Best Hiking Trails in Sardinia — The Complete 2026 Guide

Sardinia's best hikes divide into four distinct landscapes: the Supramonte canyon country in the east, the La Maddalena archipelago in the north, the western coastal parks (Porto Conte, Capo Caccia), and the Gennargentu plateau in the interior. Each offers a completely different terrain, flora, and cultural context.

The island's hiking trails range from easy 2.5-hour coastal walks with aperitif finishes to full-day canyon expeditions that require reasonable fitness and a licensed guide. What they share is a quality of wild landscape and historical depth that rewards any level of walker who leaves the beach.

Su Gorropu is the hike every serious walker in Sardinia has heard of — Europe's deepest canyon at 453 metres, carved by the Flumineddu river through Jurassic limestone in the wild heart of the Supramonte. Inside the canyon, silence replaces the outside world, the walls close to just a few metres apart, and the rock is full of 150-million-year-old marine fossils.

Two guided approaches exist. The shorter route from Cala Gonone (6 hours, 12 km, E-rated difficulty) includes a 4x4 transfer and a traditional Sardinian lunch with local wine beside the gorge. The full-day expedition from Dorgali or Orosei (8 hours, hotel pickup included) allows more time inside the canyon and adds the geological and botanical commentary that makes the terrain comprehensible.

Both tours cap at 8 participants — book weeks ahead from May to September. See the gorropu canyon hike from Cala Gonone and gorropu canyon trek from Dorgali posts for full details.

Cala Coticcio on Caprera Island in La Maddalena Archipelago National Park is one of those beaches that circulates endlessly on travel photography — an impossibly turquoise cove surrounded by pink granite boulders that has been nicknamed 'Sardinia's Tahiti' since before social media existed. It is accessible only on foot or by boat, and the National Park strictly limits daily visitor numbers.

The guided hiking tour (7 hours, 3.2 km trail, Tourist difficulty) approaches via the official Park path with a licensed guide — mandatory by law. The trail through the rocky pink-granite landscape of Caprera is beautiful in its own right, and the beach arrival after 1.5 hours of walking hits differently than stepping off a boat. Snorkelling in the natural pool is included, and the day ends with a Sardinian aperitif in a pinewood picnic area. Full details in the Cala Coticcio hike guide.

Tiscali is unlike any other hiking destination in Sardinia: a 3,000-year-old Nuragic Bronze Age village concealed inside a vast collapsed limestone cave on Monte Tiscali. The settlement was built here by a Sardinian people who understood that the cave roof provided shelter, camouflage, and a natural fortress — the ruins of circular stone dwellings still stand to waist height inside the cavern, and a guide is the only way to make sense of them.

The full-day guided hike (8 hours, hotel pickup from Orosei, Dorgali or Oliena) passes through the Lanaitho Valley's oak and juniper woodland before the steep climb to the cave entrance. The ridge walk along Monte Tiscali offers views across central Sardinia that few tourists ever see. An entrance fee of €6 per person is paid on site in cash. Full details in the Tiscali nuragic village hike guide.

The Rio Pitrisconi hikes in the Monte Nieddu mountains near San Teodoro are specifically designed for summer — when Gorropu Canyon is dangerously hot, these 4-hour jeep-and-hike tours combine accessible mountain trekking with swimming in natural granite pools and waterfalls, finishing with a panoramic view from the 615-metre Pala di Monti lookout over the entire Gallura coast.

Two operators run variations of this tour. Bruno Manzoni Excursions (tour-4) operates a private-group Defender 4x4 tour that follows the ancient charcoal-burners' mule tracks into the wild interior of Monte Nieddu — a more rugged, remote experience. The Escursì tour from San Teodoro (tour-6) is slightly shorter in distance but emphasises the coastal panorama and ends with a generous Sardinian aperitif — popular with visitors staying in the San Teodoro resorts.

See the Rio Pitrisconi Monte Nieddu guide and San Teodoro jeep hiking tour for full comparison.

Sardinia has outstanding easy hiking trails for visitors who want remarkable landscapes without demanding fitness. Three tours on this list are ideal starting points:

The donkey hike in Cargeghe (3.5 hours, 5 km, easy, from $85) is the most family-friendly trail in Sardinia — a gentle circular walk through hills north of Sassari accompanied by tame donkeys, with stops at waterfalls, domus de janas prehistoric tombs, and an ancient lime kiln. Children from age 3 can ride the donkeys on suitable sections, and the family-farm aperitif finish is as memorable as the trail. Full details: sardinia hiking with donkeys guide.

The Porto Conte Natural Park circular trek near Alghero (2.5 hours, easy, from $85) follows the clifftop above Cala Dragunara to the Grotta dei Vasi Rotti with views of the Capo Caccia lighthouse — one of Sardinia's most photographed landmarks — across the bay. Small group (max 10), aperitif included, suitable from age 12. Details: Alghero Porto Conte hike.

The Cagliari sunset hike to the Capo Sant'Elia lighthouse (2.5 hours, 3 km, easy, from $60) is the simplest entry point — an evening walk from central Cagliari through WWII military ruins to the clifftop lighthouse, finishing with two glasses of local wine and a sunset view over the Gulf of Angels. Details: Cagliari sunset lighthouse hike.

• Donkey hike Cargeghe — 3.5 hrs, easy, from age 3, from $85
• Porto Conte Natural Park, Alghero — 2.5 hrs, easy, from age 12, from $85
• Cagliari sunset lighthouse walk — 2.5 hrs, easy, from age 6 (not suitable under 6), from $60

The optimal sardinia hiking season is spring (April–May) and early autumn (September–October). Temperatures are 18–26°C, wildflowers carpet the maquis scrubland in spring, and trails are uncrowded. The waterfalls at Cargeghe and the pools at Rio Pitrisconi are at full flow in spring after winter rainfall.

Summer (July–August) is NOT recommended for canyon hikes — temperatures inside Gorropu can reach 42°C with no breeze. Pool tours (Rio Pitrisconi, San Teodoro) are specifically designed for summer because they combine short trekking with swimming. The Cala Coticcio hike is beautiful in June before the beach fills; the Cagliari sunset walk is pleasant year-round.

Winter (November–February) sees most tours run on reduced schedules but mild months can be spectacular — Gorropu with snow on the Supramonte peaks, wildflowers already emerging in February at lower altitudes near Alghero and Cagliari.