General

With about an hour’s drive, through a spectacular coastal road, you reach Masua, once a thriving town for intense mining, now almost a village for the small number of inhabitants. Going down to the beach, follow the signs for the mine: inside you can see the various machinery and signs left by men who have worked hard for many years here.

The most beautiful amazement, the most overwhelming joy, is experienced by suddenly passing from the dark and dusty tunnels of the mine overlooking the sea, with spectacular views of the “Pan di Zucchero” rock more than 100 meters high. And yes, because you must know that the tunnel, entirely excavated in the rock by the miners, emerges at half height on an overhang which, equipped with special protective barriers, offers a breathtaking view. It is at that point that you can observe the singular port, suspended between sea and sky, on a rock wall where the word “Porto Flavia” stands out.

The Porto Flavia mine, about 600 meters long, is a true engineering masterpiece, built almost a century ago, in 1924, to solve the problem of loading ships. The road that runs along the promenade and that leads from the parking lot to the mine is characterized by high and suggestive limestone cliffs. In this strip of land, full of pleasant natural scents such as myrtle, juniper and rosemary, with a little luck you might be able to spot even the royal peregrine falcon.

If you are in the summer, you can stop at the large beach of Funtanamare, you can continue the tour on a road overlooking the sea to the village of Nebida where you will visit Laveria Lamarmora, one of the most interesting mining complexes in Sardinia and very interesting. from an environmental, geological and historical-cultural point of view.

The washery which went into disuse in the 1930s and 1940s, appears embedded in an uncontaminated area, offering a polychrome panorama like a watercolor painting, especially if the gaze goes towards the Pan di Zucchero.