Selvaggio Blu (Sardinia)

The Selvaggio Blu (Wild Blue) is a trekking route in the territory of the district of Baunei (Sardinia). It was conceived in 1987 by Mario Verin, (photographer and alpinist) and Peppino Cicalò (architect), President of the Nuoro section of the Italian Alpine Club. The itinerary extends for over 40 kilometers (approximately 25 miles) from the touristic port of Santa Maria Navarrese (Baunei) to the beach of Cala Sisine (Baunei). It takes on average 4 days to complete.
The Selvaggio Blu is considered one of the last wild trekking routes of the Mediterranean because, for the major part of the itinerary, it can only be accessed by boat or by following the path along the coast of the Gulf of Orosei.
Verin and Cicalò used the name 'Selvaggio Blu' to reflect the main characteristics of the journey: "Selvaggio" to reflect the wildness and pureness of the experience, and "Blu" because the trek goes along the coast, where the color of the sea and the sky is predominant.
The Selvaggio Blu is located entirely in the territory of the district of Baunei which extends for 211.9 km2 on the east coast of Sardinia, in the province of Ogliastra.
The Baunei area is considered one of the wildest in Sardinia, going from the coastal town of Santa Maria Navarrese and traversing Limestone plateaux and coastal scenery to the beach of Cala Luna. It contains all the main centers on the route, including: Santa Maria Navarrese, Pedra Longa, Portu Pedrosu, Cala Goloritzè, Su Feilau, Cala Sisine and also all the centers included in Selvaggio Blu variations: Cala Mariolu, Cala Biriala; S'Istrada Longa, Grotta del Fico and the plateau of Golgo.
Selvaggio Blu has a strategic location to see the geological history of Sardinia, as it is located 40 km along the coast. There are several important geology observations on Selvaggio Blu's hiking route which can be reached both by land and sea.
In the northern part of Santa Maria Navarrese, hikers have the possibility to move along a section with fractured granite from the Palazoic age, where rocks are several meters thick. This area contains some of Sardinia's oldest rocks, covered with layers of Cambrian-Ordovician metasandstones, phyllites and quartzites. In Pedra Longa the section with granite ends, and there is a transition to the limestones, which are a common feature of the Gulf of Orosei coast. Because of climate changes the limestone has been affected by rising and falling of sea level. Changes caused by the mixing of fresh water from the limestone and salt sea water include larger limestones cavities and fluctuations in different colours.
Grotta del Fico is a karst cave located on the Selvaggio Blu between Santa Maria Navarrese and Cala Luna. Grotta del Fico is accessible by boat or walking. It was discovered by fishermen in the early 20th century, and opened to the public with guided tours in 2003. Inside Grotta del Fico there is a lake with clear water which reflects inside the cave. The lake is created by karst water that flows in the main part of the cave and fills up the lake.
Selvaggio Blu is a 40 kilometers trek that has an estimated travel time of 4 days, but many people take about 6 – 7 days, depending on experience and fitness.
The Selvaggio Blu starts at Pedra Longa (40°1'38"N 9°42'25"E) and goes to Portu Pedrosu (40°4'5"N 9°44'2"E). It has an estimated travel time of 9 hours to cover its 12 km of length. In this stage it is reached the maximum height of all the Selvaggio Blu, which is 770 m. This section gets a climbing grade of EEA on the UAII Scale, which makes this stage the third hardest in technical difficulty of the entire journey. The path crosses a small valley into the woods until it reaches a point where it is possible to see the sea. The path continues into another small valley with holm oaks, walking on very sharp limestone flakes. The path then crosses two gates, after which it descends toward the sea following the cliffs. Then, passing on the top of the Grotta dei Colombi, the path once again enters a small valley. Descending this valley, on the left there is a section equipped with juniper trunks that allow climbers to descend into Bacu Tenadili. The path at this point challenges the orientation skills of the climbers because of the lack of a GPS signal. After this section, there is a cracked limestone area where the shepherds are used to collecting water; after this the path becomes less clear. Following a steep zigzag, the path leads to the mooring of Portu Pedrosu were the first stage ends. Walking for 10 minutes more to Portu Cuau(40°5'11"N 9°43'55"E) there is a large space for camping
The itinerary of the second day starts at Portu Pedrosu and ends in Cala Goloritzè (40°6'29"N 9°41'23"E), the maximum height reached during this day is about 495 m. This stage is 9.5 km and the estimated travel time is of 6 hours. It is not as difficult as the other paths; its difficulty has been ranked as EE on the UAII scale, which makes this the easiest technical section of the Selvaggio Blu. From Portu Pedrosu the path is well defined for a short section due to a good muletrack surrounded by vegetation. Passing a small valley, the path climbs up to a rocky plateau where the track becomes less well defined. Making a large curve towards the North, which is partially covered by the vegetation, the path follows the edge of a small valley, continuing until it reaches a balcony overlooking the sea (2 km from Portu Cuau). Keeping the sea behind, the path proceeds through small rocks and holm oak sections, until it reaches the ovile of Kenos Trainos, one of the most important along the Selvaggio Blu. From this point, the path becomes less clear because of thick vegetation and a small rocky step. Reaching Su Runcu'e su Press it is possible to escape from the Selvaggio Blu and in 15 minutes reach a clearing which is accessible by SUV.
