Itinerary The Clay Circuit Trail – ITID01

Starting in downtown Laconi, the route points north towards the old railway station.  From there, crossing the rail tracks of the Mandas-Sorgono narrow-gauge line, the trail continues into and through the charming forest of Funtanamela, rich in indigenous plant and tree species, to reach the S.P. 52 bis district road.  The passage through the forest provides ample opportunities of sighting the Sardinian deer and the wild horse of Sarcidano.  Other points of interest in the forest are the presence of truffle and wild orchids, whose blooming flowers in spring create a fantastic explosion of colours.

Following the district road for approximately 1.5 km the route continues into the area of Nurallao, to the rural hamlet of Bau Sa Mela.  In a downhill stretch on tarmac road, through an impressive forest of holly and downy oaks, the route reaches the village of Nurallao.  A stop in Nurallao’s municipal gardens of Funtana Is Arinus gives the opportunity to fill the canteens at the fountain, rest in the shade on comfortable wooden benches, and go visit the scenic waterfalls with leaps of over 15 meters, where the Sarcidano stream from here rapidly flows into lake Is Barroccus.  At the entrance of the village, a detour along the rocky ridge that shields the village leads to the ruins of an old lime kiln.

From Nurallao, the route passes through orchards, vineyards and cultivated fields to get to the bridge of S’Ena de Forru on the former Villacidro-Isili railway line (today a cycling path), from where a short detour is worth making to go visit the megalithic tomb of Aiodda nearby and the country church of Sant’Elia the Prophet, the saint venerated in the village of Nuragus.  The final leg of the  trail from Nuragus to Laconi goes through a road that leads to the charming hamlet of Crastu, established in the 1950s following the land reform, and skirting the old abandoned kaolin quarry the route finally reaches Laconi, where the circuit trail ends.

Skipping the passage through the forest of Funtanamela at the start makes this trail shorter and less steep.