Day 5 · Tuesday

Day 5 · Tue 3 NovPiscinas dunes, Buggerru and Porto Flavia

Down the Costa Verde to the old mining coast. Desert-sized dunes in the morning, at the end of a dirt road through a ghost mining valley. Lunch in a harbour town, a 1920s port tunnelled through a cliff, and sunset over the Pan di Zucchero sea stack.

Leave08:15check out of Cabras
Driving≈ 150 km≈ 4 h 15 incl. dirt road
Dirt road5 kmNaracauli → Piscinas
Porto Flavia≈ 15:00book ahead · €13
Sunset17:23Nebida belvedere
SleepNebidanight 1 of 2

Before you set off

  • Book Porto Flavia for this afternoon, ideally a 15:00–16:00 slot, at iglesiasturismo.it (Biglietti → Porto Flavia). €13 each. No November timetable has been published (checked 26 Oct), so phone or email IAT Iglesias (+39 0781 274507, infoturistiche@comune.iglesias.ca.it) this week to confirm there is a tour on Tue 3 or Wed 4 Nov, then book. Be there 15 min early: late arrivals aren’t admitted.
  • Closed shoes for Porto Flavia: they’re mandatory, and there are 108 steps.
  • Fuel in Guspini or Arbus. There’s nothing at Piscinas or Ingurtosu.
  • Water and snacks for the dunes. Assume nothing is open at Piscinas in November.
  • Read your rental contract on unpaved roads: the last 5 km to Piscinas is a washboard dirt road.
  • Check out of Cabras.

Step by step

  1. 08:15Drive

    Cabras → Ingurtosu

    75 km · 1 h 35
    SS131SS126SP66
    1. From Cabras into Oristano, then onto the SS131 southbound, towards Cagliari.
    2. After about 15 km, exit for SS126 Marrubiu / Terralba. Take the Terralba bypass, then the SS126 south through San Nicolò d’Arcidano to Guspini. Fill up here (Esso, Eni or Q8).
    3. Carry on to Arbus (IP station). Leave town on the SS126 towards Fluminimaggiore for about 6 km.
    4. Turn right onto the SP66, signed Ingurtosu / Piscinas. Wind down 4.3 km to the abandoned mining village of Ingurtosu, with its castle-like director’s house.
    Optional: Montevecchio

    From Guspini the SP66 climbs to the Montevecchio mine village (+25 min), then the SP68 takes you on to Arbus. Don’t take the direct Montevecchio → Ingurtosu road: it has 3 km of unpaved track.

  2. 09:50Drive

    Ingurtosu → Piscinas

    8 km · 25–30 min
    SP66dirt road
    1. Through Ingurtosu and down the valley past the ruins of Naracauli (2.4 km, still paved).
    2. From Naracauli, Via Bau is unpaved all the way to the beach, about 5 km. It’s potholed washboard but fine in a dry small car at about 20 km/h. Coming from this side, there is no river ford.
    Piscinas beach car park Check on the day

    A big sandy car park behind the beach, next to the Hotel Le Dune (probably closed). In summer an attendant takes €5–10 in cash; in November it’s probably unstaffed and free.

    Cost: Probably free in November

    Navigate here ↗Pin39.54084, 8.45027

  3. 10:151Stop

    Dune di Piscinas

    One of the largest dune systems in Europe: sand hills 50–100 m high rolling back from a 4–7 km wild beach, with old mining rails sticking out of the sand. In November you’ll have it to yourselves.

    Walk

    Time1 h 30
    TerrainSoft sand
    ShadeNone
    1. 10:15From the car park walk to the beach and turn north (right) along the shore to the mouth of the Rio Piscinas, 10–15 min.
    2. 10:30Climb inland onto the big bare dunes either side of the river mouth. The view south runs down the whole Costa Verde.
    3. 11:15Back down to the beach and south to the car. Stay off the vegetated dunes: they’re protected.
    Free1 h 30
    Vid Pogacnik · CC BY-SA 4.0
  4. 11:45Drive

    Piscinas → Buggerru

    37 km · 1 h 10
    dirt roadSP66SS126SP83
    1. Back up the dirt road to Ingurtosu and the SP66 to the SS126. There is no coast road south of Piscinas.
    2. Turn right (south) on the SS126 for about 5 km over the Genna Bogai pass.
    3. Turn right onto the SP83, signed Portixeddu / Buggerru. 11.5 km along the coast past Portixeddu and San Nicolò beach into Buggerru.
    Buggerru, south car park

    A free surface car park at the south end of town, by Galleria Henry. 700 m on foot to the harbour. Street parking on Via Roma is also likely free in November.

