The Asinara trails

The Granite trail
(sentiero del granito)

The Granite trail
(sentiero del granito)

Breathtaking landscapes and uncontaminated coves

The granite trail starts on the eastward track from the visitor centre of Fornelli. When you reach the first pond behind the dunes, keep left and head inland, until you cross the dirt road that goes from the maximum security prison of Fornelli to the prison of Santa  Maria.

At the hilltop, go down towards Punta Barbarossa. You will spot on the left a small body of water, particularly appreciated by water birds and herons in winter. As you go through the old tumbledown gate near the sea, you enter the world of granite. The coastal path runs along coves, Mediterranean scrub, rushes and small temporary ponds, up to the two beaches of Punta Li Giorri.

Here, the path becomes slightly more challenging and you will come across 3 granite quarries, still with a few working tools and handmade shelters. In the final part, in Cala Sant’Andrea, skirt the brackish water and the full protection area to join to the concrete road leading back to Fornelli. After passing the maximum security prison, follow the road down to the trailhead in order to complete the loop.

Trailhead: Fornelli

Arrival: Fornelli

Length: 11,4 km

Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes

Elevation gain: 75 m

Loop trail

The trail is mostly suitable for cycling.

Start from the visitor centre of Fornelli.

Trail highlights:

The horses of Asinara

On your way, you are bound to see horses in the plains of Fornelli.

Cala Sant'Andrea

What with its white sand and its turquoise water, Cala Sant'Andrea is one of the best-known beaches of Asinara. Although you may see it from the trail, access to the beach is strictly prohibited, as it is a full protection area.

Water and granite

Crystal clear salt water characterises the stretch of coast along the Granite trail.
Watch the video

Find your way

Print the description

You can download the trail description in PDF format on the page dedicated to the trail, so you can print it out and take it with you during the hike.

GPX trail

After choosing the trail, download the GPX track to make sure you find your way.

Hiker's tips and code of conduct

  • Do not leave the path.
  • Do not enter “A zones” (marked in red on the digital map).
  • Given the long exposure to the sun, the typically high temperatures on the island and the lack of shade, hiking and cycling are strongly discouraged in the summer months.
  • Do not collect any plant, animal, rock or sand. Do not leave traces: please take your garbage back with you and dispose of it in a rubbish bin.
  • Since availability of drinking water is limited, please take enough water with you.

This project was funded by

And carried out by

Thanks to the support of

Sponsored by

About us

Our love for hiking and our wish to encourage sustainable tourism brought about the creation of our company Janas Trek in 2019. We generate digital content to enhance areas along multi-day hiking trails and promote networks of small local businesses.

Janas Trek Srls

Viale Mameli 8b, Sassari (SS),
07100, Italy
P.I. 02776760908
[email protected]  
[email protected]

The forsaken church

The charming little forsaken church of Fornelli is now a shelter for wild animals.

The wash house

The old wash house takes us back to the daily activities that were carried out on the island.

The church of Cala Reale

The church of Cala Reale can be seen from the sea.

Mediterranean garden

This small botanic garden shows the species endemic to the island of Asinara.

Cala delle Barche Napoletane

This bay is renowned for its fine white sand and turquoise water.

Cala le Soriane

Cala le Soriane is an ideal stopover along the trail.

Cala Murighessa

Not far from the village of Cala d’Oliva, Cala Murighessa, with its turquoise water, is named after the mulberry tree, “murichessa” in Sardinian.

Cala delle Barche Napoletane

This bay is renowned for its fine white sand and turquoise water.

Trabuccato Tower

The island’s oldest tower of defence was designed by Andrea Perez, ordinary captain of the Works of the Kingdom of Sardinia. It was built in 1609 and underwent several restoration works during the 18th century. The tower features a flat roof and a domed vault.

Winery of Trabuccato

Panoramic view of the Trabuccato Tower and, below, the winery. During the time of the penal colony, this area was dedicated cultivating grapevines and producing wine.

Trabuccato

These buildings were once used for the third period of quarantine.

The quarantine periods

Along the way you can find the buildings of the first and second periods: these refer to the various quarantine periods on the island. The official use of the island as a lazaret for the Kingdom of Italy dates back to 1885.

The Austro-Hungarian ossuary

This large ossuary was built in 1936 at the behest of the Austrian government. The building stands uphill near the long pond, on the eastern slope of Mount Ruda. Inside are the remains of 7048Austro-Hungarian soldiers exhumed from the various cemeteries.

