Visiting Gorropu Canyon in Sardinia - hiking with dramatic views

Writer: Helena Bergström

Visiting the Gorropu Canyon in Sardinia is a special experience. This canyon offers really dramatic rock formations. It also requires a bit of hiking to get there... We'll tell you about our experience!

Gorropu Canyon

Gorrropu Canyon is a deep gorge with walls reaching over 500 metres in height and a width ranging from four metres at the narrowest point to several dozen at others. The canyon is considered the deepest in Italy and one of the deepest in Europe.

Gorropu Canyon is located on the eastern side of Sardinia.

Getting to Gorropu Canyon

There are three different starting points for visiting Gorropu Canyon, which can also be combined in different ways:

• Passo Ghenna Silana - Hike 4 km in each direction. Rocky and steep. About 700 metres in height difference from the starting point to the canyon. Good road here for larger vehicles and possible to park with motorhome.
• Ponte S'Abba Arva - Hike 6.5 km in each direction. Easier hike, with significantly less height difference. The road here is winding and narrow, and not recommended for vehicles over 6 metres. There seems to be a simple campsite for small motorhomes.
• Campo Base Gorropu - From here, a transfer by jeep is organised, at a cost of €18/person. Once you are dropped off, you will have to hike about 45 minutes to the canyon. It's rocky, but no major elevation changes. Many people choose the jeep transport on the way back.

As the road to Ponte S'Abba Arva did not seem suitable for our 7.3 metre long motorhome, we chose to drive to Passo Ghenna Silana. We drove from Cala Gonone and the road wound its way along high dramatic mountain roads with breathtaking views.

It was very easy to drive here with our motorhome, and it was also easy to park when we arrived. To be sure to find a car park with a larger vehicle, it may be advisable to arrive around or before 9am...

Hike down to Gorrupo Canyon

Now it was time for hiking! We laced up our hiking boots and packed food in a rucksack. At the start there was a small simple info desk and we got information and admonitions before we left. Wear good shoes! Don't forget water! Do you have something to eat with you?

We were lucky with the weather - it was cloudy and even cool when we started, which of course made the walk easier. To begin with, it was a beautiful, peaceful and fairly easy walk.

Over time, the views became increasingly dramatic.

The trail is lined with delightful rock formations, ancient trees and the occasional 'cuiles'. These are a type of Sardinian shepherd's huts that have been used for centuries, as temporary housing and as shelter from the elements.

Towards the end of the walk it gets steep. It is not very difficult to walk here, although it is rocky, but it feels in the legs when it constantly slopes steeply downwards ...

Visiting Gorropu Canyon

So, finally, after about two hours of hiking, we were down at the bottom of the canyon. Here the environment is characterised by large bright boulders.

To enter the canyon you have to pay an entrance fee, and when we were here it was 6 euros/person. At the same time, you could book if you wanted a jeep transfer on the way back and yes, we felt it was a good idea!

Gorropu Canyon

Now it was time for the real adventure - visiting Gorropu Canyon! Before entering the canyon you get an instruction:

• Green labelling - Follow this!
• Yellow marking - Follow if you want to and feel confident, now it's getting harder!
• Red marking - Warning. This is only for advanced climbers, with a guide.

We followed the green markings - and also the yellow! - over boulder after boulder. It's slow going here, but that's okay, because you always want to stop and take photos anyway.

The landscape is breathtaking and fascinating! There are also several plants endemic to Sardinia and one that only growing in Gorropu: Aquilegia nuragica (Gorropu aquilegia).

At the end, along the yellow marking, it was really challenging, with large, slippery boulders to get over or past. We took it slowly and carefully, and actually managed to make it to the first red marker. Experiencing this dramatic environment was really cool!

After the visit - two ways to get back

When you're done visiting Gorropu Canyon, there are two ways to get back. Either you hike back all the way, or you can book a jeep transfer. We were pretty exhausted after the adventure, and now it was also getting warmer in the air, so we chose a jeep transfer. But first we had to hike to the transfer, which took about 45 minutes.

The logistics of the jeep tours worked well, and we did not have to wait very long. Then it was a bumpy and beautiful ride up, to Campo Base Gorropu. From there, a shuttle bus ride for the driver back to the car park was included.

In the meantime, Helena and I waited at the base camp, where there is a small shop, tables and chairs and toilets. After a lovely full day in dramatic nature, we were ready to continue our journey ...

Things to consider when visiting Gorropu Canyon

We thought the hike was really cool, but we were glad we had reasonably cool weather. We can also tell you that we (especially me, Helena) got an incredible training pain afterwards. The hike from the highest point is not suitable if you feel out of shape or have an injury. Anyway, if you want to do this nice hike, we recommend to start reasonably early in the morning and to put on/take with you:

• Good shoes (walking shoes or trainers)
• Comfortable clothes for the weather
• Backpack to carry things in (you need your hands free!)
• Sun hat/cap
• Sunscreen cream
• Plenty of water (there is a fresh water source at the bottom of the gorge, but none on the road and at certain times of the year the source can run dry)
• Packed lunch/snacks (there is nothing to buy)
• Bag/tray to bring rubbish back
• Camera/mobile phone
• Cash (to pay the entrance fee to the gorge)
• We also brought plasters and painkillers... you never know!

More to see and do in the neighbourhood

Near Gorropu Canyon we can highly recommend a visit to Cala Gonone. This coastal town is framed by high mountains and offers boat trips to stunning beaches accessible only from the water.

Would you like to visit Gorropu Canyon?

Would you like to visit Gorropu Canyon? Do you like hiking? Do you like unique nature experiences?