The Best Day Hike on Sardinia: Capo Figari

An Active Adventure Near Sardinia’s Costa Smerelda

I didn’t know much about Sardinia when we were planning our trip to Italy. I had heard a little about the famed Costa Smeralda and all the wealthy travelers and their amazing yachts, but that’s about it. It seemed like an exotic adventure to tack on to our trip and a chance to unwind on the beach for a bit. When we realized that flying from Naples to Olbia is relatively cheap, we went ahead and booked it.

The Naples airport was busy, and our flight was delayed for a couple of hours, but we finally made it to Olbia, picked up our rental car and drove to our hotel in Golfo Aranci, a tiny fishing village known for its beautiful beaches and proximity to many attractions including the Costa Smeralda. The staff at the Gabbiano Azzurra were friendly and helpful, and our room had a private little terrace that overlooked a perfect crescent of beach. Included in our room price was a large breakfast buffet every morning in the hotel waterfront restaurant.

We were hoping for some hiking, and the concierge recommended nearby Capo Figari, a promontory and nature reserve. After some trial and error with google maps, we found public parking and started exploring. There are some beaches near the entrance to Capo Figari and indeed we saw people laying out and enjoying the sunny day. We skirted around the beaches and found the trailhead.

We tried two different trails for some medium level hiking among the juniper and oak trees keeping our eyes peeled for wild boars and falcons. I would have enjoyed spotting a falcon but maybe not a wild boar. The trails are very well maintained and are easily doable in a couple of hours. We brought water and a snack with us, and that was sufficient. The September sun beat down on us, so hats and sunscreen are a must. 

The peak of Capo Figari is 1,122 feet and has an amazing panoramic view of the Gulf over Olbia with its crystal-clear water and wild cliffs. The tiny, steep Island of Figarolo juts out of the water across from the promontory.  Its undersea granite base dramatically rises out of the water, and its limestone cliffs are impressive. We couldn’t take our eyes off it.  In addition, at the peak of Capo Figari are the remnants of Marconi’s radio telegraph observatory. This is where Marconi sent the first radio link over water Between Sardinia and Rome in 1932. It was fun poking around and exploring the ruins of his observatory. 

In total we covered 3.3 miles for nearly two hours of hiking. Our day was moderate rather than strenuous which had been our goal. We felt like we had earned some beach time and returned to our hotel for a swim, an aperol spritz, and some relaxing. Beach naps may have occurred.  

To cap off a beautiful day we took a fifteen-minute walk from our hotel into the village of Golfo Aranci for a special dinner overlooking the water. We watched the departing ferry and the sunset while we feasted on seafood and toasted to a terrific day. If you have time to fit Sardinia into your Italian itinerary go for it.

If you are interested in more information about hiking in Italy check out my article on hiking to the unusual Queen’s Baths in Sorrento here. Make sure to click “Subscribe” in the upper right hand corner so you don’t miss any of my posts.

HELPFUL INFO:

• Hotel Gabbiano Azzurra
• Ristorante Gentedimare Piazza dei Pescatori, 1, 07020 Golfo Aranci SS, Italy
• Capo Figari trails
• Trail shoes by Altra are my favorites
• PACsafe convertible backpack served me well