Domus de Janas

Largo spazio alla natura nell’area dietro Campu Perdu, in direzione “Mare di fuori”. In pochi minuti ci immergiamo nella natura incontaminata dove è facile incontrare la fauna dell’Isola.

Campu Perdu

The farming branch of Campu Perdu, situated in the namesake settlement, is part of the agricultural penal colony, established on the island in 1885. It was built after the First World War and hosted inmates working in farming.

The Austro-Hungarian chapel

This small chapel in the vicinity of Cala Reale sets us off on to this historical path.

Gli Stretti

The 290-metre-wide Piana gli Stretti is the narrowest part of the island.

Islets of Cala Sgombro di dentro

A beautiful archipelago southeast of Tumbarino.

Tumbarino

The wildlife observation centre was created renovating some buildings of the former prison settlement of Tumbarino. The rooms, which used to be prison cells, now host exhibitions and multimedia areas: a green hall for educational projects, a wildlife observation centre and a bird ringing site.

Spalmatore beach

This beach of fine white sand is located at the southern end of the island, west of Fornelli. The beach is accessible and visitors to the park may bathe here.

Cala Sant'Andrea

It is the northernmost beach of Asinara and probably the most beautiful. In winter, a small brook divides it in two. Due to their fragile ecosystem, the magnificent turquoise bay, the dunes and the juniper grove are now out of bounds: access to the beach and bathing are strictly prohibited.

Punta Li Giorri

Punta Li Giorri is situated at the end of a small granite peninsula which features two splendid bays.

Punta Barbarossa

This is the southernmost part of the island. The cape, which is named after the famous pirate, looks like a rocky projection stretching out towards Stintino.

Prison of Santa Maria

This is one of the most recent and modern branches. Horses, pigs, goats and calves were bred here and agriculture was practised using animal-drawn ploughs. This branch was also dubbed “foreignlegion”, as 95% of the inmates were foreigners.

Castellaccio

The Castellaccio fortress is a ruined medieval castle overlooking most of the island and the Strait of Fornelli. Its outer walls are on average 11 metres thick, and occasionally up to 14 metres thick. The entrance leads to a square with some ruined buildings, including a large rectangular one, which perhaps once served as lodging for watchmen who worked on the towers.

Spring and tank

You will encounter a spring whilst ascending towards the Castellaccio fortress. The tank above it has a simple and ingenious “overflow” system that supplies a drinking trough for cattle.

Prison of Fornelli

The Fornelli prison was the first detention centre built on the island. It was built during the Years of Lead to imprison members of the Red Brigades, hence the maximum security cells.

Cuile Zonca

This building was once used for farming. It marks the beginning of the descent towards Cala d’Oliva.

Punta Maestra Serre

Panoramic view from Punta Maestra Serre where radio towers – now disused – have been installed.

Elighe Mannu

The holm-oak grove in Elighe Mannu is the largest green lung of the island.

Punta Scomunica

Punta della Scomunica rises to a height of 408 metres atop the northern massif. It is the highest peak on the island.

Case Bianche

Casa Bianche was among the most inland detention centres. It used to accommodate relatively independent inmates, who would carry out tasks without being closely supervised.

Cala Giordano

Cala Giordano is situated on the east of the island, just opposite Punta Sabina. Its small beach, about 50metres long, is made of coarse golden sand and light-coloured pebbles.

The former Semaphore

The former Semaphore worked from 1924 to 1975 as a rainfall station and from 1937 to 1975 as a thermometric station. It consists of three buildings: the actual meteorological station, a small structure presumably used during the war as an ammunition depot and accommodation for the foreman.

Cala d'Arena

It is the northernmost beach of Asinara and probably the most beautiful. In winter, a small brook divides it in two.
Due to their fragile ecosystem, the magnificent turquoise bay, the dunes and the juniper grove are now out of bounds: access to the beach and bathing are strictly prohibited.

Cala d'Arena Tower

The construction of the tower started in 1610: it has the shape of a truncated cone, its diameter at the base measures about 12 metres and its entrance is 4.5 metres above the ground.

Cala Sabina

Also known as Cala dei Ponzesi, it is framed by a granite promontory to the north-east of Asinara. The beach of fine white sand is studded with a few rocks and immersed in the lush Mediterranean scrub, whose colours and aromas characterise the entire coast of the national park.

The lighthouse of Punta dello Scorno

The lighthouse, located on the north-west of the gulf of Asinara, was built in 1854 and activated in 1859 by the Royal Office of Civil Engineers of the Kingdom of Sardinia. The circular tower is about 35 metres high and was built in the centre of a three-storey building. It was manned until it was completely automated in 1977.