Accessible trails

From a naturalistic and landscape point of view, this is one of the most striking stages of the Trail, thanks to the extraordinary beauty of the granite reliefs of Piscina Irgas that were modelled by watercourses.

The holm oak woods, the Mediterranean scrub and the various mining excavations along the way are also fascinating.

This route is not very challenging because of the length, but because of the elevation gains that you need to overcome.

Safety and useful tips

Along the way, you will find a series of fords: the first is on the Rio Cannisoni before the steep climb along the path leading to the waterfalls of Piscinas Irgas; after the downhill from the waterfall viewpoint, you have to cross the Rio Oriddano less than three times; finally, you have to ford the Canal of Perdu Marras.

When you reach the viewpoint on the waterfalls of Piscinas Irgas, it is advisable to stay on the path without venturing into the gorge that houses the basin into which the waterfalls pour. As a matter of fact, this deviation is very challenging, because it proceeds along a poorly defined and very steep path which, if taken, must be tackled both downhill to reach the reservoir and uphill to resume the route.

In Arenas, you will see some ruined mining buildings; avoid crossing any fences and/or venturing inside them, but always admire them from a distance without leaving the Trail.

The stage runs through an isolated territory, therefore it is good practice to communicate the departure from Monti Mannu and the arrival in Arenas (in Arenas the phone connection will work in elevated areas and in particular near the buildings of the old Genne Carru Mine, which you will encounter at the beginning of the next stage). It is therefore advisable to download the offline version of the stage track.

Grazie alla straordinaria bellezza dei rilievi granitici di Piscina Irgas che sono stati modellati dai corsi d’acqua nel corso dei secoli, questa è, dal punto di vista naturalistico e paesaggistico,  sicuramente una delle tappe più suggestive del Cammino. 

Di grande fascino anche le foreste di lecci, la macchia mediterranea e i numerosi scavi minerari che si incontrano lungo il percorso.

Il percorso  è da considerarsi impegnativo non tanto per la lunghezza, quanto per i dislivelli che occorre superare.

This stage will lead you to barite quarries and several archaeological sites (Domus de janas of Su Cungiau de Tuttui, Nuraghi Moddizzi, Murrecci and Corongius Longus).

Lush vegetation with beautiful juniper trees covers the hills above the urban centre of Masainas.

You will have occasional glimpses of the landscape, where you can admire the sea in the distance.

The uphill slope that must be climbed at the start of the route to come up from the Is Zuddas caves (102 m above sea level) and reach the pass of Monte Moddizzi (374 m above sea level) is quite challenging.

Safety and useful tips

Upon leaving Is Zuddas, follow the SP 70 road for about 500 m to arrive in Su Benatzu. Pay attention to vehicular traffic and to the crossing in order to reach the correct side of the road.

Afterwards, you can proceed quite easily along the signed dirt roads that characterise the itinerary. However, it must be said that the stage is very long, therefore it is necessary to prepare adequately.

As you arrive in Piscinas, you will walk through the main street of the village, which is in fact the SS 293 road, therefore pay attention to urban traffic.

Also when you reach Giba, you will find the same situation as before, as you have to cross part of the town on the main road which is still the SS 293. Therefore, pay attention to urban traffic and any crossings.

Upon arriving in Masainas, just before reaching the memorial stone, you have to cross the southern outskirts of the village while passing through Via Roma, which is none other than the urban route of the SS 195; therefore make sure to pay attention when crossing and passing along the streets of the village.