Stage 01 - from Iglesias to Buggerru (Coastal Route)

START: Iglesias 188 m (asl)
FINISH: Buggerru 1/0 m (asl)
TECHNICAL DATA:
 Length: 34 km
 Elevation gain: +1004 m and -1151 m
 Maximum gradient: +20.5%
 Minimum gradient: -24.4%
 Highest point: Monte Cani 437 m asl
Possible detours to visit points of interest:
OUT-AND-BACK TO MONTEPONI
Length: 4.4 km
Start/end point of the out-and-back (Palazzina, Villa Bella Vista direction): h 190 m (asl).
Highest point: Cungiaus Quarry Parking: h 320 m (asl).

OUT-AND-BACK TO MASUA
Length: 7.25 km
Start/end point of the out-and-back (SS 126 Masua junction): h: 133 m (asl).
Lowest point (Masua Parking) h: 16 m (asl).

OUT-AND-BACK TO CALA DOMESTICA
Length: 3.3 km
Start point (SP 83 junction with former Scalittas railway): h: 41 m (asl).
End point (Cala Domestica road–SP 83 junction): h: 27 m (asl).
Lowest point (Cala Domestica Beach): h: 6 m (asl).

OUT-AND-BACK TO THE FORMER PRANU SARTU MINING VILLAGE (MTB only)
Length: 1.1 km
Start/end point (junction on unpaved road): h: 119 m (asl).
Lowest point (viewpoint on the coastline above Galleria Henry): h: 113 m (asl).


STAGE DESCRIPTION:
The route starts in Iglesias, at Piazza Quintino Sella near the monument dedicated to the renowned statesman. You first follow Via Roma, passing the Mining Art Museum, and near the Pisan Walls, turn left onto Via Cattaneo beside the Church of Santa Barbara (no longer open for worship). Continuing along this street, you pass the CMSB Foundation headquarters (Via Cattaneo 70) and reach the Monteponi junction, exiting the city.
After following Viale Aligi Sassu, you arrive at Piazzetta di Monteponi, where you find the church dedicated to Santa Barbara, the entrance to the Villamarina tunnel, and other mining sites.
Entering the mine, in front of the roundabout, the road climbs up to the Palazzina Bellavista (former residence of the Monteponi Mine director), from where you can continue the stage or take a loop route to explore significant aspects of this historic mining complex. 1*

From Palazzina Bellavista, the unpaved track leads over the area of the Fanghi Rossi (red mud—residue from the metallurgical plants at Monteponi mine, and particularly the Electrolysis process which recovered zinc from 1926 for about fifty years; the red colour is due to high iron content). You pass the end of the large inclined plane, which brought railway wagons directly to the mine, then descend towards the SP 84, crossing to reach the hamlet of Monte Agruxiau (Iglesias).
Continuing and leaving behind the church dedicated to Santa Barbara and the piazza of the still partially inhabited mining village, you begin to climb on a paved, bike-accessible road towards the former village and mine of Monte Scorra (235 m asl).
Passing the remains of Monte Scorra’s houses and technical buildings, you reach Nebida (hamlet of Iglesias) and walk along the scenic viewpoint, where you can enjoy a magnificent landscape: from the golden beaches of Gonnesa to the south, to the red cliffs (coloured by Ordovician puddingstone—a 500–435 million year old, bright vermilion red geological formation), and to the north, the brilliant white Pan di Zucchero sea stack (maximum height 133 m asl) with its gleaming limestone coastline.
Below the viewpoint, clinging to the red cliffs, are the remains of the majestic Lamarmora Washing Plant, towering over the Gulf of Leone.
This impressive building, built from 1881 to the plans of engineer Giorgio Asproni following cutting-edge mining architecture criteria, housed machinery powered by a large steam generator. On its three floors, ore was cleaned and processed. The complex also featured a roasting furnace alongside the main building, and, on the seashore, a landing pier.
Back on the route and through Nebida, you pass the church of Santa Barbara, the entrance to the Grotta dell’Ascensione tunnel, and near the Posada (formerly the carabinieri barracks), where, with prior booking, you can stay overnight.
Leaving Nebida (175 m asl), you take SP 83. After a series of downhill hairpins, you reach the Masua junction (134 m asl).
2* From here, you can continue the stage or take the longer out-and-back, which leads to the beautiful Masua beach and, further on, the mining site of Porto Flavia (visitable with prior booking).

Back on the main route, you continue along SP 83 facing a tough ascent of about 4.5 km, climbing from 134 m (asl) to 437 m (asl), at Monte Cani pass, with an average gradient of about 12%.
Past this challenging section, you descend at an average 7.2% gradient, to the Acquaresi–Buggerru junction, passing the large Acquaresi sinkhole (to the left), and follow the switchbacks down to Cala Domestica.
3* Shortly before the Cala Domestica turn-off, you can take the old disused railway from the Gutturu Cardaxius mine, now an unpaved track leading down to the beach and follow the proposed OUT-AND-BACK.

