Path Description
DEPARTURE: Carbonia 92 m (asl)
ARRIVAL: Portoscuso 11 m (asl)
TECHNICAL DATA:
- Length: 34.3 km
- Difference in altitude: +392 m and –477 m
- Maximum gradient + 11.0 %
- Minimum gradient -13.6%
Highest point: (Serra Maverru Necropolis) h: 159 m (asl)
COME AND GO CAPE ALTANO
Length of the return journey: 7.26 km
Start/end point (Square in front of the entrance to the Vecchia Tonnara Su Pranu): h: 10 m (asl)
Highest point (Capo Altano panoramic point): h: 53 m (asl).
STAGE DESCRIPTION:
From Posada di Carbonia, the stage begins by following Via Costituente to the roundabout near the sports field and taking Via della Stazione, which is the first on the right.
Near the roundabout just off the route, you can reach Carbonia Station, which has a direct connection to Cagliari.
The Carbonia train station, like those in Iglesias and Villamassargia, are connected to both the Port of Cagliari and Elmas Airport, so there's nothing stopping you from starting your Camino by bike from these hubs, following the circular route and then returning to your chosen starting point.
Along the route, continue along Via della Stazione, passing the commercial area of Carbonia and continuing north where at the end of Via Dalmazia you turn left and immediately after, after passing the service station, you turn right to continue west towards the intersection with the SS 126.
At the crossroads, turning right, follow a stretch of the main road in a north-northwest direction until you reach the roundabout at the beginning of the hamlet of Flumentepido.
Once you have gone around the roundabout and entered Flumentepido by taking Via delle Querce, you will arrive at the small church of the Madonna di Flumentepido and continuing along the road you will arrive near the purification plant.
Shortly before the purification plant, turn right onto the dirt road that runs alongside the Rio Flumentepido and continue until you reach the intersection with the SS 126.
Here, given the danger of crossing the state road, we recommend considering crossing the riverbanks, which are concreted at this point and allow passage under the SS 126. This crossing can be done by dismounting your bike and only if the river is not in flood. If you decide to cross the state road, however, extreme caution is advised.
Once past this delicate passage, continue on a dirt road following the course of the Rio Flumentepido, passing the junction for Medau Desogus and arriving at the ramp that takes us to the level of the former railway line, near the old iron bridge, which allowed trains to cross the Rio.
After a short stretch along the former railway line, at the first crossroads, take the dirt road on the right and continue straight towards the small village of Acqua Callentis.
Once past the town, continue on the asphalt road that takes us past the country church of Nostra Signora dell'Ausilio, the crossroads for the village of Caput Acqua and continue north to Medau Brau and beyond, passing the small hamlet of Terra Segada.
After passing this last settlement, after about 500 m, you cross the road that turns south-west, arriving at the buildings of the former Cortoghiana mine.
The Cortoghiana Mine was founded in 1889, following the discovery of a significant local coal deposit. Granted in concession to the Filippo Birocchi Company with Rector's Decree of July 31, 1892, after several changes of ownership, it became the property of the Società Mineraria Carbonifera Sarda in 1934, until its complete decommissioning in the late 1960s and its sale to private individuals in 1973.
The deposit was only partially exploited due to the presence of aquifers and the high costs of extraction and transportation.
Once past the abandoned industrial buildings and reaching the memorial stone for the accident that involved several miners, turn left and reach the traffic light on the SS 126, at the entrance to Cortoghiana, a town designed in 1939 near the mine of the same name and inaugurated on May 15, 1942, in the presence of the leader of the fascist regime, Benito Mussolini.
After crossing the intersection with the main road, you enter the town where the urban organization of the town, of rationalist style, stands out, travelling along Viale Amedeo di Savoia and arriving at Via Irma Bandiera where the vast Piazza Venezia stands out, a typical example of architecture from the Ventennio.
At the end of the square, turning right onto Via M. Grambassi, you reach the western outskirts of the town and here you can either turn left and take the Variante, or stay on the stage that turns right onto Viale Amedeo di Savoia.
This leads to the entrance to the pine forest, where a dirt road begins among the trees and the numerous archaeological remains of this site.
The dirt road in fact continues northwards, climbing for 2.2 km from an altitude of 97 m (asl) to an altitude of 159 m (asl) with a moderate gradient of 2.8%, arriving at the Necropolis of Domus de Janas of Serra Maverru.
