Hiking at Cala Domestica

Cala Domestica is a fantastic bay with turquoise water, set in a barren, mountainous, and earthy-coloured landscape in south-western Sardinia. Once rich in mineral resources, this region is now home to the remains of numerous mines and mining facilities: Masua, Buggerru, Piscinas/Ingurtosu, Montevecchio, and many more. The coast here is rocky and rugged, with inviting bays and beautiful sandy beaches nestled in between, perfect for swimming.

The bay of Cala Domestica runs like a fjord between two rocky ridges, leading to a beautiful sandy beach with dunes behind it. Further back, there’s a large meadow with pitches for campers and a small car park. Two beach bars cater to guests, who often arrive by sailing yachts or motorboats. The bay is a popular anchorage. Over the rocks and through a short tunnel to the right, you can reach another small bathing cove, Cala Lunga.

In the valley, to the left, runs the former route of a transport railway for ore from the mines in the hinterland, as is common in many other places in the Iglesiente mining region. Part of this route is now used by the highly recommended coastal hiking trail from Masua to Buggerru. The path largely runs without shade through stony slopes, sparse macchia, and bushy phrygana above the cliffs. Wild, karst-like, and rugged rocks rise high from the dark blue sea. The path constantly ascends and descends, following the coastline. By the end, you will have covered a fair few metres in altitude. At Cala Domestica and Cala Lunga, the path leads directly to the sea, inviting you for a refreshing swim. Afterwards, the path winds over the next ridges towards Buggerru.

An early start in pleasant temperatures is therefore recommended, as is good sun protection, and also long trousers or socks. The tough, thorny scrub often scratches legs raw on the sometimes overgrown paths. With Cala Domestica as a starting point, located about two-thirds of the way along the total route, you can also split the tour and walk there and back in both directions.
During the day, Cala Domestica is bustling with activity, a constant coming and going. The beach bars get their electricity from diesel generators, which create a permanent background noise. However, after the day-trippers leave the beach and the bars close, peace returns.

At Cala Domestica, we reached the southern turning point of our journey along the west coast, which included stays in places like Torre del Porticciolo, Alghero, Torre Argentina, Bosa, Costa Verde, and many more. After a short stop in Iglesias, we began our return journey up the east coast. We drove past Cagliari; it was simply too hot for us to visit, with daytime temperatures almost reaching 40 degrees. We still had a long drive ahead of us to our day’s destination, Coccorocci Beach near Marina di Gairo.

More pictures in the ‘Sardinia’ gallery.