Path Description
DEPARTURE: Nuxis 191 m (asl)
ARRIVAL: Piscinas 65 m (asl)
TECHNICAL DATA:
- Length: 34.2 km
- Difference in altitude: +389 m and –515 m
- Maximum gradient + 12.7%
- Minimum gradient -10.9%
- Highest Point Church of Sant'Elia 248 m above sea level
STAGE DESCRIPTION:
Proceeding inside the town of Nuxis and taking Via Santadi, you leave the town and, continuing along this road, you arrive at the small back-and-forth that allows us to visit the Sacred Well of Tatinu and shortly after, with another small back-and-forth, the Byzantine Church of Sant'Elia.
The sacred well of Tatinu differs from other similar structures in Sardinia because it lacks visible structures and a vestibule. The staircase (28-29 steps) and the water chamber, which together form a rectangular void, and the "bottle-shaped" section of the well, elliptical in plan, differentiate it from the well temples of Sardinia.
The Byzantine country church of Sant'Elia, built between the 9th and 12th centuries with small, unhewn stones, has a typical Greek cross plan, with barrel vaults and a central truncated cone-shaped dome.
After visiting these two important sites of interest, continue along the path you took and arrive in Santadi at the church of San Nicolò, where the upper part of the town is located.
The church of San Nicolò, dating back to the 15th century and rebuilt in the 19th century, represents the center of Santadi. Nearby, you can see an example of Sulcis customs in the Domu Antiga house-museum. It's also worth noting that in early August, you can witness the Mauritanian Wedding, a ceremony inspired by ancient rural traditions.
Also in the center, you can visit the Archaeological Museum, which displays some interesting finds from the nearby site of Pani Loriga and other archaeological sites in the area. Returning to the route and crossing the town, take Via Giardini, continuing along its extension onto Via Oristano, and exit Santadi.
Follow the dirt road parallel to Via Cagliari until you pass the Santadi shopping area, then turn left and return to Via Cagliari. Shortly after, you pass the roundabout, leaving the renowned Cantina Sociale di Santadi winery on your left, and continue towards Villaperuccio.
Once you enter Villaperuccio, after a short while you turn left onto Via Eleonora D'arborea, passing through the southern outskirts of the town, to exit it onto Via Santa Lucia and head south towards the small hamlet of Terrazzu.
Once you reach the inhabited area, on the left you can see the imposing Luxia Arrabiosa Menhir (one of the tallest in Sardinia), a megalith erected in the Neolithic era.
Continuing along the road, you soon come to a crossroads where, turning left and continuing on this path, you proceed on a dirt road and after a short while you follow the old railway line and arrive near the parking area serving the archaeological site of Pani Loriga (which can be visited by booking in advance and checking the opening hours).
Continuing along the dirt roads south of the archaeological site, among the local vineyards, you reach the small village of Barrua de Basciu. Here, at the intersection with the SP 70, if you turn left onto the dirt road, you can shorten the stage by arriving directly in Piscinas.
Continuing along the SS 70, you'll reach the Su Benatzu area, where the barite mine remains in the small village. Continuing along the provincial road, you'll soon reach the entrance to the Is Zuddas Caves, which can be visited by reservation and checking the opening times.
Along the approximately 500-meter tourist trail, you can admire impressive stalactites and stalagmites, passing through flowstones and stalagmite tubes, and the rare aragonite eccentrics that characterize this karst complex. At the entrance, traces of the Prolagus sardus, an extinct rodent that once inhabited Sardinia and Corsica, are still visible.
After visiting the site, take the SP70 again northbound, and at the first fork on the left, just before Su Benatzu, take the dirt road that follows the Rio di Murrecci stream towards Piascinas.
From this crossroads, turning right you join the LONG* route which is proposed as a more complete and challenging variant of this Stage.
After just under 7.5 km you reach Piscinas, where you can visit the Moorish Villa Salasar* and then enter the town and arrive at the former railway station where the Posada della Fondazione CMSB is located (soon to be activated as a HUB of the cycle path) and this stage ends.
*Designed by architect Giorgio Asproni, son of the Sardinian MP of the same name, and built in the late 19th century for the Salasar family of Iglesias, this elegant country villa, also known as Villa Bice, was purchased by the municipal administration in 2002 to renovate and convert it into a multipurpose cultural facility. The building, set in a beautiful park filled with centuries-old trees and rare trees, features numerous rooms and is U-shaped.
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