Trekking tour to Mount Irveri (Dorgali)

Our trekking tour to Mount Irveri (Dorgali)

• Very picturesque hike
• Intermingling of seaside and mountainside landscapes
• Long break by the Gulf of Orosei for a swim at one of its beaches 
• Lunch by the beach

Our one-day trekking tour to Mount Irveri will start at the lovely beach of Osala where we will park our Land Rovers a few kilometres off Orosei city centre. Soon afterwards, we will be hiking along a pathway running across black volcanic rock terrain from coast to coast for a ten-minute walk to Cala Cartoe beach, a genuine treasure of turquoise and transparent waters.

We will then set about climbing up the flank of Mount Irveri, a majestic massif towering 600 metres over the sea. Amid Mediterranean shrubbery, ancient olive trees and magnificent specimens of age-old junipers, the narrow pathway will gradually allow us to make out the lowlands of Orosei and Mount Tuttavista on the northside, whilst the Gulf of Orosei will deploy its vast marine panorama dazzlingly unfolding its manifold shades of blue, turquoise and emerald behind us.

Upon reaching our destination 350 metres above sea level, we will discover a marvel of pastoral engineering: the so-called “Cuile di Sa Tintura”, a traditional sheepfold of the early 1900s. The poor shepherds who designed it followed a codified set of rules involving a shrewd use of stones and juniper twigs. Positioned in a glade facing the Gulf of Orosei, this sheepfold will provide a dominating outlook embracing Cape Mount Santu southwards and the Punta Nera headland northwards.

Shall we stop under the strawberry trees and their welcoming shade to gaze at the lone peregrine falcon swooping down the crag? Lovers of photography will undoubtedly appreciate such wide-open spaces and picturesque perspectives. We therefore recommend the use of telephoto and wide-angle lenses in order to keep up with these unlimited shooting opportunities.

After this halt, we will resume our hike and double back to our starting point. The walk downhill shall prove even more exciting than the climb. We will proceed across fields, screes, junipers and the intensely green Mediterranean shrubs creeping up the mount on its eastern slope with the marine landscape constantly in sight.

A truly outstanding experience for its prismatic play of colours and the feeling of freedom that this corner of Sardinia never fails to infuse in us. A couple of metres above sea level, the trail following the coastline will take us back to Cala Cartoe beach. At this point, we will be facing a tough conundrum: either picnicking immediately or going for a dip into the crystalline waters without further ado. What will you choose?