Walking in Sardinia - Paddy Dillon

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grow alongside mountain watercourses, while at lower levels dense growths of oleasters almost choke the seasonal riverbeds. Cultivated trees include olives and all manner of fruit and nut trees. Oranges and lemons are grown as much for their ornamental value in gardens as they are in fruit groves. Almond trees sprout masses of flowers in spring.

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      Young holm oaks often have spiky leaves as a defence against grazing animals

      The low, bushy, impenetrable macchia is often rich in species. These include aromatic and colourful lavender and rosemary, bushy broom and sticky cistus, dense and thorny species, and a range of delicate and colourful flowers that come and go through spring and summer, including crocuses and cyclamen. Some areas may be completely overwhelmed with stout asphodels.

      Sardinia is well placed on migration routes, so that between September and March all kinds of birds can be observed.

      There are great differences between the species that are attracted to the coast and to the mountains. Sardinia's low-lying marshlands and lagoons provide a habitat for the greatest number of species, including flamingos and herons, but are not visited on any of the walking routes in this guidebook. The cliff coast is often difficult to access, but provides good nesting sites for a variety of species.

      Inland, opportunities to observe birds increases, and wooded areas support woodpigeons, woodpeckers and partridges. Open areas may feature shrikes, finches and warblers, with kites and kestrels hunting. Cliffs are often home to choughs and crag martins. The mountains are the preserve of ravens, while raptors include sparrowhawks, goshawks, eagles and vultures.

      Sardinia's countryside is extensively grazed by domestic stock, including sheep, goats, cattle, pigs and horses. Some feral goats might be seen, as well as herds of horses grazing high in the mountains, and in one particular region, Sarcidano, an unusual breed, the Sarcidano horse, survives. Very occasionally it might be possible to glimpse wild boar, but these shun human contact. A rare breed of wild sheep known as mouflon has been reintroduced to Sardinia, along with small red deer, or cerv.

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      Goats graze throughout Sardinia, and their milk is often used to make a variety of cheeses

      There are snakes in Sardinia, more noticeable on the hottest days and absent on colder days. They are not venomous, and shouldn't be a problem for walkers, as they will generally move quickly out of the way. There are lizards in many places, and frogs wherever there is access to water. Spring and early summer are good times to see plenty of butterflies, while in some low-lying places mosquitoes might occasionally prove annoying.

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      Lizards are abundant and often take advantage of open areas to sun themselves

      Many maps of Sardinia show the outline of an extensive parco nazionale, or national park, encompassing the broad-shouldered schist mountains of Gennargentu, the Supramonte and the rugged limestone uplands and coast of Ogliastra. There was a plan to designate this area as a national park, but it came to nothing, so the lines drawn boldly on so many maps are meaningless. There is no doubt that the area deserves protection, but many of the comunes, and people whose livelihood depended on the land, opposed the plan, fearing that their rights would be restricted. Graffiti slogans – ‘no al parco' (‘no to the park') – appeared in many places and can still be seen today.

      Flights

      Few direct flights operate between Britain and Sardinia, especially in the winter months. Most flights serve Cagliari, in the south of the island, and Olbia, in the north – either of which can be used to access the area covered by this guidebook. Rather fewer serve Alghero, and this airport is the most remote from the routes in this guide. Airlines include Easyjet www.easyjet.com, Ryanair www.ryanair.com, Jet2 www.jet2.com, BMI Baby www.bmibaby.com and British Airways www.ba.com. If the little airport at Arbatax is developed in the future, it would offer immediate access to the bulk of the walks covered in this book. At the time of writing, it is served from Rome by Meridiana www.meridiana.it.

      Ferries

      There are useful ferryports at Cagliari and Olbia, with links to Italian ports, and most ferries are operated by Moby Lines www.moby.it and Tirrenia www.tirrenia.it. The occasional ferry from the Italian town of Civitavecchia to Arbatax, leading directly to the area covered by this guidebook, is operated by Tirrenia. There are other ports and operators, and sailings from France and Spain, but these are less useful as they berth too far from the area covered by this guidebook.

      Car hire

      Cars can be hired on arrival in Sardinia, and it has to be said that cars offer the easiest and most convenient approach to many of the walks in this guidebook. However, some walking routes are linear, and a car is less useful, unless drop-offs and pick-ups can be arranged. If hiring a car, be warned that some of the roads used to reach walking routes are long, lonely, narrow and bendy. In other words, it takes time to get to and from some walks, and it therefore makes more sense to be based in a number of villages near a selection of the routes than to drive long distances from a single base (see ‘Where to stay', below).

      By law, drivers must have their licences with them at all times, so don't ever leave yours behind at your lodgings. Road rescue (ICA) can be contacted by dialling 116. The driving distance between Olbia and Cagliari is about 300km (186 miles), using the SS125 road. At least 100km (62 miles) has to be travelled from either place before any of the routes in this guidebook can be accessed.

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      The village of Taquisara flares into life in the summer when the Trenino Verde arrives (Walk 33)

      Trains

      The layout of Sardinia's railways is simple, and journeys between some towns can be covered effectively and enjoyably. However, the rail network is little use for reaching the area covered by this guidebook. Although there is a railway station at Nuoro, anyone trying to catch a train from Cagliari or Olbia will be told quite bluntly to catch a bus instead. In the middle of summer, a couple of incredibly convoluted mountain railways operate, known as the Trenino Verde. These are best enjoyed by railway enthusiasts, and while they are immensely scenic and enjoyable, they are too slow and infrequent to be of use to walkers.

      Buses

      Buses allow all towns and most villages within the area covered by this guidebook to be reached, and the author used them effectively while researching this guide. However, anyone relying exclusively on buses needs dedication, as the system is not easily understood. Timetables are almost impossible to get hold of once you are in the area. Even at the main bus stations, details are scanty at best, and you will struggle to get hold of anything useful.

      Buses often run from early in the day until late, surprisingly regularly in some places and less frequently in others (maybe only once a day, and perhaps not at all some days). You need to know the level of provision before you reach the area, and the only place to locate the information you need is the main bus website – Azienda Regionale Sarda Trasporti (ARST) www.arst.sardegna.it. Information is available only in Italian, and it is a struggle to figure out how the

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