WARNING: due to work in progress in the Sant’Antioco saltworks, a deviation must be made as indicated below; the area is signed.

This is an easy stage that leaves time to visit the various ancient churches present in the area: from the medieval Santa Maria di Monserrato, to the Byzantine Santa Maria di Palmas, to the early Christian Basilica of Sant’Antioco.

You should keep a slow pace to admire the naturalistic beauty of the birdlife present in the wet area of the Sant’Antioco saltworks: a fascinating itinerary that leads you back to the south-western coast of Sardinia.

Most of the route runs along an old track of the Ferrovie Meridionali Sarde (FMS) that today has been transformed almost entirely into a pedestrian and cycle track. For about half a century (from the early 1920s to the early 1970s), this route ensured the mobility of people in the area, as well as the transport of coal from the Great Mine of Serbariu to the port of Sant’Antioco.

This is one of the longest stages of the Trail, but it is very easy and without any particular difficulties.

From industrial archaeology to classical archaeology, from the coal mines of Serbariu to that of Nuraxi Figus, which are encountered respectively in the initial and final sections of the stage, the entire route is a sort of large open-air archaeological park, where it is possible to walk through the traces of the last 5,000 years of the territory’s history.

ATTENTION: in this stage there are no restaurants or pizzerias, there is a grocery store where you can buy everything you need for dinner and supplies for the following day.

You will walk outside the industrial area of Portovesme and immerse yourself in the ancient maritime culture of this territory which, thanks to fishing and tuna processing, has generated a centuries-old history that is still alive today and that is the source of an extraordinary gastronomic tradition.

With this new and unique stage of the Trail, in addition to walking easily on dry land, you will cross a short stretch of sea by ferry to discover the indelible traces of the infrastructures and of the men (railways, depots, berths for boats and ports for steamships) that for a century ensured the transport of merchant minerals produced in the mines of the south-western coast of Sardinia.