the tunnels on the right (F) From here come down for 2.2 km in order to then go back along the Gutturu Pala canal (G) crossed by the Riu Maccioni. The trail is splendid, dominated on the left by the steep walls of the Manna di Pubusinu peak. After 4.8 km the path joins the main unmade road that connects the village of S. Benedetto with those of Baueddu, Malacalzetta and Arenas (I) A rest area can be seen opposite, used generally by the free climbers that attempt the Pilocca peak. Follow the road until the village of Baueddu, an ancient mining site, now inhabited by shepherds (J). From here follow the directions for Antas, which you can reach in an hour. In this last stretch you often see the Arabian-Sardinian horses pasturing in the wild like the pigs or the herds of sheep and goats. Legend of nodal points map ST Temple di Antas A Path for Su Mannau caves B Path on the left C Y-shaped crossroads D Asphalted Road E Su Mannau caves F Terras Nieddas mines G Gutturu Pala caves H Path on the right I Path for Is Arenas J Baudeddu mine K Road for Malacalzetta L Y-shaped crossroads Trail proposed by Centro Escursioni Etnos: www.etnostour.it, +39 0781 43137 ... <detail>

The Palauceris River A simple path, suitable for everyone but enjoyable. A few kilometres from Pula, you can appreciate the more typical Mediterranean flora, leading you to an ancient Foresters barracks which is now an organic farmhouse. Route by car Point of departure is the Foresters barracks in Piscinamanna. From Cagliari take the S.S. 195 in the direction of Pula, go past the town and turn right in the direction of Is Molas, pass the Golf course and continue along the cemented road that runs alongside the scientific park Polaris, arriving therefore at the Foresters Barracks in Piscinamanna. Trail on foot (ST) Go through the barrier opposite the barracks, pass the bridge (A) (fallen down after a flood) and arrive at the crossroads (B) at the beginning of a big slope, leave the road main and take the path on the left that follows the river, even if in some points it has disappeared and it is necessary to pass on the river bed. After approximately thirty minutes, you will arrive at a piece of unmade road that finishes at the river. Continue straight on for some hundred metres until finding the ancient Dispensa Tonietti, now the S'Atra Sardigna shelter(D). Leaving the shelter on the left, continue by crossing the small stone bridge (E), after which there are two paths: On the map the one on the left is indicated which goes up and after approximately an hour of very technical walking arrives at S' Arcu de is Cassadoris (I), from here on the right there is an easy unmade road that leads after 1.5 km to the Arco Montixi, recognizable by the concrete tanks full of water (J). Continue on the unmade road that rises gently to S' Arcu e sa Barca (K), here pass through the barrier and descend for 8 km until the Foresters barracks, along a wide and easy unmade road. Variation advised from point (E) Leaving the shelter on the left cross the small stone bridge (E), after which there are two paths: Take the one on the right that rises in undergrowth along the valley, after approximately forty minutes you will arrive at the basins of S' Arcu Montixi (J) Here you reach the unmade road on the right that rises gently to S' Arcu e sa Barca (K), here pass through the barrier and descend for 8 km until the Foresters barracks, along a wide and easy unmade road. Simple variation from point (D) From the S'Atra Sardigna shelter (D) turn back for about twenty metres almost to the point in which the unmade road finishes at the river. Here looking carefully you will notice on the left a path in the undergrowth that rises, marked by red and white paint. Going back up, you cross, after approximately half an hour, the unmade road that comes down from S' Arcu e sa Barca in point (M), go here on the left for 3.9 km until the barracks. Legend of nodal points map ST Piscinamanna Foresters Barracks A Bridge B Y-shaped crossroads in front of slope C Path on the left D Dispensa Tonietti or Rifugio S' Atra Sardigna E Small stone bridge G Road with wall H Beginning of unmade road with hairpin bends I Arco de is Cassadoris J Punta Montixi K Arco desa Barca L Path from the left M Path for Dispensa Tonietti ... <detail>

The Plan’e Muru plateau Majestic landscapes, immersed between forests and valleys modelled by lakes, in a zone still to be discovered. Route by car From Nurri head towards the plateau of Pran'e Muru, along the asphalted road for the Minzianni spring that after 3.7 km arrives at the unmade road with a panoramic car park looking over Flumendosa (F). Trail on foot Going down to the forest you will find an equipped rest area after 600 m (G), continue to go down for 1.8 km until the remains of the Coremolla nuraghe, at 300 m on the shore of the lake (I). From here run alongside the river along a path that can be covered in vegetation in some stretches. After 2.5 km you come out on a stony unmade road, that after 900 m of descent takes you to the shore of the lake (M) Returning to point (M) go up the unmade road until you arrive on the plateau and reach the panoramic point, characterized by a small rest area of stone and Indian fig plants (N). Here the asphalted road begins that after 1.7 km leads to the unmade road on the right, cover it for 2.4 km until the crossing (R), keep to the left and after little more than a km you will join the main road again (U). Continue straight on and you will come across the road for the Minzianni spring that will take you back to the departure point. Legend of nodal points map Route by car ST Via Togliatti A Via Trieste B First Y-shaped crossroads C Second Y-shaped crossroads D Third Y-shaped crossroads E Nuraghe Ariu Pran'e muru F Panoramic Car park Trail on foot G Rest area H Turning for Nuraghe Sedda Bintirissos I Nuraghe Coremolla J Mule track begins K Hairpin bend and path L Entrance on unmade road M Lake shore N Funtana cannas O Turning on the right P Turning for Nuraghe Funtana de Spidu Q Nuraghe Luas S Turning for Nuraghe Perda e Putzu T H-shaped crossroads U Entrance on main road Trail proposed by Art of Biking: www.artofbiking.com, tel +39 349 8835029 ... <detail>

I monti dei Sette Fratelli Granitite crests that rise like islands in the sky, that remind you of Seven Brothers made from rock. Route by Car From Cagliari take the ss 125 in the direction of Burcei. The departure point for the excursion is in the car park in front of the Foresters Barracks "Arcu e Tidu", situated at the entrance of the 7 brothers park. Go past the barracks, turn left following the directions for the park. Once you are in the park, continue by car following the directions for Maidopis and after having crossed the second small bridge over the river of the same name, park your car and begin the excursion. Trail on foot Some kilometres after, on a slope you will find the entrance to a path on the left, recognizable by the paved surface, with a road sign and yellow signposts (H). This path begins to go up towards the locality "Tuppe Ludu" and runs alongside the rise of the same name, then go down towards the stones of "Perd' a sub'e pari" (K). From here on the path is all downhill, you can visit these fascinating stones by taking a narrow path that turns off from the main one on the left following the road signs made of stones placed on top of each other. To continue you just have to go back on the path you left before the turning, which leads to the clearing of the Foresters nursery ( D), in order to return to your car you need to cover some kilometres in the opposite direction of the nursery, along the road you can admire the imposing "Perda de sa Pipia" (G) Option On the Map another possible ring is indicated. Once you arrive at the nursery (D) continue to the remains (L) and from here until the barrier (M), from here turn right, arriving after 1.6 km at the barrier of Arcu sa Spina (C). From here you can return with a linking path to the nursery (D), or go up to mount Cresia (ST) Legend of nodal points map H Beginning of the path I Ford J Path between rocks K Turning for panoramic point E Path F Road splitting in two G La Grotta de “Sa Pipia" D Nursery L Remains M Arco Curatori barrier C Arco Sa Spina barrier B Firebreak line A Ford ST Monte Cresia Trail proposed by Ichnusa bike: www.ichnusabike.it, +39 070 261287 ... <detail>