Trekking Tour To The Asinara Park

In spring and autumn it is possible to go on trekking tours in the area of the Asinara National Park.

• Granite Path km 11,3 It runs along the dirt road towards the east of the Fornelli pier square. At the first pond behind the dunes that you come across after a few hundred meters, keep left and head inland until you cross the dirt road that leads from the Fornelli maximum security prison to Santa Maria prison branch. Once you reach the top of the hill, you descend towards Punta Barbarossa and you will see on the left a small body of water, a refuge appreciated by ducks and herons in autumn. After passing the old ruined gate near the sea, the world of Asinara granite begins, which accompanies the hiker throughout the entire route, which is largely cycle path. You will go along the sea in an alternation of coves, Mediterranean scrub, rushes and small temporary ponds, up to the two beaches of Punta Li Giorri. Here the path becomes more inaccessible and you will come across granite quarries. In the final part, at Cala Sant’Andrea, you will go along the stretch of brackish water and the fully protected area and you will return to the concrete road to reach the starting point.

• Castellaccio Path km 8,2 The medieval castle. Starting from the Fornelli pier, in the southern part of the island, you continue towards the Fornelli prison, walking along the Sentiero del Castellaccio, a now ruined medieval structure that dominates the plain and the entire Fornelli Strait. The final part of the path is sloping, but despite being steep, it is very pleasant to walk.

• Water Path km 8,2 Water in all its expressions, the sea, the ponds. Starting from the Fornelli pier and the square next to the Visitor Centre, you proceed westwards, where you take the dirt road of the Water path. Water will be known in all its expressions, salty from the sea, sweet from the hills, brackish from the coastal ponds, bridges, wells, drinking troughs, springs, dams, reservoirs and finally, the various technological infrastructures that will accompany us in this beautiful route, accessible to everybody and practicable on foot without great effort.

• Lighthouse Path From Cala d’Oliva and following the signs to Punta Sabina, take the Sentiero del Faro, of which Cala dei Ponzesi is a short seaside variant. The road to Punta dello Scorno is unpaved and runs along the cliffs overlooking the sea. Immediately after Cala d’Arena and the coastal tower, you will arrive near the lighthouse, an austere and solitary structure, a reference point for all Sardinian sea routes. A detour leads to the ruins of the former Semaphore, an old Air Force meteorological station, now a perch for falcons.

• Holm Oak Path It is one of the stretches where you can comfortably stop, as there are refreshment areas. Springs and water channels flow between the holm oaks. To reach this location, take the dirt road that starts from the former prison of the Central Branch in Cala d’Oliva up to the White Houses. From here the landscape changes completely, recalling that of the inland areas of Sardinia. As a variant of the route. there is the uphill road towards Punta Scomunica, the highest point on the island, with a unique panoramic view.