Sardinia unknown: The path to Torre della Pegna

by Zsombor

Travel blog: Sardinia Unkown

 

Alghero (and surroundings) is truly amazing. Just think of all the places you can go to: Porto Ferro, Punta Giglio, Bramassa, not to mention the famous beaches and above all the stunning old town. And now this: the magnificent path from Capo Caccia (Belvedere) to Torre della Pegna. Best hike of 2015 so far. I mean look at this view!

To tell you the truth I’d been looking for this place for a long time before we actually found the path. Actually if you see it on the map it doesn’t seem that long but it took us about two hours to get to Torre della Pegna which is a Spanish coastal tower built in the 16th century 200 meters above the sea level. The path is basically on the hilltop between those two little islands – Isola Foradada and Isola Piana – you can see them on the map right above Grotte di Nettuno (which by the way is the famous cave system of Alghero). To get a closer look click on the map!

This is probably not that kind of hike that I would do in the summer – at least not in July or August – and flip-flops may not be the right choice if you care about your feet and make sure you bring some water with you as you got a 3/4 hours walk in front of you (back and forth) unless you want to run… but why the hell would you do that when every 10 minutes you can have a glimpse on the shoreline from a different angle, right? You’d better watch your step while you’re walking on the edge of the rock…

I know it seems easy to follow the coastline when you see it on the map but I can tell you it’s not that obvious while you’re actually doing it. Due to bushes, rocks and slopes (and to the fact that we didn’t know exactly how far torre della pegna was) sometimes we a got lost for a second until THEY arrived. The pathkeepers. The everlasting tour guides. Omini di pietra. Their name literally means stone dwarves and they are a sort of milestones.

The only trustworthy signs on the road that lead you directly to your destination without leaving you in the middle of nowhere. I’m still looking for the answer who piled them up and most importantly when. They have been put along the path almost from the very beginning and if you pay attention and get used to the sight of them you’ll find them every 20 – 30 meters until you get to the tower.

And once you get there I’m sure you’ll stay there for a while…

 

Zsombor

Sardinia Unkown