Unknown Sardinia – Escorted
Duration: 8 days
Trip Dates:
‘Unknown’ because behind the island’s façade as a seaside destination lies an incomparable wealth of travel experience, a combination of outstanding natural beauty and legacy of the early indigenous inhabitants of Sardinia chose to live away from the coast in the high wild hills inland…
…Walk following ancient tracks and paths, still used by shepherds, to explore astonishing pre-historic stone nuraghe buildings in the remote stony pastures and scrub of the hills, visit ritual sites, and a remote pre-historic village inside the top of an open-topped mountain, discover Sardinia’s rare orchids in the aromatic Mediterranean scrub, and through dry, breathtakingly dramatic gorges…follow coastal paths to remote bays fringed with pink oleander blooms and enjoy a boat trip to the Blue Marina sea cave… and stay at a distinguished 4* country hotel, set in a quiet valley, and enjoy its comforts, and excellent traditional Sardinian cuisine. Discover the unique heritage of the real Sardinia – and the only way to experience this is on foot.
‘Unknown’ because behind the island’s façade as a seaside destination lies an incomparable wealth of travel experience, a combination of outstanding natural beauty and legacy of the early indigenous inhabitants of Sardinia chose to live away from the coast in the high wild hills inland…
…Walk following ancient tracks and paths, still used by shepherds, to explore astonishing pre-historic stone nuraghe buildings in the remote stony pastures and scrub of the hills, visit ritual sites, and a remote pre-historic village inside the top of an open-topped mountain, discover Sardinia’s rare orchids in the aromatic Mediterranean scrub, and through dry, breathtakingly dramatic gorges…follow coastal paths to remote bays fringed with pink oleander blooms and enjoy a boat trip to the Blue Marina sea cave… and stay at a distinguished 4* country hotel, set in a quiet valley, and enjoy its comforts, and excellent traditional Sardinian cuisine. Discover the unique heritage of the real Sardinia – and the only way to experience this is on foot.
Duration: 8 days
Trip Dates:
Itinerary
After meeting at Cagliari airport we travel northeast to our (4*) country hotel, set at the edge of an extensive limestone massif, with views across a wide plateau (2 hours, 15 mins).
Oliena is a charming Sardinian village nestled at the foot of Monte Corrasi, known for its traditional architecture, vibrant festivals and rich cultural heritage. Surrounded by the Supramonte mountains, it offers access to natural wonders like the Su Gologone spring and Grotta Corbeddu. Renowned for its Cannonau wine “Nepente,” Oliena also hosts events like Cortes Apertas, showcasing local crafts, cuisine and the warm hospitality of its community.
Country hotel in spectacular location with fine restaurant and pool
We visit the spring of Su Gologone, near the hotel, then walk through fields and vineyards of the Oliena Valley (6 miles, 3 hours plus optional 4 miles).
Country hotel in spectacular location with fine restaurant and pool
We climb to a volcanic plateau and follow paths through scented scrub to the prehistoric village of Serra Orrios and the 'Giant's Tomb', one of the island’s outstanding Nuraghic monuments (5 miles, 2.5 hours).
Country hotel in spectacular location with fine restaurant and pool
We drive (20 mins) to the sea at Cala Gonone, and board a boat that takes us along the coast to the sea cave of Bue Marino before continuing to the idyllic small bay of Cala Luna, fringed with pink oleander flowers. We explore the sandy river bed behind the beach then walk up to follow tracks, with wide sea views, through scented scrub …and back to Cala Gonone (5 miles, 2.5 hours).
Country hotel in spectacular location with fine restaurant and pool
A short drive takes us to the characteristic village of Dorgali, from where we walk across open country to a dramatic underground chasm, with a stalagmite-stalactite compound, that is the tallest in Europe and one of the tallest in the world. We then continue to a remote, sandy cove (4 miles, 2 hours).
Country hotel in spectacular location with fine restaurant and pool
We follow a track beside the river Flumineddu, up a wooded valley to the spectacular Gola su Goruppu (gorge). We enter its high, narrow, vertically sided confines, and from the dry sandy river bed, there is an optional scramble to explore further… before returning on foot (8 miles, 4 hours).
