Sardinia Day 2: Chia - Carbonia - Iglesias - Masua - Buggerru - Montevecchio

Chia

The day before, we had reached Chia at nightfall, so we quickly had set up our tent somewhere close to the beach, hoping we did not accidentally put it on someone’s private property. Unfortunately, our neighbors, a troop of horses, were having a pajama party and didn’t stop making noise until late. The next morning, two duplicates of the dwarf Sleepy, a tall one and a smaller one, slowly climbed the steps of the watchtower on Chia Beach.

We considered taking a stroll along the coastline, but laziness and strong winds chased us back in the car. The panoramic view from the watchtower had already given us an clear idea of what the surroundings looked like. As we drove on, the clouds cleared, so we briefly stopped at Capo Spartivento, a highlight of the hike we were supposed to make.

Carbonia

Charming descriptions such as “an intriguing exemplar of a new city, built in the late 1930s as housing for the numerous coal miners” had lured us into Carbonia. We were looking forward to exploring a city boasting with mining history, but were disappointed when we got there. Carbonia was so uninviting and industrial, that after driving through the center, we decided not to stop and continue our trip northwards.

Iglesias

Iglesias is often described as one of the most beautiful places in Southern Sardinia. It is indeed a nice town with narrow alleys, colorful houses and imposing monuments, such as the cathedral of Santa Chiara. We strolled around the center and hiked up to the castle, which was closed. Luckily, the hike hadn’t been for nothing: from up there, we had a nice view over the entire town.

By then the Weather Gods turned against us by throwing heavy downfall in our direction. Unsure what to do next, we still started our hike through Monte Marganai, a forest “with amazing lush vegetation and wild boars”. Our hike led nowhere, we got soaked and saw no boars (or any other living creature). So far for the “lovely hike through the forest”.

A forest like this could’ve been really nice to walk through, but the bad weather had ruined it all. We ran to the car for shelter and conjured up an ingenious plan B: drive on and pray it will stop raining by the time we reach our next destination.

Spiaggi di Masua

Further up along the coastline, another small, lovely beach, Masua, is the best place to take in the views of the Pan di Zucchero, a rocky outcrop rising sharply from the sea. Even when it’s cold, rainy and misty, this place remains amazing. Via a short flight of wooden steps you can reach the beach.

Buggerru: Cala Domestica

Close to Buggerru you’ll find the inlet of Cala Domestica, a beautiful gem set between white limestone cliffs. If you follow the rocks and walk through a small tunnel in the rocks, you’ll discover another beach hidden behind it. It is possible to hike from here to the center of Buggerru, which I would’ve liked to do if I had more time.

Montevecchio

It was dark already when we reached Montevecchio and it felt a bit scary to drive through its narrow streets, all empty, with old, abandoned buildings. We had hoped to get a good meal from a local restaurant, but that plan was soon buried, since nothing seemed to be open in this ghost town. All in all, it was a suitable ending of a mediocre, grey day.

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