From Porto Pino to Piscinas, the southwest coast of Sardinia offers some of the island’s wildest and most evocative landscapes. White sand dunes, Mediterranean scrub, lagoons frequented by flamingos, hidden coves, coastal towers, and sheer cliffs accompany the route along a sea of vivid colors.

Heading north, nature meets the mining history of Sulcis-Iglesiente. In Buggerru, Nebida, and Masua, washing plants, mine shafts, and chimneys stand directly above the sea. Here, the view is dominated by Pan di Zucchero and Porto Flavia, an extraordinary feat of engineering carved into the cliff for loading minerals onto ships.

Further north, Portixeddu, the mouth of the Rio Piscinas, and the spectacular Piscinas dunes—among the highest in Europe—create an almost desert-like landscape, shaped by the wind and dotted with century-old junipers.

An itinerary that brings together nature, geology, and memory, and which the Santa Barbara Mining Trail crosses, giving voice back to the places and communities that for centuries lived between mine and sea.