Back on SP 83, you climb towards the plateau overlooking Buggerru from the south, with a 3.9% ascent, reaching the junction for the unpaved road that, if you turn right, leads to the ruins of the Pranu Sartu mining village 4*. Here, for more experienced riders, you can try a short out-and-back route to visit the now nearly vanished ruins of the old mining village.

Continue on SP 83 and, after another series of switchback descents into the narrow Buggerru valley, you reach the town centre and take Via Roma leading to the marina, where you can admire, on the right, the remains of the imposing Malfidano Washing Plant. Climbing back up into the town, you can visit the Mining Museum.
The ore processing plant at the Malfidano Washing Plant, which closed in the early 1970s, comprised two sections for treating calamine and lead-sulphide ores, with a total processing capacity of 450–500 tonnes per day.
Leaving Buggerru and continuing on SP 83, you descend towards the vast coastline. Just before the road running parallel to the long beach, you come to the turn-off for San Nicolò on the left, where an alternative route starts.
Also in the town centre, on Via Ospedale, is the current Posada di Buggerru located at the Eco Ostello, offering accommodation for bikers and bicycles.

1* OUT-AND-BACK TO MONTEPONI.
From Palazzina Bellavista (190 m asl), the route climbs to the entrance of Pozzo Sella, an imposing Art Nouveau structure considered one of the foremost examples of mining industrial archaeology. It was built between 1872 and 1874 to solve the problem of draining underground water from the Iglesiente ore basin (it now houses a museum display, open by prior booking). The route continues uphill to the large Cungiaus excavation (192 m asl). Past the remains of the roasting shaft towers, you can reach, after leaving your bike at the entrance, a panoramic point offering views of the huge excavation and the layers of mining developed over the centuries, from Roman times to the industrialization of the mine (1861–early 1990s).
Back on the bike, you descend along an unpaved track passing several disused and abandoned buildings, returning to the access road near the IGEA mining archive (closed to the public), and return to the area in front of Palazzina Bellavista to rejoin the main route.
Palazzina Bellavista was built in 1865 to a design by Eng. Adolfo Pellegrini, director of the Monteponi Company, to house the mine management. Later, it became the company headquarters and, after mining activities ceased, was abandoned. In the 1990s, it was fully restored for public use and since 1996 it has been home to the "Association for the University of Sulcis-Iglesiente", AUSI Consortium, a branch of the University of Cagliari.

2* OUT-AND-BACK TO MASUA – PORTO FLAVIA
Descending on the paved road to Masua beach, you pass on the left what was once the residential area of the mining village (now almost completely uninhabited), and skirt the vast mining complex with its huge settling ponds dominating the landscape.
From the car parks serving Masua and Portu Cauli beaches, take the unpaved track through the pinewood, following the coast to the entrance of the Porto Flavia Mining Site. Much of the route offers unique views over Cala di Masua, dominated by the massive Pan di Zucchero sea stack.
Porto Flavia was built from an innovative and ingenious design by Eng. Vecelli, who named the structure after his daughter Flavia.
The visible part of Porto Flavia is the loading and docking area overlooking the cliff, with a tower-like structure reminiscent of medieval castles. The core is inside the mountain, with two superimposed tunnels built on different levels and, between them, nine silos also excavated from the rock.
The upper tunnel, used for transferring ore and loading the silos, was served by a Decauville railway (a portable narrow-gauge railway with pre-assembled tracks, usually used by small trains carrying tipping carts—here, for transporting ore). The tunnel below the silos housed a conveyor belt that could extend outside the tower, protruding over the sea, so ore could be loaded directly onto ships moored at the quay, speeding up cargo operations.
After parking your bike and visiting Porto Flavia, return to the main road by climbing from the 14 m (asl) beach car park back up to the 134 m (asl) junction, on a climb of roughly 2.5%.

3* OUT-AND-BACK TO CALA DOMESTICA
Following the route of the old mining railway, now an unpaved track, from SP 83 you reach Cala Domestica beach, passing the distinctive, heavily overgrown old roasting furnace structure. Continue along the service road to the beach and car parks. In summer, the area is equipped with two kiosks, one on the beach and another at the large parking area, so you can find refreshments.

4* OUT-AND-BACK TO PRANU SARTU – FOR EXPERIENCED RIDERS
Taking the unpaved road to the right towards the Pranu Sartu ruins, you can enjoy stunning views of the coast and spot the Galleria Henry area, where the tourist train can now turn around. Returning to the junction, continue towards Buggerru along the unpaved descent (average gradient 10%) of the Via Crucis, marked by a shrine to Santa Barbara and, at the end, the entrance for Galleria Henry visits (check times and booking required).
The Galleria Henry, now open to visitors, can be travelled on an electric train which takes visitors through a maze of tunnels characterised by windows carved into the cliffside rock above the sea.
These openings offer evocative views of the coastline and breathtaking panoramas over the sheer drop to the sea.