The necropolis is made up of around ten domus de janas of various structures and typologies (single-chambered or circular with various burial chambers), dating back to the recent Neolithic (Ozieri culture), dug into the trachyte.
The tombs were reused until the Early Bronze Age, given the findings of some ceramics and a trepanned human skull.
Near the necropolis, towards Nuraxi Figus, the remains of a village and numerous structures are still visible, including nuraghe, sacred wells, megalithic circles, and Giants' Tombs, which reveal the presence of a well-structured Nuragic settlement in the area.
Once past this site, you begin to descend towards Nuraxi Figus. Along the way and in its vicinity, there are numerous archaeological sites to be seen, from the Megalithic Circle of Murru Moi to the Nuraghe of Nuraxi Figus to the Giants' Tomb of Su Narboni di Ciccunieddu to the Nuraghe Arenas, until you reach the eastern outskirts of Nuraxi Figus where you come across the Sacred Well of Is Arenas.
Once you reach the town, turn right to continue along Via Roma and reach the Ethnographic Museum (which can be visited by reservation) and the Parish of Sant'Isidoro Agricoltore.
Continuing along Via Roma, after about 250 m (asl) you will find the intersection with Via Sandro Pertini, which you take by turning left and at the second turning on the left you take the road that passes alongside the Nuraxi Figus mine area and subsequently crosses the Portoscuso wind farm, until it intersects the SP 02 near the Portovesme industrial area.
Between 1969 and 1972, the Portovesme industrial complex was created through public initiative. It integrated all aluminium processing operations through three companies: Eurallumina for the processing of bauxite, Alsar for the production of primary aluminium, and Sardal and Comsal for further processing.
Furthermore, the public company EGAM, in addition to taking over the management of the few remaining open mines, built the lead and zinc processing plants in the early 1970s, which were then radically renovated by Eni in the 1980s.
In addition to these companies, Enel installed a thermoelectric power plant on this site, fueled by coal extracted from the mines. Its energy production accounted for 45% of the total energy produced in Sardinia. It is estimated that the Portovesme and San Gavino plants employed a total of approximately 3,600 people.
the decline of this productive reality and the progressive closure of the entire mining sector has caused the profound employment crisis in the entire Sulcis Iglesiente area in our day.
Once you have crossed the provincial road and entered the industrial area, turn left towards the hamlet of Paringianu and, just before reaching the town, turn right onto the dirt road that runs alongside the sludge basin.
Once on this dirt road, head first towards Sa Punta De S'Aliga and then follow the coast to return to the industrial area up to the industrial and maritime port where the ferries to Carloforte dock.
Leaving the port and taking the sandy dirt road that heads towards Portoscuso, you pass Cidano Park and arrive at the entrance to the seafront. Follow this road past the marina and then take Via Marco Polo, which takes you to the square in front of the Parish Church of Santa Maria d'Itria and the entrance to the Tonnara Su Pranu.
The 16th-century “Su Pranu” tuna fishery, declared a cultural heritage site by the Ministry of Culture, is the most important testimony to the ancient system of fixed structures for tuna fishing in Sardinia and represents a magnificent example of 17th-century architecture with Aragonese influence.
It is representative of the history of Portoscuso, since the town developed around the presence of this activity.
The complex extends over 1 hectare and includes a recently renovated master's residence, fishermen's quarters, warehouses for equipment and fish processing, a church, and an impressive arsenal for boats, all arranged seamlessly around the large courtyard open to the sea.
The stage ends here, but if you wish, you can continue on from here to Capo Altano, a particularly beautiful coastal point from which you can enjoy a wonderful view that extends from the island of San Pietro to Pan di Zucchero.
COME AND GO CAPE ALTANO
From the entrance to the Tonnara, proceed north along the picturesque Via Torre and arrive at the Torre di Portoscuso, of Spanish origin, which was one of the "gagliarde towers" (heavy defense, cannons and mortars) of Sardinia.
Once back on the route, first take Via Gramsci and then turn left onto Via Don Mignioni, arriving at Via Deledda on the right and skirting the pine forest until you reach the residential area of Villaggio del Sole.
From here, we take the convenient cycle path that takes us to the panoramic area of Capo Altano overlooking the sea. After visiting the fortifications and admiring the beautiful coastal panorama, we return to the small square in front of the Tonnara and finish the stage.
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