Country hotel in spectacular location with fine restaurant and pool
We walk through forest, then follow a path past ancient juniper trees up to the remarkable nuraghic village of Tiscali, dating from the 6th century BC. We enter the cavernous interior of Tiscali mountain, an extensive open-topped area surrounded by high cliffs, where we explore the sites of two small prehistoric villages with circular stone huts, and limestone concretions, some fused with the millennia-old stones of the huts. After emerging into scented warmth (!) we visit the sacred spring of Carros and the Oche cave (6 miles, 3.5 hours).
Country hotel in spectacular location with fine restaurant and pool
We return to Cagliari airport (2 hours, 15 mins).
Trip Planner
Walking & Terrain
Moderate walking. This is an 8-day tour, with walks offered on 6 days. The length of each day varies from 2 hours to a maximum of 5 hours walking. There are short and challenging walks, then longer easy walks… but plenty of time to enjoy the comforts of the hotel. Hours of walking, which may vary from group to group, means hours of actual walking and does not include stops for lunch, sightseeing, rests or siestas.
The paths are very varied with some gravel country roads and some more challenging rocky mountain paths. Some of our routes are not footpath as such, so there is a certain amount of climbing over/through fences and hedges. The walk to Tiscali is quite vertiginous: not cliff hanging, but steep scrambling. The coastal walk also involves short steep ascents/descents. On certain days our walk takes us into the hills where the paths cross a more rugged terrain – please make sure that your footwear provides sufficient ankle support. Some of our walks are very weather sensitive. If it is not possible to do a walk due to inclement weather, an alternative will be organised. Any such decision is at the discretion of the Tour Leader.
Our support vehicles allow you the flexibility to walk 'as much or as little as you like', with drop-offs and pick-ups appropriate to the given day's itinerary. The Tour Leader will tell you each evening about the following day's walking options.
Walking & Terrain
Moderate walking. This is an 8-day tour, with walks offered on 6 days. The length of each day varies from 2 hours to a maximum of 5 hours walking. There are short and challenging walks, then longer easy walks… but plenty of time to enjoy the comforts of the hotel. Hours of walking, which may vary from group to group, means hours of actual walking and does not include stops for lunch, sightseeing, rests or siestas.
The paths are very varied with some gravel country roads and some more challenging rocky mountain paths. Some of our routes are not footpath as such, so there is a certain amount of climbing over/through fences and hedges. The walk to Tiscali is quite vertiginous: not cliff hanging, but steep scrambling. The coastal walk also involves short steep ascents/descents. On certain days our walk takes us into the hills where the paths cross a more rugged terrain – please make sure that your footwear provides sufficient ankle support. Some of our walks are very weather sensitive. If it is not possible to do a walk due to inclement weather, an alternative will be organised. Any such decision is at the discretion of the Tour Leader.
Our support vehicles allow you the flexibility to walk 'as much or as little as you like', with drop-offs and pick-ups appropriate to the given day's itinerary. The Tour Leader will tell you each evening about the following day's walking options.
Your Personal ATG Route Manager
Route Book
The ATG Route Book is a detailed, day-to-day guide. The book anticipates your needs with easy-to-follow instructions, maps, plans and other information that will guide you to discover the best that the area has to offer and is the key to the success of an independent holiday with us.
Walking App
Your Route Manager can provide you with a link to download an app to your smartphone. This app provides the GPS track for your route on your phone. You can use this digital support to find your position and navigate the route, even without an internet connection or mobile phone reception.
Accommodation & Meals
We stay in Hotel Su Gologone for the duration of the trip.
All evening meals are included and are taken either in the hotel or in local restaurants. At dinner, the Tour Manager will tell you about each evening’s menu and if there is anything else that you would prefer, you only have to ask. There are no particular dress requirements in the restaurants we use, although some are smarter than others.
Each day the Tour Manager will meet you with one of ATG’s celebrated picnic lunches. You will be greeted with mineral water and a starter followed by wine and an abundant lunch of local organic produce and specialities. Picnics are colourful, varied and nutritious. Buffet-style, there is a choice of meats, cheeses, substantial salads, bread and fruit… and pudding. If it is cold there will be a hot dish.
