Valle di Lanaitto

Would you like a trip to the heart of the Supramonte? To masterpieces of nature, springs, grottos and former bandit hideouts? Then the tour in the valley of the Lanaitto river is just the thing. It would be a lunar landscape made of limestone if it weren't covered in lush forests: centuries-old holm oaks, turpentine pistachios, maples, junipers and wild olive trees line the winding gravel paths that were once only known to shepherds and charcoal burners. A region whose silence is only broken by the rustling of the leaves. No wonder that bandits have repeatedly sought shelter in this solitude.

Immediately after the start, the first sight appears in the literal sense of the word - the Sorgente Su Cologne. It feeds the Cedrino river with enormous pressure, which flows into the Flumineddu and supplies the entire area with water. This makes it one of the most important springs in Sardinia. And curiously, also one of the least explored. This is because its underground extent is too extensive and convoluted. It cannot be reached with conventional diving.

The route continues through dense holm oak forest along the Lanaitto valley. Wide track, decent surface. The final stop is the hiking car park at Monte Tiscali. It is believed that the 518-meter-high mountain was the last refuge of the Nuraghi from the Romans. Their settlement is hidden in a huge karst cave. The disadvantage: if you want to see it, you have to put on hiking boots.