[ad_1]
(CNN) — The ‘Camino 100 Torri’ – or 100 Towers Path – is made up of over 1,000 kilometers of mostly oceanfront paths that circle the island of Sardinia, and may not be Italy’s most famous walk, but it is one of the most spectacular.
Full of blood-red sunsets, ancient architecture and beautiful beaches, this epic tour departs from the city of Cagliari on the southern tip of Sardinia.
From there, eight different routes totaling 1,284 kilometers await hikers, offering hikers the best that Italy’s second largest island region has to offer.
The full experience takes an average of 45-60 days to complete. But for those short on time, it can easily be broken down into smaller trips.
The main highlights, as the name of the trail suggests, are the 100 stone watchtowers along the Sardinian coast. Built in the 1500s and 1700s to defend against enemy raids – including pirates – most have fallen into haunted ruins, though some have been transformed into lighthouses and private residences.
Once wandering by warriors, merchants, pilgrims, priests and marauders, the trail rewards today’s hikers with the unique scents and landscapes of the Mediterranean coast, with its purplish rocks, twisted beach tree branches and grains of sand as thick as rice.
Table of Contents
A spiritual journey
The 100 Towers Path takes walkers past fishing villages, ancient chapels, castles, salt pans, abandoned caves, ponds and desert-like sand dunes, with views of the translucent waters of Sardinia never far away.
But for Nicola Melis, a local engineer who rediscovered the 100 Towers Path six years ago and has circumnavigated the island alone four times since then, its allure goes behind nothing but beautiful scenery.
“It’s more than just a path, it’s a spiritual pilgrimage into your innermost self,” he tells CNN Travel. “Doing it alone is a physical and mental challenge. You conquer the deepest beauty of Sardinia through effort, and it is worth it.
“I like the toughest parts, like the steep walk to the high cliffs of Baunei, along the Ogliastra path, with the greatest views, because you rely only on your own strength and stamina. Your first walk here you never forget, it is like having your first car or girlfriend.”
On certain parts of the trail, hikers can soothe their weary feet in the warm waters of the Mediterranean.
Nicola Melis
Melis says that what prompted him to restore and promote the route was the discovery of a 16th-century soldier’s pamphlet that mapped the entire network of defensive towers. The soldier completed the route on horseback and then, mentally changed by the long journey, decided to become a monk.
How to handle it?
When it extends in a straight line, the 100-tower path is long enough to connect the Italian Alps with the deepest southern lands. The furthest from the coast is only two kilometers inland.
Hikers are advised to start counterclockwise from Cagliari, which will allow them to avoid the intense Mistral northwest wind that would blow against them at the start of the walk, making it more difficult.
Travelers can also join one of the association’s regularly organized groups, usually made up of 20-60 hikers, or go on their own journey for as many days as they like. It is open all year round.
Hikers who choose to go it alone are advised to evaluate their abilities and fitness before heading out and keep in mind that they may hike under a blazing summer sun.
“You need to be fit, prepare to strain your muscles, and avoid carrying a backpack that is more than 10% of your body weight,” Melis says.
“You will find fountains and bars for drinking water along the way, but sometimes they are far away, so study the journey carefully.”
Giants, Angels and Demons
Melis says there are four trails that have become particularly popular with hikers.
The shortest and easiest, ideal for beginners, is the 62-kilometer Angel Trail that runs from Cagliari in the north to the holiday resort of Villasimius.
The walk starts at one of the oldest chapels in the city and passes through the first five towers in a ring-shaped direction. Dubbed ‘the devil’s saddle’, it continues past baby powder and pebble beaches, quiet coves, caves and seabeds of coral reefs.
The Sarcapos route is next, which runs for 143 kilometers from Villasimius to Tertenia and offers mostly pure beach bliss along the pristine coasts of Costa Rei. It takes about 5-7 days to complete this hike, which includes a pond inhabited by pink flamingos, rocky hills, a river and the ruins of a Phoenician lost city, a temple and a necropolis.
The scents of strawberry and mastic trees, myrtle and oak trees mingle with the salty sea breeze.
The most challenging route is the Ogliastra, on the east coast, suitable for experienced hikers. It runs for 144 kilometers and takes almost a whole week to complete, leading the craggy mountains of Baunei to enchanting sea rocks such as Cala Gonone, through pine and juniper forests, natural rock arches, old sheepfolds, old coal merchants and donkey trails used by shepherds.
It takes travelers into the untouched wilderness of Sardinia and offers breathtaking panoramas.
The 100 Towers Path consists of eight trails that stretch for 1,284 kilometers.
Nicola Melis
Archeology enthusiasts will love the pagan “Giant Path” on the Eastern Sinis Peninsula, another must-do section of the 100 Towers Path. The name comes from the area’s primitive nuragic dwellings, called “Giants,” which resemble miniature Stonehenges.
Hikers meander through the lost Phoenician city of Tharros, the ruins that dot the landscape, and come across sacred pagan springs, an ancient Roman road and aqueduct.
Meanwhile, on the southwest coast, the Mines Trail cuts through the high white sand dunes of Piscinas, a huge desert-like powder-white beach with one of the most translucent seas in the Mediterranean.
Abandoned mines and oddly shaped sea stacks like the “sugar loaf” are the main stops.
“The 100 Towers Path connects 26 different coastal habitats, each with their own idiosyncratic vegetation and wildlife. You’ll encounter beach deserts, rocky granite hills and 40 protected oases with wild boars, sea turtles, cormorants and maritime pine forests,” says Melis.
Monasteries and glamping by the sea
The towers along the trail were built in the 1500s and 1700s to defend against enemy raids.
Alessio Orr / Adobe Stock
Melis’ 100 Towers Path Association unites walkers, publishes online calendars of group travel and offers a wide range of suggestions for accommodation, beach bars (“chioschi”) and restaurants with special prices for walk participants.
Entry to the trail is free, but private guides are available for tailor-made short tours. The cost is approximately 150 euros ($150) per day for two people.
Hikers can choose from 200 member companies for their daily pit stops.
Sardinia’s north coast tends to be more touristy and crowded in summer, while the rest of the island, especially the south west coast, is more authentic and unusual, allowing walkers to fully experience the thrills of the 100 Towers Path.
[ad_2]
Source link
