Path Description
TECHNICAL DATA STAGE 12:
- Length of Stage 12: 27.0 km
- Difference in altitude: +709 m and –633 m
- Maximum gradient + 17.9%
- Minimum gradient -14.6%
STAGE 12 DESCRIPTION:
Taking the ferry from Portovesme, after just 40/45 minutes of crossing, you dock in Carloforte where Stage 08 begins.
Upon arrival at the port, Via Cavour with its Art Nouveau buildings and large, centuries-old Ficus trees welcomes tourists and, once off the ship, you walk along this street until you reach the northern part of the town.
Turning left and taking Via Pertini, you enter the inland area of the island and, following the extension of the road on an asphalt road, you reach the crossroads that leads to the first back-and-forth, which you follow following the natural extension of the road without turning left.
Following the road, you begin to descend towards Cantagallina Beach and, after passing the small inlet, you arrive at the renovated buildings that were once the storage facilities for the Bilancelle, which, operated by the Galanzieri, shuttled between Carloforte and the coves on the Sardinian coast. Here, the minerals mined in the various mines were loaded to be taken to the port of Carloforte and loaded onto ships bound for the Italian mainland.
From here, if you wish, you can reach the renowned Tacca Rossa beach.
Returning uphill to the crossroads you took to begin the back-and-forth, you turn right and continue uphill, arriving after about 1.1 km at the crossroads with the first variant of this route which, like all the variants contemplated for this stage, is configured as a long back-and-forth.
At the previously mentioned crossroads, turn left and begin to descend towards the coast.
Shortly before reaching the La Punta cliff (northern tip of the island of San Pietro), on the left you come across the particular globoid geological formations and subsequently, on the right, the ruins of the old tuna fishery and immediately afterwards the buildings of the new private tuna fishery, the Tonnare PIAM.
The beginning of this tuna fishery's activity dates back to the second half of the 17th century when the first premises and subsequently the processing plant were built on Isola Piana, a small island located less than a mile from the locality of “La Punta”.
In 1711 the property was sold to the Marquis Francesco Pes di Villamarina and subsequently remained the property of the Marquises Pes di Villamarina who rented the business to various Genoese merchants.
In 1898, Marquis Salvatore Pes di Villamarina e d'Azeglio directly managed the fishing activity, and in 1966 all the equipment and vessels were transferred to their current location in “La Punta”. From 1880 to today, the Carloforte tuna fishery has been owned by a family company, the Greco family.
The bluefin tuna, caught during the "mattanza" (fishing season) and the so-called "Corsa" (their migration, which occurs between April and June), are immediately processed into oil-packed preserves directly at the Tonnara facilities. A distinctive feature is the use of rectangular metal cans (bauletti) manually packed with olive oil and sea salt. This product represents a Sardinian culinary excellence.
Once you reach the cliff, you can appreciate the beautiful panorama that extends from the nearby Isola Piana (a private island) to Capo Altano.
We resume the route, this time uphill with an average gradient of 3% from the 5 m (asl) of the cliff, we return to the 69 m (asl) of the crossroads which, turning right, rejoins us to the Stage.
From the crossroads for Tonnare, taken by turning right to take the variant, proceed north for a few dozen meters, then the road bends west and after about 1.3 km you cross the small road that, turning left, turns north and takes us to Punta delle Oche.
Once you take the small road, continue downhill and after about 3 km, past the Fungo rock that can be glimpsed on the right of the path, you reach the Punta delle Oche area which remains overlooking the sea.
Near the clearing near the cliff, an ancient Punic tomb is visible, and at the base of the cliff there is a sea cave, a popular destination for diving enthusiasts.
Continuing along the road, the climb begins, which from an altitude of 45 m (asl) takes us to 185 m (asl) in just over 3 km, with an average gradient of 4.6%.
Once the climb is over, the stage route returns to the road that continues downhill towards the West.
At the crossroads on the stage in Loc. Gioia, turning right you begin to follow the road that ends at the Belvedere di Capo Sandalo.
Halfway along the trail, you'll come across a fork in the road that leads down to the abandoned Capo Becco Mine, famous for its manganese ochre (limonite) and jasper (a vitrified material used in the Neolithic period for its similarities to obsidian). Here, you can still see some buildings, the remains of the cableway, and the generator that once produced the energy needed for production.
Continuing towards Capo Sandalo and just before reaching the panoramic area, you come across the car park for Cala Fico beach and the Centre that manages the LIPU Oasis of Carloforte, where you can monitor the state of the island's particular birdlife, particularly the Eleonora's Falcon (Falco eleonorae), which has its nesting areas near the cliffs overlooking the sea.
Shortly before reaching the Capo Sandalo viewpoint, you will notice the large Capo Sandalo lighthouse on the right, which is the westernmost lighthouse in Italy.
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