Food & Wine
Most Sardinian food is traditionally based on pork, lamb or kid goat, wild boar, partridge, or hare. Fish is not considered part of the essential local diet as the coasts once teemed with pirates. These days, however, there are more than 200 seafood restaurants in Cagliari, the capital, and we do eat seafood or fish during the trip. Many country dishes are vegetarian-based and include pasta and nuts even though tradition leans towards game and domesticated meats. In Sardinia food varies with the terrain. From the roasted wild boar and suckling pig of the mountains to the octopus and tuna of the coast, or the eel and asparagus of the river margins, both food and wine can change in its ingredients, its colour and its consistency between villages or hamlets less than a few miles apart.
There is a wide variety of local wines, many of which are versions of the ubiquitous Cannonau which comes as a red, rosé and white. Look out for the red Cannonau at the hotel, Rosato d’Oliena, Cannonau Nepente amongst others. Whites produced on the island include the light, sparkling Vermentino, Cala Luna and Cala Viola, both fairly dry. You may also like to try the island’s digestivi: liquore di mirto, distilled from myrtle, and aquavita, a grappa.
Frequently Asked Questions
Escorted trips are accompanied by two of ATG’s fully trained Tour Consultants, from the moment they welcome you at the airport, through to the end-of trip airport transfer. The Tour Manager looks after the practical side of the trip – luggage transport, hotels, food and drink. The Tour Leader will lead each day’s walk, and after dinner each evening will tell you about the following day’s itinerary. Both Tour Consultants will explain their role, and how the trip will run, on the first evening at dinner.
Please let us know about any dietary restrictions or allergies in advance so that our Tour Consultants can ensure that you are catered for during your holiday. Most dietary restrictions do not present a problem on our trips and the Tour Manager can discuss your requirements in more detail with you at the start of your trip.
The walks are graded according to difficulty but you can walk as much or as little as you like.
Easy: walking along well-established paths and tracks with some short ascents/descents. These trips are suitable for most people who enjoy occasional exercise.
Easy to Moderate: walking along well-established paths and tracks. Occasional loose (gravel) surfaces. Ascents/descents up to 1 hour. These trips are suitable for most people who have a reasonable level of fitness.
Moderate: walking along a variety of paths and tracks. Occasional uneven areas. Ascents/descents 1-2 hours. These trips are suitable for those who have a reasonable to good level of fitness.
Moderate to Challenging: walking along varied paths and surfaces, occasionally challenging, with ascents/descents of 2-3 hours. These trips are suitable for more experienced walkers who have a good level of fitness.
Single travellers will be booked into a double room which will carry a single occupancy supplement.
Flights are not included in the price of your ATG holiday and should be booked independently. We will advise you of the group meeting time at the destination airport and return transfer time to the airport at the end of your trip to enable you to book compatible flights.
Yes. All of our escorted trips can be booked privately, you can book a set departure or a date to suit you (subject to availability). In most instances if the group is 13-16 clients we will offer the trip at the published price. For 12 or fewer clients we would provide a bespoke costing.
On escorted trips everything is included (per the published itinerary) apart from items of a personal nature and snacks or drinks outside of the set meals.
We are delighted to book extensions for you at either end of your trip. We only book hotels with which we have an established relationship and where we can ensure a high level of service and enjoyment. If you would like an extension hotel booking please indicate this during the booking process and we will contact you with pricing information.
ATG does not provide any form of insurance cover. However, it is a condition of booking that you have fully comprehensive insurance cover, including:
Cancellation/curtailment up to the cost of the holiday (preferably including flights)
Medical emergencies and repatriation
Travel delay / missed departure
Lost or stolen personal belongings
Personal liability
Legal expenses
Natural Disasters
Although most credit card companies offer travel insurance as something that is included when paying the balance with the card, it may be advisable to check that the cover offered is what you expect it to be. Very few companies include cancellation and curtailment or medical expenses. Whatever the insurance policy you have taken out, please read the documentation carefully. Please ensure also that you take it with you on your trip and refer to it in the case of any claim or emergency.
Yes, please click here for what to bring. A packing checklist is also included with your booking confirmation.
Sustainability
ATG was founded on principles of conservation and sustainable development. It was the first company to win the tourism industry’s two top awards: Tourism for Tomorrow (UK) and the World Legacy Award (National Geographic and Conservation International USA) and also the first to have an accredited Environmental Management System.
Everyone who walks with ATG contributes to the ATG Trust, which funds projects that benefit local communities in the regions visited. By supporting these initiatives, ATG promotes sustainable tourism. Past projects have included heritage restoration projects, environmental conservation and educational projects.
