South-west Sardinia: Costa del Sud, mines and the Piscinas dunes

Route description

Leave Cagliari south-west on the SS195 along the lagoons and salt pans to Pula. Nearby, Nora was a Phoenician and then Roman town on a headland, with mosaics, baths and a small theatre by the sea. Beyond Chia, the SP71 Costa del Sud is a panoramic road that twists along the cliffs above coves and beaches such as Tuerredda, with parking areas that charge in summer.

The road turns inland around the military zone of Capo Teulada and continues to Sant’Antioco, an island joined to Sardinia by a causeway, so no ferry is needed. The town has Phoenician tombs and Christian catacombs under its basilica. From Calasetta, at its north tip, ferries go to the island of San Pietro, a possible side trip. Then drive north to Iglesias, the old mining capital.

West of Iglesias, the SP83 coast road passes Nebida and Masua, where abandoned mine buildings stand above the sea. At Porto Flavia, tunnels built in 1924 inside the cliff loaded ore straight onto ships; guided visits must be booked, and the gallery opens straight onto the Pan di Zucchero sea stack. The road continues north over the hills to Buggerru, a former mining village with a small harbour.

The Costa Verde north of Buggerru is one of Sardinia’s wildest coasts. Reach Piscinas through the valley of the Ingurtosu mines; the last stretch is an unpaved road that fords a stream, fine for cars in dry weather but not for large motorhomes. Behind the beach, sand dunes rise far inland. End in Arbus, the small inland town above the coast. May, June and September are the best months.