Fire Lookout on Monte Ferru

Rising above the southern end of the fertile Bari Sardo plain, the isolated massif of Monte Ferru dominates the surrounding landscape. Its rocky summit stands 875 meters above the turquoise sea, and its solitary position promises sweeping panoramic views across the entire Ogliastra region on Sardinia’s eastern coast.
The panorama stretches from the long sandy shores of Planargia Beach past Arbatax to the Su Golgo plateau near Baunei, the rugged Supramonte Mountains, and the distinctive table mountains in the hinterland around Ulassai.
Monte Ferru’s eastern foothills extend all the way to the coast, creating a dramatic backdrop to the dark grey and black pebble beach at Marina di Gairo.
From my accommodation near Torre di Bari, I had occasionally noticed a mysterious glint of sunlight reflecting from the summit, sparking my curiosity. The prospect of spectacular views and unexpected discoveries was all the encouragement I needed to set out and explore the mountain.

A track, initially paved, branches off the road between Museddu and Tertenia and leads into the forested northern slopes of the mountains. Winding past picnic areas, it eventually reaches a plateau dotted with a few buildings and grazing pastures. I left my car there and continued on foot along the increasingly eroded and rocky track towards the summit. On some particularly steep sections, the wheel tracks had been reinforced with concrete – a precaution whose purpose I did not yet understand as I made my way uphill. As I rounded the final bend beneath the rocky summit, I was surprised to discover an old four-wheel-drive Fiat Panda parked beside a tower built from natural stone, blending almost perfectly into its surroundings. I wondered who would drive all the way up here, and why. Unfortunately, the building did not look like a mountain refuge, and a military purpose seemed equally unlikely, given the absence of any visible communication equipment.

I climbed a flight of stairs and peered through a window into a room where a man was sitting at a desk in front of a computer. He looked up at me with a friendly, slightly surprised expression. It turned out that this commanding position high in the mountains had been chosen for a fire lookout tower, providing an excellent vantage point for detecting forest fires during the hot summer months. The man explained that he was one of several fire watchers who took turns living in the tower on Monte Ferru for a week at a time during the summer season. Their task was to scan the surrounding landscape with binoculars, watching for telltale plumes of smoke that might signal a developing wildfire. He rarely saw visitors up here, even though the route offered a beautiful hike or an enjoyable mountain bike ride. He seemed genuinely pleased to have a little company and a welcome break from his solitary routine. After a short rest, I said goodbye and spent some more time scrambling over the rocks around the summit. Then, delighted by this unexpected encounter and the fascinating insights it had brought, I began my descent.

More pictures in the ‘Sardinia’ gallery.