1 - Gadoni, Corongia Forest

Between breccas and disterrus

Type: excursion
Length:
Difficulty: easy
Travel time:

Access
The journey begins from the town of Gadoni along the SP2 towards Seulo, then takes a right along
the paved road towards Funtana Raminosa. The beautiful road runs partly on the old path of the
miners and alongside the alloments and orchards, which were tended everyday, as they left the
village to the mine.

As you gradually gain altitude, with an ever widening view of the Flumendosa valleys, you then
enter the buildings of the abandoned mine that occupies the Riu Saraxinus valley. The mining
complex can be visited today (link Cuprum association), a visit that is highly recommended.
Continue uphill for a few kilometres until the end of the road, take a left and following the signs for
Corongia Forest, on a partially unpaved road. When the road does flatten, you will reach the
serviced parking area of Bauzzoni, where you can leave the car.

Su Campalini
Continue on a dirt road on foot, ignoring some secondary deviations and take a left at the obvious
crossroads. Just below the road, reachable with some difficulty but not mapped/indicated you will
arrive at the caves of Grutas de Perdu, with a scenic waterfall that descends from the vault.

The road you then follow is now flat, beneath a beautiful woodland area, where you can see the
circular open spaces devoid of vegetation, where the charcoal burners built their threshing floors for
the production of charcoal. In the middle of the long straight you will find a wooden sign indicating
Su Campalini: where you leave the main dirt road and enter the woods, to reach the dizzy heights
and the edge of the Lartinatzu walls: here Corongia Forest rushes towards the Flumendosa shore
and where stands a slender and bold rocky pinnacle, almost a bell tower, as the Sardinian name
suggests.

Is Breccas
After a long panoramic rest and break, return to the dirt road continuing southwards until you meet
a large crossroads: here you turn right, uphill, passing a gate and continuing on the main road. As
soon as the road returns to level ground, on clayey soil and begins to skirt to the singular isolated
rock towers, that become more and more numerous to form a veritable labyrinth of walls, caves,
cracks and junctions. The area is known as Is Breccas and was the kingdom of shepherds and the
bandit Torracorti, who lived over a century ago.

Su Pinneddu
The exploration of the labyrinth of Is Breccas is worth every minute spent there, in the walls you
can recognize various floristic endemism's whilst you're walking along the slender paths that follow
the bold rock formations. Continue on the dirt road until it comes out of the woods: here, on the
right standing out, there is an isolated tower known as Su Pinneddu.

The road joins a main dirt road which you follow to the right. Start by going downhill and then after
a long stretch in the woods, until you reach the first crossroads you encounter, along the way,. Here,
turn left to quickly reach the Bauzzoni area and the car.
2 - Sorgono, the Nuraghes upland or plane?

Between history and nature

Typology: archaeological
Length:
Difficulty: easy
Travel time:

Access

Take the SS 128, which is the main street of the town of Sorgono. At the the same level of the
Cantina Sociale del Mandrolisai (winery/wine cellar) and on the opposite side of the road, there are
wooden signs indicating some archaeological sites. Then go along the Via Emilia .,q matt straight
ahead?, turning left at a large crossroads where you will find another sign indicating "Hiking Trail".
Continue on the paved road for about 4 km, until you reach on the right, the sign indicating the
nuraghe Lò. Here you can park.

Nuraghe Lò
Turn right uphill along a dirt road, immersed in the oak forest. After a short stretch, on the left you
will see standing out in an elevated position, the beautiful Nuragic tower, built on top of a rock
formation. The plan of the monument is slightly elliptical and has the particularity of having an
architrave window, placed at the end of a slightly curved corridor, which is in a mirror position with
respect to the entrance.

Santu Loisu
As you go back down to the paved road, you soon encountering a sign that marks the entrance to the
forest rangers work base, which also houses a beautiful nursery. You are in Santu Loisu and you
enter a piece of land to the left of the road, where there are two buildings belonging to a mountain
colony and a natural spring. On the right, a small path leads to the Domus de Janas of Santu Loisu,
consisting of two small chambers at ground level and immersed in a beautiful wood. When you
return to the paved road, continue for a few hundred meters until you meet an imperceptible slight
curve to the left. On the left of the road, immersed in the woods, is the beautiful tower of Nuraghe
Bardacolo, placed in a dominant position. Although towering, from its top you can enjoy a wide
panorama.

Nuraghe Orrubiu
This again resides on the main road that goes to dirt, now slightly downhill. On the right of the
road, after a long stretch in the beautiful oak grove. Just before the electrical power
station/building,you will find the sign post for Nuraghe Orrubiu, on the right. The beautiful single
tower is slightly raised on a ploughed field and owes its name to the reddish moss they have
colonized on the beautiful granite stones. As you Continue on the main road, you will come across
another sign post, again on the right, that allows you to visit the tomb of the giants.

