Excursion from S.Maria Navarrese to Baunei

Starting point: Locality Su Rele in S.Maria Navarrese

Description:

Reach by car the locality “Su Rele” from the homonym panoramic road which dominates S.Maria Navarrese. Once crossed the wooden gate head North West and after 200 m leave the main road to enter a footpath on the left (directions for “Croce di Pittaine” or Pittaine’s cross).

First you will walk beneath the rock wall “Alacarta” and then under “Pittaine”,slightly sloping to the West, above whose top is the distinctive cross. After about 2 km to NW the path reaches a wide clearing named “Sa Contralba”: from this point a dirt road leads North but you keep your  right and hike eastwards through the Mediterranean scrub on a slightly uphill small trail.

Carry on for 600 metres and reach a glade right behind mount “Pittaine”at about 450 m a.s.l..

If you look north-west, you will see Mount Scoine peak, east the blue sea and behind you Santa Maria Navarrese village. From now on, the path gets less and less visible; do pay attention and do not miss the uphill track, going north. You keep walking for about 1 km and 100-height difference (on your left there is the beautiful rock side of Mount Scoine), until after a while you reach “Locurbu”, which is the mountain pass between Mount Scoine and Mount Oro. Now you can see the village of Baunei in front of you, even though you must walk 4 km, to get there.

You go downhill on the dirt road, until you cannot miss the paved road to Pedra Longa. You cross it just before the “Uttolo” refuge and walk uphill direction northeast on the dirt road; at 430 a.s.l. you turn right, and at the next hairpin turn left. From the footpath, you will be able to see the pine grove below, and when the trail goes downwards, you will keep on walking until you reach the village. This old mule track, which in the past represented the only access way to the plateau, runs high on the rocks, until “Sa Carfidura” (on the right, the mountain has got two wide cracks). At this point, you have already covered 6 and a half km and you are at 650 a.s.l.. You keep walking northwest through typical Mediterranean bushes, until you get to the panoramic lookout “Santu Franciscu”, from where you will enjoy an amazing view of the valley. Among these bushes, there is a small path, on your left, taking you at the foot of a high rock wall, after climbing down a new juniper ladder. Then you finally reach the archaeological site “Grutta ‘e Janas” and Baunei village.