Hiking in Gorropu

Excursion to Cala Goloritzè

Difficulty: medium-low

Necessary equipment*: trekking boots, water, snack for lunch, swimsuit

Excursion description

Departure by car from Ghenn’e Silana heading towards Baunei along the s.s 125 Orientale Sarda road, arriving in town centre we take a small road that goes to the upper plateau of the “Golgo” and to the area named “Su Porteddu”. Here there’s a large car park where walkers can leave their cars. Then we set off on foot along the footpath that twists and turns through Baccu Goloritzè.

It takes about an hour and a half to reach the beach, with a steep descent.

Cala Goloritzè is one of the most beautiful landscapes of the Orosei bay, recognisable for its picturesque natural stone arch on the edge of the sea and for the Aguglia, listed as a Natural Monument by UNESCO and a favourite with climbers.

One of the special things about it is the presence of underwater freshwater springs, testifying to deep karstic activity.

To get back we take the same path in reverse and takes walkers back to their cars on the upper plateau of the Golgo.

*Packed lunches available, and hire of trekking equipment such as boots, backpacks,

and Nordic walking poles.

Cala Luna Excursion

Difficulty: medium-high

Equipment needed*: hiking boots, water, cool sportswear, bathing suit

Description of excursion

With your car, follow the SS 125 towards Baunei, a few kilometres after the junction for Urzulei, turn left towards Telethotes.

Follow the road entirely until you arrive at the river.

Be equipped with what you need for the hike. Jump over the river and follow it along the side.

This is how to reach Cala Luna after approximately 3-4 hours of walking .

To go back, you can:

• retrace the same itinerary route as before;
• take a path for Cala Fuili (Cala Gonne) of approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes;
• return by sea in barges that from May to October travel several hours per day to and from Cala Gonone. A transfer booked ahead of time will bring you back to the hotel.

Excursion along the crests of the Codula di Luna

Difficulty level: low

Equipment required: hiking shoes, water, cool sports clothing.

Trip description

From Hotel Gorropu take your own car. Follow highway 125 towards Baunei, a few kilometres past the turning for Urzulei turn left towards Telethotes.

Follow the street until you get to “su coile de Bastianu”. Bastianu (Sebastiano) will be your guide for this route. He will take you along the crests that overlook the Codula di Luna, with breathtaking views.

An excursion to Gorropu

Difficulty: medium-easy

Necessary equipment*: trekking boots (alternatively, sturdy gym shoes), 1 lt of water, sports clothes, backpack.

Description of the excursion

Departure from the Gorropu Hotel on foot from a downhill trail in a holly oak forest with very old exceptionally big specimens and monumental strawberry and juniper trees. On this itinerary you can admire old pastoral settlements made of barracus (sheep pens made of juniper trunks) and cortes (goat corrals).

The trail is a continuous succession of stone quarries with breathtaking panoramas and woods till you reach the canyon in which you can find gigantic specimens of terebinth trees.

After about two hours on foot you get to the Flumineddu river that has beautiful fresh and crystal clear water pools in which you can swim.

After some pools of water you get to the Gorropu springs from which you can drink and fill your water bottles.

The Gorropu springs are at the beginning of the canyon. In fact, at 20 metres from the resurgence there is the info point for the access to the canyon. The visit to the inside of the Gola di Gorropu begins here (it lasts about 1 hour) where you advance for about 700 metres, observing the huge work the waters of the Flumineddu river has done in millions of years on the enormous calcareous masses, with amazement.

The sea origin is given by the presence of fossils like ammonites, seaweed, fish, etc. Inside you will find thousand year old specimens of Phyllirea latifolia and Yews (Taxus baccata) besides many endemic species of Sardinia. But to confirm the microclimatic uniqueness of the canyon there is the Aquilegia di Gorropu or Nuraghic Aquilegia, an endemism that on the whole plane Earth, vegetates in very few specimens only inside the canyon.

At the end of the visit to the canyon, you walk for about another 45 minutes on an almost flat trail that flanks the Flumineddu river and once crossed in a precise and well marked point, you get to “Su monte Orrubiu” in which there is a jeep to take you back to the Gorropu Hotel.