Sardinia in May Hiking Cala Pischina Monti Russi

After an early start to see the dawn,

on Saturday we decide to partially fill in a gap on the hiking itinerary between Spiaggia Rena Maiore and Portobello. We did some parts last year and repeated some this year but the part we are doing this morning is new. We drive to the car park next to the bar on the main road heading south from Santa Teresa Gallura just above Cala Pischina. Here a short path takes us down to the coast and along towards the south. This part of the coast is quite wild. The path still exists, quite clearly, there’s no risk of getting lost, but the undergrowth hasn’t been trimmed or cleared for a while and in some places we have to push through it, getting quite scratched on our legs and in places arms. Long trousers would have made it all easier but after nearly two weeks in Sardegna we are in summer mode shorts. The coastline here is barer of flowers compared to the sections between Rena Maiore and Cala Pischina and between Naracu Nieddu and Vignola, but the reddish rocks and blue sea are dramatic and there’s nobody around.

We persist past a bay at the foot of Monti Russi and then stop for a drink of water and a tarallo or two. It’s interesting but it’s quite tiring and so we decide to head back. We’re not keen on getting scratched a second time so after the bit in the pine forest (easy to walk there, and cool) we follow the wider dirt track, almost a road which according to the satellite view on google maps, should take us back to our car. It’s surprisingly hot away from the cool breeze on the coast and we have to scramble over a fence at one point but we make it back ok. An interesting walk and the coastline is dramatic but the overgrown vegetation is a little off-putting.

After a leisurely lunch we head back down to Rena di Ponente beach. It’s far too windy to swim but we manage to find a slightly sheltered place along the rocks in the Capo Testa part and relax in the warm late afternoon sun.

In the evening we watch the sunset at Capo Testa, pleasantly distracted by a man on the rocks in front of us with a small dog who is enjoying his owner's attention and eventually climbs on his head.