    Cost: Free

    Navigate here ↗Pin39.39608, 8.39753

  5. 13:002Lunch

    Lunch in Buggerru

    A tiny mining town squeezed into a valley mouth, with a harbour at the bottom. Ask about Galleria Henry, the 1892 mine tunnel along the cliffs.

    • La Privilegiata, pizza and local food · +39 0781 548030 · Tue–Sun lunch and dinner
    • Stella Maris, fish and pizza · daily 13:00–15:00
    • Galleria 13 Bistrot · +39 347 982 7871

    Hours come from OpenStreetMap and aren’t confirmed for November: phone first. Supermarkets Isa and Pam are in the centre, for picnic supplies for tomorrow’s hike.

  6. 14:05Drive

    Buggerru → Porto Flavia

    16 km · 40 min
    SP83
    1. South on the SP83 along the cliff road, past the Cala Domestica turn (tomorrow’s hike), then down towards Masua.
    2. Just before Masua, follow the brown signs for Porto Flavia.
    Porto Flavia car park

    A small free car park, unpaved. The ticket office is about 200 m further on foot. Be there 15 min before your tour with the receipt: late arrivals aren’t admitted or refunded.

    Cost: Free

    Navigate here ↗Pin39.33661, 8.41649

  7. 15:003Stop

    Porto Flavia

    A 1924 mining port tunnelled straight through the cliff. Ore was loaded from inside the mountain directly onto ships through a gallery that opens high in the cliff face, facing the Pan di Zucchero sea stack. The guided tour walks the 600 m upper tunnel, then 108 steps down to the lower gallery and the balcony over the sea.

    Guided only, ≈ 50 min€13 adultsNovember times: check the calendar
    DeeJay05 · CC BY-SA 4.0
  8. 16:15Drive

    Porto Flavia → Nebida belvedere

    6 km · 20 min
    SP83
    1. Through Masua and south on the SP83 (Corso Pan di Zucchero) to Nebida. Park by the belvedere.
    Nebida belvedere

    Free roadside spaces by the belvedere, plus a car park just south (39.30969, 8.43658). There are free toilets at the belvedere.

    Cost: Free

    Navigate here ↗Pin39.31099, 8.43660

  9. 16:404Sunset

    Sunset at the Nebida belvedere

    A paved loop walk with railings above the sea, looking down on the ruined Laveria Lamarmora (an ore-washing plant from 1897) and north to Pan di Zucchero. Walk to the south viewpoint (39.30960, 8.43508), which faces west-south-west over the open sea. Sunset ≈ 17:23.

    Laveria Lamarmora is closed

    The Iglesias tourism site (May 2026) says the laveria can’t be visited because of safety work, and the ministry listing says the stairway down from the belvedere is closed too. Watch from the belvedere and respect the fencing.

    Mboesch · CC BY-SA 4.0
  10. 18:005Evening

    Check in and dinner

    In Nebida: Al ’906 Operaio, right on the belvedere; Dal Capitano; or Pizzeria Mare (+39 338 251 9169). Masua’s places are summer-only. More choice 10 km away in Gonnesa: S’anninnia (+39 0781 45132), Da Lollo pizza (+39 350 041 4769). Conad City in Gonnesa for groceries. November opening isn’t confirmed for any of them.

If things change

If Porto Flavia has no tour today

Try to book it for tomorrow afternoon instead. Today, walk down to Masua beach (parking at 39.33286, 8.42093) and sit under Pan di Zucchero, then go on to Nebida for sunset.

Easier version

Skip Piscinas and take the SS131 / SS130 straight to Iglesias (1 h 30). Coffee in the old town, then Porto Flavia and a lazy afternoon at Masua.

If it rains

Porto Flavia is inside a tunnel, so keep it. Don’t drive the Piscinas dirt road after heavy rain. Instead: a guided tour of the Montevecchio mine (open on Tuesdays in November by booking, 10:00–13:00 and 15:30–18:30, surface tour €5, underground €12, +39 338 459 2082). The Su Mannau caves close from the end of October.

Numbers and links

Porto Flavia

On the road

  • FuelGuspini (Esso, Eni, Q8) · Arbus (IP) · then Buggerru
  • La Privilegiata, Buggerru+39 0781 548030
  • Emergency112