Itinerary The Giara Circuit Trail – ITID02

The starting point of the trail is the village of Nuragus, where a cycling path occupying a stretch of the former Villacidro-Isili railway section crosses farmlands to reach the junction with Itinerary ITID01 (The Clay Circuit Trail), near the country church of Sant’Elia.

The celebrations in honour of the Saint, which take place over a three-day period from the 5^th to the 7^th of July, not only mark an important occasion for the local community but also provide an excellent opportunity for visitors to discover the traditions of central Sardinia.

Continuing along the route, the trail enters into a shaded area called Canali in the direction of the village of Gesturi, on a tarmac road that for a long stretch runs in parallel to a stream called Rio Mannu.  Passing through the country church Madonna dell’Itria, from here the road climbs up to the village of Gesturi and up to the Giara plateau, at approx. 570 m a.s.l., in a continuous yet pleasant ascent, with fine landscape views of Mount Simudis (near Isili), the Trexenta farmlands, and further away the peaks of the Gennargentu massif.

Before the ascent, a visit to the Giara Plateau Museum gives the opportunity to gather all the necessary information for a complete visit of the area.

Crossing the Park of the Giara on a SE-NW axis is well worth the effort of the ascent: its accessibility throughout the year, the even ground, and the sightings of the famous wild ponies of the Giara in the cork oak woods make this stretch of the route one of the most enjoyable of this trail.

The trail reaches the territory of Genoni and from here begins the descent that leads to the village of Genoni itself.  At the bottom of the slope the fountain of Francischina gives the opportunity to rest and cool down before making for the village.

A stop at the P.AR.C. Museum in Genoni gives the opportunity to learn about the archaeology, the geology and the fossils of this territory.  From here, the municipal road that passes through Cuccuru Corongiu peak, where it is possible to admire prehistoric cave paintings, leads back to the village of Nuragus, where the circuit trail ends.