Holiday homes in Cala Gonone, your base for the Supramonte
We have managed holiday homes in Sardinia since 2011. You save up to 15% by booking direct, with genuine local support and zero commission.
From late September to November, the Supramonte of Dorgali, Oliena and Urzulei is at its best for walking: mild temperatures, quiet trails and clear light on the limestone. From Cala Gonone you can reach, in a day, Gorropu Gorge (about 1.5 km of canyon, with a drop of about 500 metres), Cala Luna on foot from Cala Fuili, the Nuragic village of Tiscali and the Su Gologone spring, which feeds the Cedrino river.
We have managed holiday homes directly since 2011, and every autumn we are asked: “Can you still hike in October and November?” Yes, and it is the time of year we like best.
In summer the Supramonte trails are exposed to the sun and the limestone gives off heat until evening. In autumn you set off at a leisurely pace after breakfast, the car parks at Cala Fuili and Su Gologone are half empty, and the low sun lights up the white limestone against the dark green of the holm oaks.
The flip side: the days get shorter (after the clocks change, the sun sets around 17:20 at the end of October and around 17:00 at the end of November) and the first heavy rains arrive, which in the Supramonte can change the state of the streams within a few hours.
Gorropu Gorge (Su Gorropu) is a canyon about 1.5 km long, carved by the Flumineddu river into the limestone of the Supramonte, on the border between the territories of Urzulei and Orgosolo. From the top of Punta Cucutos to the bottom there is a drop of about 500 metres, and in places the riverbed narrows to 4–5 metres. It is considered one of the deepest canyons in Europe (not “the deepest”, as is often claimed).
At the mouth of the gorge there is an information point with a ticket office, run by the concessionaire named on the official website gorropu.info. According to the site, the ticket can only be bought on site and in cash, it cannot be booked online, and entry has set times during the day. Prices, opening hours and availability change in autumn and winter: check the official website before you set off, especially from November.
Inside the canyon, after the first stretch, the floor fills with big boulders that you have to scramble over using your hands: that is where an expert guide is the right choice.
Allow a full day from Cala Gonone, setting off in the morning and fixing a time to be back.
From Cala Gonone you drive to Cala Fuili, the last small cove reachable by road. From there the coastal path (white-and-red waymarks) takes you to Cala Luna in about an hour and a half, through ups and downs, limestone rocks and scrub. Out of season the beach, with the big caves in the cliff face, is often almost deserted. Don’t count on a boat for the return trip: plan to walk back.
Tiscali is a Nuragic village hidden inside a huge karst sinkhole, in the heart of Monte Tiscali, between the Supramonte of Oliena and that of Dorgali. Its earliest phases date back to the Nuragic age; the site was later inhabited in Roman times and up to the early Middle Ages. You climb up from the Lanaittu valley (by car via Su Gologone) on a steep, uneven path of about an hour and a half; alternatively, from the Sa Barva bridge, along the Flumineddu. Entry to the village is paid and you pay at the top: check opening times and prices before you set off.
About 8 km from Oliena, at the foot of Monte Uddè, Su Gologone is the most important spring in Sardinia: it is the main outlet of the Supramonte karst system, with an average flow of about 500 litres per second, and it has been a natural monument since 1998. From the spring a short stream flows into the Cedrino, the river that runs down towards Dorgali, forms the artificial Cedrino lake behind the Pedra ‘e Othoni dam and flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea near Orosei. Ideal for an easy half day, which you can also combine with Tiscali.
| Trail | Departure | Approximate time | Difficulty | When |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gorropu Gorge (east) | Genna Silana, SS 125 | ~1 h in, ~2 h back + visit | Moderate, tiring on the way back | Dry days, start in the morning |
| Gorropu Gorge (north) | Sa Barva bridge, Oddoene valley | ~2 h each way + visit | Moderate, gentle gradients | Never after heavy rain (you follow the stream) |
| Gorropu Gorge (south) | Sedda ar Baccas, Urzulei | Full day | For experts | Only with a guide |
| Cala Luna | Cala Fuili, Cala Gonone | ~1 h 30 each way | Moderate, rocky stretches | Morning, back well before dark |
| Tiscali | Lanaittu valley, Oliena | ~1 h 30 uphill | Moderate, steep path | Dry, cool days |
| Su Gologone | Spring car park, Oliena | Short walk | Easy | Any time, great even when the sky is uncertain |
Approximate times without stops: add breaks and a safety margin.
The Supramonte is beautiful and unforgiving. In autumn, these rules are not to be skipped:
In your rucksack: hiking boots with a deep tread (wet limestone is slippery), at least 2 litres of water per person (there are no reliable refill points on the trails), a windproof and waterproof jacket, a warm layer, food, a head torch, sun cream, a small first-aid kit and cash for the tickets.
Su Gologone and Cala Luna can be done independently, with the right precautions. For the inside of Gorropu beyond the first stretches, the access from Urzulei and the less-trodden routes an expert guide makes all the difference: they know the terrain and can read the weather and the stream. The region’s official tourism portal recommends this too.
If you prefer an organised excursion, you can book it with our partner Escursì, specialists in excursions all over Sardinia:
Cala Gonone is the most convenient base: in a few minutes you are in Dorgali, and from there Sa Barva, the SS 125 towards Genna Silana and the road to Su Gologone and Lanaittu. In the evening you head back to the sea.
To combine trekking with more relaxed days, Siniscola and Santa Lucia, further north along the coast, are an excellent alternative, about an hour’s drive from the Supramonte of Dorgali.
In both areas we have homes open in autumn, with air conditioning: you will find the amenities in each home’s listing. We manage them directly, so we are the ones who answer you.
👉 Save up to 15% by booking direct on affittasardegna.it: see the available homes in Cala Gonone and Siniscola.
If your autumn also includes festivals and villages of the interior, read our guide toAutumn in Barbagia.
In autumn we keep the air-conditioned homes open: here are the ones we recommend in Cala Gonone and Siniscola.
To reach the mouth of the gorge via the marked trails from Genna Silana or Sa Barva, no, if you are fit. For the inside of the canyon, for the access from Urzulei and in uncertain weather, one is strongly recommended.
Entry is paid, with the ticket bought on site (in cash, according to the official website). Prices, opening hours and availability between autumn and winter should be checked on gorropu.info before you set off.
A full day: drive to Genna Silana or Sa Barva, then 1–2 hours’ walk to reach the gorge, with a longer return from Genna Silana.
Yes: from Cala Fuili the coastal path takes about an hour and a half each way. Out of season boats are not guaranteed, so plan to walk back too and set off in the morning.
Not if you follow the rules: no canyons or streams when it is raining or rain is forecast, never alone, back before dark. The main risk is flash floods.
Cala Gonone is the closest base to Gorropu, Cala Luna, Tiscali and Su Gologone. Siniscola and Santa Lucia are an alternative for those who want to combine sea and trails.
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