HOTEL S’ORTALE + EXPERT LOCAL GUIDE
8 days and 7 nights
We offer a week of outdoor recreational activities where lovers of the countryside and of trekking can discover the magnificent mountain trails of the local area, but we also want to show them Sardinia’s rich culture, through visits to archaeological sites, as well as the wealth of the food and wine heritage of our area.
The starting point for day trips will be the coastal town of Orosei. The town stands on a wide and fertile plain, 2 km from the sea and bordered on the east by 7 km of beach.
The town also has a beautiful historic centre and the massif of Monte Tuttavista as a backdrop. To the north lies the valley of the Cedrino river and, to the south, dominate the peaks of the mountainous area of Supramonte.
N.B. All the excursions can also be organized individually.
Day 1
Transfer from the airport to the Hotel S’ortale in Orosei, check-in, dinner and overnight stay.
Day 2: Trekking to “Monte Tiscali”
Breakfast in hotel and departure Via the beautiful “Lanaitho” valley, gateway to the wild and mountainous area of Supramonte, we will walk to Mount Tiscali. It gained fame because, on its summit, there is a karst sinkhole containing the ruins of a village from the Nuragic era The town of Tiscali has long been shrouded in mystery: what led the Nuragic people to settle in such an isolated area and even to build a village inside a cave? We will try to find out by visiting the sinkhole and the wild territory around it; we will arrive at the crest of Monte Tiscali by crossing a narrow crack in the rock and walking along a ledge offering a beautiful view of the magnificent landscapes of Supramonte and the Lanaitho Valley.
– Journey time about 4 hours
– Difference in altitude, 300 metres
– Water and packed lunch to be purchased at the supermarket
Day 3: Trekking to “Monte Albo”
Breakfast in hotel and departure Mount Albo is a mountain range extending for about 15 km, with several peaks more than 1000 metres high. Entirely made up of limestone rock dating back 200 million years, Monte Albo has many caves and cavities, tangled holly-oak woods cover its slopes and limestone pavements dominate the summits, broad stretches where the limestone has been deeply eroded by atmospheric agents which at times give the terrain a lunar aspect. The excursion begins in the shelter of some holly-oak woods and after an hour of climbing reaches the
“Sa e Mussinu” area for a visit to the ruins of an old sheepfold. We continue through woods and wide clearings where numerous orchids flower in spring. We then reach the
summit in Punta Catirina, from which we can admire a unique panorama that sweeps 360 ° between the plateaux of central Sardinia to the west, the island of Tavolara and the granite mountains of northern
Sardinia, the lands of the “Baronie” to the east and, further south, the buttresses of the Supramonte.
– Journey time about 4 and a half hours
– Difference in altitude, 500 metres
– Water and packed lunch to be purchased at the supermarket
Day 4: Visit to the Murals of Orgosolo and lunch with a shepherd
Breakfast in hotel and departure In the morning, we will visit the historic centre of Orgosolo, a town once unhappily famous for banditry and which today attracts numerous visitors for its well-known “Murals”. At the end of the visit, we leave the town aboard an off-road vehicle to head for the slopes of the limestone heel of Monte S. Giovanni, situated in the heart of the Supramonte di Orgosolo. A short walk will take us up to the peak of the same name, from which we can admire a beautiful view of the Gennargentu Mountains to the west and all the Supramonte mountains to the north. The next stop will be lunch in a typical Supramonte sheepfold. This will be an unforgettable opportunity to sample some genuine dishes of Sardinia’s gastronomic tradition: meats and cheeses, roast suckling pig, boiled sheep and “carasatu bread”, washed down with some excellent Cannonau wine, produced by the shepherd and his family.
Day 5: Trekking to Cala Luna
Breakfast in hotel and departure Having spent a few days in the mountains, trekking to Cala Luna will be our chance to visit one of the most beautiful beaches in Sardinia. The trek begins in the “Buchiarta” area, where we will visit an old sheepfold with the typical architectural structure of the Supramonte sheepfolds. We descend along a gully until we reach the broad “Codula di Luna” canyon and, proceeding along the dry riverbed, we reach the beach. Here, we will eat our packed lunch and then cool off in the crystal-clear waters of the Gulf of Orosei or else rest
in the shade of the caves along the beach. After lunch, we will return to the vehicle through another gorge, called “S’Iscala ‘e S’Arga”. At Cala Gonone, we will pause for a taste of the best homemade ice cream
to be found in the area! There is an option to return to the port of Cala Gonone by boat, paying a supplement of € 12 per person.
– Journey time about 4 hours
– Negative altitude difference, 300 metres; Positive altitude difference, 300 metres
– Water and packed lunch to be purchased at the supermarket
Day 6: Excursion to Monte Irveri & Cuile “Sa Tintura”
Breakfast in hotel and departure. The trek starts from the little beach at Osala. In just a few minutes, we arrive at “Cartoeddu” beach and then “Cartoe” beach. The path winds up the mountainside, giving us views of Mount Tuttavista and the Orosei countryside to the north At an altitude of 350 metres, we will be able to visit an old sheepfold called “Sa tintura”, a beautiful example
of the shepherds’ rugged architecture. Su Cuile de Sa Tintura is a sheepfold that belonged to the Fancello family of Dorgali (Ziu Pineddu Raspa), probably built during the
1940s, perhaps from the ruins of another cuile. The sheepfold is situated overlooking the sea between Cartoe (Cala Gonone) and Osala (Orosei). The view includes the whole Gulf of Orosei, from Capo Monte
Santo to Punta Nera. After our visit of the sheepfold, we begin the return journey, in amongst limestone pavements, areas of stony ground and centuries-old junipers until we reach “Cartoe” beach, where we will enjoy a packed lunch and take a dip in the sea.
– Journey time about 4 hours
– Negative altitude difference, 300 metres; Positive altitude difference, 300 metres
– Water and packed lunch to be purchased at the supermarket
Day 7
Breakfast at the hotel, farewells and departure for the airport.
*** All the excursions are of medium difficulty, level E = Hikes, as per the CAI (Italian Alpine Club). They all involve an average altitude difference of 300-350 metres. The excursions
call for a certain degree of basic fitness and walking capability. Trekking boots are required as stony or bumpy paths that are often taken.
