Stage 02 – from Buggerru to Pitzinurri (Coastal Route)

DEPARTURE: Buggerru 1 m (a.s.l.)

ARRIVAL: Pitzinurri 369 m (a.s.l.)

TECHNICAL DATA:

• Length: 34.5 km
• Elevation gain: +1014 m and –685 m
• Maximum incline: +13.8%
• Minimum incline: -12.1%
• Highest point: Passo Bidderdi and SP66 road to Pitzinurri / 464 m a.s.l.

 

Possible detours to visit noteworthy spots:

OUT-AND-BACK PORTIXEDDU

Length: 695 m

Start/end point (Junction road to Fighezia / Portixeddu): h: 15 m (a.s.l.)

Lowest point (Little square below Via degli Asfodeli): h: 8 m (a.s.l.).

 

ALTERNATE ROUTE ON DIRT ROAD GENNAMARI – VILLA IDINA

Stage length with variant: 50.0 km

Length of variant including all out-and-backs: 75.1 km

Elevation gain/loss: +1215 m / -1147 m

Max incline: 13.6% / -13.1%

Average slope: +4.2% / -3.8%

Start of variant (Dirt road to former Gannamari mining village) at km 35.8 of the stage

End of variant (Just after Posada di Pitzinurri – Dirt road descent to Villa Idina) at km 45.1 of the stage

Highest point (on dirt road Gennamari – Villa Idina near P.ta Lorenzeddu): h: 415 m (a.s.l.).

 

STAGE DESCRIPTION:

Leaving the town of Buggerru and heading towards Portixeddu, continue along Provincial Road SP83, which initially climbs the ridge overlooking Buggerru's beach and the Laveria Malfidano, before descending towards the coastal beach system of San Nicolò and Portixeddu.

After passing the beaches and following the seafront, you arrive at a junction where, turning left, you can reach the hamlet of Portixeddu, or arrive at a crossroads where, by turning right, you continue on the stage along a dirt road, while turning left, you can take a short out-and-back route 1* to visit the small hamlet of Portixeddu (Fluminimaggiore), perched at the end of a long sandy shoreline.

 

Continuing on the stage, if you take the right turn at the crossroads, proceed for about 1.7 km on a partially paved road that passes through the riverside countryside near Portixeddu, reaching the area of Loc. Fighezia, before turning north at the junction leading to the current Posada di Portixeddu, located near Hotel Golfo del Leone.

Proceeding north, the route climbs at a 6% average incline on a sandy dirt road that leads to a small saddle (238 m a.s.l.) between Punta Genn'e Carru and Monte Rana.

After reaching the saddle, begin to descend, still on the same dirt road, arriving at the intersection with the paved road to Scivu.

Taking this road, and turning left, you soon reach the junction with the road leading to the parking area for Scivu beach (in summer, this equipped area has a kiosk where you can find refreshments).

Continuing on the paved road, known as the Scivu municipal road, in a gentle ascent, you finally reach a junction where to the left you arrive at the entrance to the Penal Colony of Is Arenas (where the road is then closed), while to the right, you take the road that climbs with a steady incline (initially 4.1%) heading south, before bending north to climb over the vast dune system of Piscinas and reach the ruins of the old Gennamari mine village (438 m a.s.l.).

2* At kilometer 25.3 and an elevation of 413 m a.s.l., there's a junction onto a dirt path offering an alternative route to reach Pitzinurri, coming from the Gennamari Mine.

 

Continuing on asphalt instead, the route continues uphill and soon intersects the SS 126, which you take by turning left.

After 4.8 km on the SS 126, you'll find the junction for Pitzinurri, which you take by turning left onto the SP 66, leading after a few downhill curves to Pitzinurri and specifically to the Posada of Fondazione CMSB, where this stage ends and where cyclists and bicycles can find shelter.

 

3* For those who wish to further extend the route, it's possible to follow the road that from Pitzinurri descends to Piscinas beach, after which you must retrace your steps along the same path.

 

1* OUT-AND-BACK PORTIXEDDU

Taking the road to Portixeddu, you immediately reach the small square overlooking the beach below, offering a splendid view over the entire coast.

Returning to the crossroads, take the dirt road to resume the main stage.

 

2* ALTERNATE ROUTE ON DIRT ROAD GENNAMARI – VILLA IDINA

Taking the dirt road, proceed at elevation and, after passing the ruins of the Gennamari Mine, admiring the breathtaking panorama over the Piscinas dunes below, you pass onto a mining road rich in excavations and traces of past mining activity.

This route, which has an uneven surface, ends near the remains of Villa Idina, a splendid example of a “Liberty” style building that was the summer residence of Lord Brassey, president of the Pertusola Mining Limited Company, who dedicated the house to his wife, Lady Idina.

After passing the villa, proceed with caution, as the final stretch of the variant is very rough due to rain and lack of regular maintenance. If necessary, it is advisable to proceed carefully; less experienced cyclists may want to walk the last 200 m (a.s.l.).

After the challenging descent, you reach the SP 04 road, which reconnects you to the main stage.

 

3* OUT-AND-BACK PISCINAS

With a descent of about 7.8 km and an equal climb with an average gradient of 3.5%, this long out-and-back route lets you discover numerous remnants of past mining activity.

Leaving the village of Ingurtosu, you soon find on your left Pozzo Gal, named after Paul Gal, Chairman of the Board of Penarroya, the French multinational that owned the Pertusola mines in Italy in the 1920s. The shaft, located in the Harold site, reaches a depth of about 200 m and entered service in 1923. Pozzo Gal was designed for underground mining of the lead-zinc ore in the Brassey vein, processed in the nearby flotation plant, and it was used from 1926.

Today, the mining complex has been restored and converted into the multimedia “Mining Memory” museum, which can be visited by reservation.

At the end of the paved road, you come across the ruins of Pozzo Lamberti and the remains of the mining village of Naracauli.

Shortly after, descending along the dirt road, you can admire the imposing ruins of the Laveria Brassey, which still show the architectural care given to early 20th-century industrial buildings. Located in the abandoned village of Naracauli, it takes its name from the owner of the mine, Englishman Lord Thomas Allnutt Brassey. It began operation in the early months of 1900. Intended primarily for processing lead-zinc ore to extract mainly zinc, the plant was served by various nearby shafts, which sent the ore to the washing plant via cableways and narrow-gauge railways. The plant separated ore from quartz gangue and was for years among the most important gravity separation plants in Sardinia. Dismantled in the 1970s, today it represents one of the most evocative and significant icons of Sardinia's mining architectural heritage.

Continuing along the dirt road, you reach the Piscinas beach parking lot, near the Ara del Sole monument by the sculptor Pietro Casella.

Upon reaching the beach, retrace the downhill road and climb back to Ingurtosu to resume the route.