Day 8 · Friday

Day 8 · Fri 6 NovCosta Rei, Capo Ferrato and Villasimius

A slow last day of beaches and easy headland walks on the south-east corner: a wild granite cape, Costa Rei’s long white beach, a sandbar with sea on both sides, and flamingos below a Spanish tower at sunset.

Leave09:00
Driving≈ 80 km≈ 2 h 15
Walk≈ 8 kmCapo Ferrato, easy
SwimPunta Molentisfree off-season
Sunset17:16Porto Giunco tower
SleepVillasimiusnight 2 of 2

Before you set off

  • Picnic and water for Capo Ferrato: there’s nothing open at the cape.
  • Swimsuits: Punta Molentis is the best swim of the trip’s last days.
  • Punta Molentis is free again. The 2026 ticketed, capped access ended on 31 Oct.
  • Pack tonight: you leave at 06:15 tomorrow. Put the car keys, passports and boarding passes by the door.

Step by step

  1. 09:00Drive

    Villasimius → Cala Pira

    14 km · 25 min
    SP19
    1. Leave Villasimius north on the SP19, the Castiadas coast road (the SP17 ends at Villasimius).
    2. After about 12 km, turn right for Cala Pira.
    Cala Pira Check on the day

    Park on the access road behind the beach. Should be free and empty in November.

    Cost: Free in November

    Navigate here ↗Pin39.17235, 9.57085

  2. 09:251Stop

    Cala Pira

    A short stop: a white cove below a Spanish tower (39.17291, 9.57469), with granite and juniper. A 15-minute walk up to the tower for the view north to Costa Rei.

    15–20 min
  3. 09:50Drive

    Cala Pira → Capo Ferrato

    20 km · 30 min
    SP19SP18SP97
    1. Back to the SP19 and north, then the SP18 “Via del Mare” through Costa Rei. You’ll stop at the beach on the way back.
    2. At the north end, turn right onto the SP97 for 6.8 km to Capo Ferrato. Park at km 9, by the Pizzeria Capo Ferrato.
    Capo Ferrato, SP97 km 9 Check on the day

    A car park by the Pizzeria Capo Ferrato, used as the start point by CAI Cagliari. Another car park is nearer the end of the road (39.29737, 9.61674).

    Cost: Free

    Navigate here ↗Pin39.29647, 9.60883

  4. 10:202Walk

    Capo Ferrato: coast walk to the lighthouse and the coves

    A wild granite and juniper headland at the north end of Costa Rei, with clear water and almost nobody around in November.

    The walk, step by step

    Distance≈ 8 km return
    HeightLow, small ups and downs
    Time≈ 2 h 45 + picnic
    TerrainDirt track, then rough path
    1. 10:20From the car park head down to the Porto Pirastu beach (39.29676, 9.61294), past the Nuraghe Porto Pirastu and a pine-wood picnic area.
    2. 10:35Follow the easy dirt track east, just above the sea, for about 3 km.
    3. 11:20Faro di Capo Ferrato (39.29934, 9.63356): an unmanned 11 m Navy lighthouse, gated.
    4. 11:30Past the Forestas barrier the track becomes a rough path with ups and downs, on to the coves of Portu s’Illixi and Cala Sa Figu. Picnic there.
    5. 12:30Walk back the same way.
    6. 13:30Back at the car.

    Alternative: trail 402 up Monte Ferru (300 m, about 5.5 km) past the Torre di Capo Ferrato and a Domus de Janas tomb, with views over Costa Rei and the Sette Fratelli. Waymarking isn’t confirmed: use OsmAnd or another OpenStreetMap app.

    ≈ 8 kmEasyNo services
    Alex10 · CC BY-SA 3.0
  5. 13:35Drive

    Capo Ferrato → Costa Rei beach

    8 km · 15 min
    SP97SP18
    1. Back along the SP97 to Costa Rei and park anywhere along the front roads: free and empty in November.
  6. 13:503Stop

    Costa Rei beach

    Eight kilometres of fine white sand. A 30-minute walk along the shore, and coffee in the village if anything is open.

    30–40 min
  7. 14:30Drive

    Costa Rei → Punta Molentis

    29 km · 45 min
    SP18SP19
    1. South on the SP18 and SP19 back towards Villasimius. About 4.7 km before town, turn left for Punta Molentis.
    Punta Molentis car park

    A gravel car park (more at 39.13761, 9.55452 and 39.13874, 9.55571). Ticketed and capped only until 31 Oct. If the barrier is down, park on the access lane.

    Cost: Free in November

    Navigate here ↗Pin39.13763, 9.55227

  8. 15:154Swim

    Punta Molentis

    Walk 300–500 m down to the isthmus: a sandbar with a beach on each side and granite boulders at the point. The best swim of the day. The scrub behind was damaged by a fire in July 2025.

    ≈ 45 minSwim
    Maurizio Panicara · CC BY-SA 4.0
  9. 16:05Drive

    Punta Molentis → Porto Giunco

    7 km · 15 min
    local roads
    1. Back towards Villasimius, then follow signs south for Porto Giunco / Capo Carbonara.
    Porto Giunco car park Check on the day

    A big paid car park in summer (about €5), probably free now. Or the free Cava Usai car park (39.10627, 9.51828), which is closer to the tower path.

    Cost: Probably free in November

    Navigate here ↗Pin39.12005, 9.51982

  10. 16:205Sunset

    Porto Giunco, the flamingo lagoon and the tower at sunset

    Behind the beach is the Stagno di Notteri, where flamingos winter: watch from the sand bar between the lagoon and the sea. Then walk 15–20 min up from the south end of the beach (or from Cava Usai) to the 16th-century Torre di Porto Giunco (39.11047, 9.52174) for the 360° view over both. Sunset ≈ 17:16.

    Or, for the sunset over the water: the Fortezza Vecchia viewpoints by the marina (free car park at 39.11567, 9.50558), 10 min away.

    Sunset 17:16
    dronepicr · CC BY 2.0
  11. 19:306Dinner

    Last dinner

    In Villasimius (see Day 7), or La Vela (Via degli Oleandri 12, +39 392 878 0232) or La Cala. Off-season opening isn’t confirmed for any of them, so phone ahead; Doppio Malto is the safest bet. (Mesa de Janas is a beach place at Notteri, probably shut.) Early night.

If things change

Inland instead: the Sette Fratelli

A forest day in the mountains with Sardinian deer. Drive 50 min to Campu Omu (park at the old cantoniera, 39.30894, 9.39979, or Caserma Umberto Noci, 39.30532, 9.39365). The CAI loop of Bruncu Perdu Cossu is 11.5 km and +550 m (≈ 4–5 h, trails 801 / 800B / 800). Shorter: trail 801 out and back to Arcu de Giulianu (≈ 3 h). Start by 11:00.

Or: Cortes Apertas in Mamoiada

The Barbagia food festival runs 6–8 Nov (confirmed in the official 2026 calendar), with courtyards opened for food, wine and music, and the Mamuthones mask museum. About 2 h 15 each way.

If it rains

Cagliari is an hour away: the Museo Archeologico Nazionale (partly closed for renovation and the giants are now in Cabras, so phone +39 070 655911), the Bastione di Saint Remy and the Castello quarter, then dinner in the Marina quarter. Park outside the ZTL.

Numbers and links

Today

Villasimius

  • Conad CityVia Raffaello · Mon–Sat 08:00–20:30, Sun 08:30–14:00 and 16:00–20:30
  • Doppio Malto+39 070 804 6426
  • Emergency112