S’Incodine
To the left of the road, before turning back, you will find a ladder, crossing? that allows you to
access to a vast pasture. Behind it, near a prominent rock formation, you can find the monument
known as S’Incodine, due to its characteristic shape (The Anvil). Not far away, but difficult to find
(so how?), is the Domus de Janas of Perdonigheddu and the nuraghe Cherbos. Then you can return
to your car and follow the same road for the outward journey.
3 - Tiana, the fulling machine.
The waterways
Typology: excursion, cycling excursion.
Length:
Difficulty: medium
Travel time:

Access
From the town of Tiana continue slightly downhill and high above the wooded valley towards
Tonara on the SS 128,. In a short time, you will reach a small clearing, where on the right, you will
find the sign post to reach the Gualchiera, sa cracchera de tziu Bellu, which today is an industrial
archeology museum.

La Gualchiera
Tiana is the symbolic village of orbace /rough wool, the fabric obtained, with a thanks to a
mechanical process for the felting of the wool. The energy required for this proto-industrial process
were provided by Fullers, structures similar to hydraulic mills that used steam power for the
operation of machinery. Tiana has been beautifully restored, unique among the many that were once
present in the area and is located in an area surrounded by greenery, on the suspended terraces
around the Tino stream, which merges towards the river Torrei. Which you can visit the mill (only)
by a appointment.

The Rio Torrei

Once you've visited, you can continue along a short nature trail along the hazel groves that run
alongside the river, or continue with the itinerary into the heart of the territory. Then you return to
the 128 for a few hundred meters where, before the bridge, you turn left onto a paved and then a dirt
road, following the signs for the Ospitone path. The road goes towards the right side of the
hydrographic flank of the Rio Torrei, in a mountain environment, dominated by large rocks and
often flanked by dense forest. On the right, some rocks allow you a splendid panoramic view of the
surrounding area.

The Path
As you continue you will begin to climb, temporarily moving away from the bank of the stream,
and then returning to it near a natural spring. The road becomes a narrow path that pierces the
vegetation, immersed in a beautiful wood, broken only by sudden scree and rocks. Once you reach
an altitude of 750m you will find, on the right, a ford, after which you go along a climbing dirt road
which soon leads back to the asphalted road that serves the dam on the Rio Torrei, placed some
kilometres further upstream. From here you can retrace your steps, or especially if you have a
mountain bike, return by the road to the village taking a right and then right again once you reach
the public road.
4 - Tonara, the woods
The roads of chestnut trees
Typology: excursion, cycle excursion
Length:
Difficulty: medium
Travel time:

Access

The inhabited centre of Tonara is dominated by its mountain and its beautiful woods which were
once upon a time consisted mainly of chestnut groves interspersed with small gardens. It starts
directly from centre of the village, parking is next to the Town Hall, then head towards the
birthplace of the Poet Peppino Mereu, pride of Tonara and from the island. From here, walk along
via XX Settembre, Via Angioy and then via Galusé which leads to the natural spring of the same
name, which was exulted by the local poet. It is located at the very edge of the village, and from the
spring begins a paved road that winds through the vegetable gardens, shaded by chestnut trees and
orchards.

The Allotments/Vegetable gardens

As with all inland centres, the green belt of gardens embraces the town but in Tonara, given the high
gradient of the slopes, these were thus terraced and supported by dry stone walls. It runs alongside
the main road with gentle slopes, continuing even when it becomes a dirt track is under thick
vegetation. After passing a small ford, at the first crossroads you meet, take a steep uphill left along
a country lane surrounded by dry stone walls, then left again at an three way intersection. In this last
stretch you proceed surrounded by chestnut groves which, even though today they are in partial
abandoned, they represent an important priceless part of these mountains.

In the woods

The last intersection makes it possible to gain access to a hidden cart track, immersed in the woods.
It immediately passes next to a water deposit, then continues with sudden uphill movements where,
at times, the vegetation opens up allowing ample panoramic views towards the west. This strenuous
climb is always well shaded and soon you will reach three intersections in quick succession, where
you initially turn left, then left again, and finally right uphill, onto a beautiful dirt road in Morturasà.
Here you turn left, and go slightly downhill.

The chestnut groves

The dirt road that you follow is perfectly maintained and is situated on the edge of a large area of
reforestation. However, cedars and black larch pines were soon replaced by the main tree of
this mountain: the chestnut. The beautiful open woodland, in which some large specimens figure,
tells you of the importance of forestry in these communities.

You pass by a natural spring, which runs dry in the summer season, quickly reaching an asphalted
road: taking the left, downhill, where you will quickly return to the village, however you can turn
right at the next intersection to then visit the source of Funtana 'e s'Abe, fresh and wonderful in all
seasons, ideal for refreshment after the long walk before returning, through the narrow streets of the
centre, to the car.