These itineraries are for those who love to visit Sardinia off the beaten tracks, away from all inclusive tours, from mass tourism.
For those who want to visit unhurriedly the most secret sites of our island: far away beaches, shepherds’ shelters, Gallura “stazzi”, countryside shrines, where on the saint patron’s days friendship melts with the heart of Sardinia’s people.
Close to each countryside church there is a big tree, most of the time a century old wild olive tree or oak. The inhabitants of that area used to gather under this tree to decree peace among fighting families.
This tree, considered like a “totem”, was also the outdoor court where the presumed guilty was judged by the community. The tree was the “sacred” place even before the church was built. Next to it the tiny cemetery with the ossuary, where dressed and standing skeletons were displayed. Life and death were close in rituals derived from ancient pagan cults when the shaman of the nuragic village used to heal people thanks to his permanent contacts with the ancestors.
Dedalo tour guides draw up personalized itineraries according to their own passions and the demands of those who want to visit Sardinia. Destinations may be reached on foot, with one’s own car or by renting a van for up to 9 people. In this way you are sure to reach the most secluded beaches, the archaeological sites connected only by unpaved roads or those that stand on the top of a mountain and are surrounded by wild nature.
You will enjoy a simple pic-nic or will be hosted in a sheepfold to discover the tradition of its inhabitants. You may also decide to spend a night in a Bed and breakfast or in a little “agriturismo” run in a convivial and friendly way.
We suggest some trails of 2, 5, and 10 km for those who love trekking in the mountains or along the coastline in order to appreciate the beauty of our territory at its best such as a visit to Valle della Luna (the moon valley) of Capo Testa in front of Corsica among blocks of granite shaped by the wind or, starting from Cala Serraina, to reach the porphiric red granites of Costa Paradiso. Otherwise, you may chose to go to the panoramic military sighting point of Capo Ceraso by walking along the coast as far as you wish, or reach from Capo Comino the beach of Bèrchida or even get to Cala Luna after leaving from Cala Fuili along the wild and calcareous coast of the Ogliastra region.
Chances are countless. As an example we suggest here the itinerary to the nuragic site of Nurattolos on the top of the ridges overlooking Alà dei Sardi.
This itinerary can also be driven by car, along a road which is at first tarmac and then concrete, that from Alà dei Sardi goes up to the foot of the mountain (the path is indicated).
From here you may continue on foot for about 15 minutes up to the holy spring and to other monuments used for nuragic rites. For the better trained (5 hours walk return trip) we suggest the itinerary on foot: you may reach the cantoniera (roadman’s house) of “Mazzinaiu” on the SS 389 road from Monti, Padru or Berchiddeddu.
Once you overtake the roadman’s house for about 900 metres towards Alà dei Sardi, turn right onto a dirt road and park the car as the road gets larger. You go straight on foot along the main road up to a first animal fold.
You carry on going up to your left up to a second abandoned fold. Behind it the main road goes uphill to a little panoramic site where turning right you reach after 10 minutes the nuragic spring of Nurattolos. This itinerary is recommended on 4th of October to attend the festival around the countryside church of S. Francesco in Alà dei Sardi and share local traditions with the inhabitants.