The itinerary of the third day is 7.4 km long, with a maximum height of 485 m. It is the most difficult stage of the whole route; its difficulty has been ranked IV+ of the UIAA scale. Some people decide to stop during this stage because of all the obstacles on the path to Bacu Su Feilau. This section requires the capability to travel on all types of terrain, with difficulties including the exposure, difficult vegetation, and the lack of GPS signal. During this stage, which starts from Cala Golorizè and ends in Bacu su Feilau (40°3'59"N 9°34'52"E), the itinerary climbs two rock walls, the first one of 20 meters and the second one of 4 meters. These represent the hardest technical climbing difficulties on the Selvaggio Blu. This section includes several caves and woods, and 2 abseils of 20 meters each. Bacu su Feliau, which is a big hole through the rocky spur that overlooks Bacu Padente, was originally a Bivouac shelter on Selvaggio Blu, but for large groups it is recommended to descend it and climb up towards Ololbizzi, a charcoal burners' circle in the upper part of the Bacu.
The last day starts from Bacu Su Feliau and ends 7 km later in Cala Sisine (40°10'45"N 9°38'1"E). It offers a large variety of scenery, the highest altitude reached during this stage is 480 m. The estimated travel time is 6.5 hours and the technical difficulty is ranked IV on the UIAA scale. This makes this stage the second most difficult of the Selvaggio Blu. At the start of this stage, it is necessary to climb a juniper trunk with giant moss-covered oaks. The route then traverses a gully and is then marked with blue waymarks painted on rocks. These mark the way to exit the woods, utilizing ancient mule tracks, and gives a panoramic view of the sea. Before descending, there is the possibility to climb a cliff named "rottura delle altezze" (which means "breaking the heights") from which walkers can look at the sea 200 m below. One of the paths leads to the ovule Piddi, meaning Mandragora or Mandrake in Sards; this poisonous plant grows all over the Supramonte. Helped by the locals, Verin and Cicalò built a network of mule tracks that, with a series of bends, pass through the most impervious gullies and lead to the sea, which can be seen only in Cala Sisine; here there are docks built to transport charcoal and woods. From Cala Sisine it is possible to return to the starting point by the sea with an inflatable boat or by land with a SUV.
There are several different versions of the Selvaggio Blu:
There are other variations of the Selvaggio Blu as daily excursions:
The guides that conceived the trek are:
In the first stage of Selvaggio Blu, oleanders find their ideal habitat and a limestone plateau characterise all the area. True natural monuments as holm oaks can be easily found. The path is coloured by the bushy euphorbias (Euphorbia dendroides). Snakes are integral parts of the fauna, as for example biacco (coluber viridiflavus).
In the second stage the cistus (rockrose) can be found in numerous pink and white varieties.
Ferula is a plant of the family Apiaceae that are in the third stage of Selvaggio Blu.
During the fourth part of the path the possibility to find shepherds is very high because of the great number of ovili. Goats are basic animals of the fauna.
Sardinian mouflon can also be seen.
There are many books and guides about Selvaggio Blu. These include:
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Selvaggio Blu is not the only trekking route that you can find in Sardinia. There are 5 more trekking routes called: