Walking in a rhythmic, meditative way, you can really appreciate the best of a unique, mythical land, fully taking in enchanted landscapes and views, getting to know the people and communities that inhabit it and their authentic traditions. Sardinian walks, spiritual experiences and destinations for pilgrimage offer everything the "slow tourist" is looking for, in full contact with the nature, culture and true identity of the places you visit, providing an enriching, educational experience. The island's walks are ideal for tourists looking for an intimate, true experience in a unique natural and cultural setting, and in an area that sees hospitality as sacred. To be seen on foot, by bicycle, on horseback or with the Trenino Verde.
Full of civil and religious history, in a combination of industrial archaeology and devotion. The Mining walk of Santa Barbara incarnates the soul of Sulcis, an area characterised by a long stretch of sea from Teulada and Sant’Anna Arresi as far as the Costa Verde, overlooked by Mount Arcosu, the unique Marganai-Linas-Arcuentu mountain chain and the hills of the Cixerri valley. Hills rich in metal deposits, which were the main resource of these places for centuries. The walk runs along ancient paths, mule tracks and abandoned railway tracks, "touching" the religious sites dedicated to the patron saint of miners: 24 stops along the way, for a total of 400 kilometres, to be travelled on foot or by mountain bike, in the Sulcis-Iglesiente and Guspinese areas. Places that preserve an extraordinary natural, historical and cultural heritage, part of the Parco Geominerario della Sardegna. From the mountains to the sea, woodland to sand dunes, along the way you can admire the medieval town of Iglesias, the coastline of Nebida and Masua, the mines of Serbariu, Porto Flavia, and Montevecchio and the archaeological remains of Sant’Antioco.
A majestic and sumptuous blend of colours, costumes and sounds that have been repeated over the centuries, almost identically. An entire island stops for the Festa di Sant'Efisio, which from the 1 to the 4 May re-evokes the life of the early 4th century warrior saint, and the fulfilment of the vow made to him during the plague of 1652. The procession, which runs from Cagliari to Nora and back and is one of the oldest and longest in the world (65 kilometres), touches the soul of anyone swept up by it. You can follow the suggestive pilgrimage route all year round, with Sant'Efisio's Walk, that runs from the local capital to the Romanic church by Nora beach, where the saint was martyred, stopping off at Capoterra, Sarroch, Villa San Pietro and Pula. You can then return by the same route. Cagliari is also the starting point for an itinerary following the stages of the evangelisation of San Giorgio, Bishop of Suelli in the 11th and 12th century, accompanied by the popular memory of his miracles. The route goes through around thirty small and large towns, from Campidano, Parteolla, Trexenta and Sarcidano, through to Ogliastra and Barbagia, ending up in Oliena, allowing you to enjoy an unequalled natural and cultural heritage.
Places with a "vocation", that have always been pilgrimage destinations. Six towns, each with its own cultural and spiritual characteristics, and each a stop on an itinerary on which you can delve into and experience nature, art, traditions, crafts and cuisine. The suggestive town of Galtellì is home to sos gozzos, the liturgical chants that accompany the walks and processions, visited by worshippers all year round for los milagros of the Holy Cross (dating back to 1611). Luogosanto, where even the name is evocative, is the Franciscan site par excellence, famous for the privilege of the Holy Door granted to its basilica. Laconi is the town "of faith" surrounded by woodlands and prehistoric remains, where Sant'Ignazio lived, an important figure for the Sardinian church. Gesturi is a centre of meditation, where Saint Nicola was born and lived. Orgosolo and Dorgali are places of inestimable natural and cultural value, home to Saint Antonia Mesina and Suor Maria Gabriella Sagheddu respectively, international ecumenical icons.
An intimate experience to be enjoyed slowly, in contemplation and discovery of landscapes and communities. The Franciscan walk in Sardinia is an itinerary stopping in eleven towns on the island. When visiting them you can find out all about the history of the Franciscan order in Sardinia, on a "path" that continues today, leaving an indelible trace on the landscape. Spirituality and hospitality are the essential values of a path that runs through a network including cities such as Alghero, Oristano and Sassari, towns like Bosa and Castelsardo, pilgrimage destinations such as Gesturi, Laconi, Luogosanto and more, in the islands interior and along the coast, which have played an important role in the history of the order: Mores, Pula and Sanluri. The typical hospitality of the Capuchins, minor friars and monks allows you to experience the introspective dimension, a feeling of inner peace, the departure and arrival of every pilgrim's spiritual path. The silence and authenticity of the places and people accompany contemplation and inner growth.
