4×4 Tour to Asinara

Fornelli: at the time of its establishment (1885) it was an agricultural penal colony which held prisoners who were granted regime of semi-freedom. After the 1970s it became a maximum-security prison, where the main exponents of Red Brigades and Sardinian Anonymous Kidnappers were imprisoned.
Closed during the 1980s, it was reopened in 1992 to hold the main mob bosses, in accordance with the Italian Law. Following the establishment of the Park, the jail was permanently closed in 1997.

Cala Sant’Andrea: the beach is surrounded by sandy dunes on which phoenicean junipers and sea daffodils grow. A brackish pond stands right behind a sandy stripe, where a creek which carries water to Sant’Andrea flows. Here we find a luxuriant vegetation composed by tamarisks and vines which shadow wetland plants. Flora and fauna thriving in this peculiar ecosystem require the utmost protection. The primary purposes of National Parks is both to protect natural wonders and the wildlife located within these environments and to offer breathtaking views to all the visitors, so Cala Sant’Andrea is perfectly enjoyable although being a restricted area.

Cala di Sgombro di Dentro: this inlet, which is another conservation area, is characterised by small granitic rock islands chosen by royal seagulls and European shags as their nesting site during their mating season.

Punta Sa Nave: naturalistic areas of great interest characterised by high and steep coasts. There you can find the peculiar paleoendemic Centaurea horrida (cornflower), that is a sort of living fossil; the plant, thanks to its cinder grey pulvini, contributes to the uniqueness of the Asinara coastal landscapes.

Cala Reale: in the Summer of 1885 an Act allowed the expropriation of land in Asinara to build an agricultural colony and a lazaretto. The structures in this area were employed as sanitisation centres, as blocks of buildings hosting patients at different stages of quarantine, as service personnel accommodation, and as warehouses.Buildings were expanded during the years 1915-1916 to hold Austro-Hungarian prisoners, transferred from Albania because of a serious epidemic of leprosy. Lots of them recovered thanks to the efforts of the Italian Army.

Cala d’Oliva: old Ligurian fishermen’s village erected by the end of 1700. It looks like a tiny coastal small town, characterised by the white colour of its houses. The old part of the village, close to the sea, is composed by low structures while the taller buildings are primarily related to the prison life, having previously been the House of the Senior Manager, the Agents’ Barracks, a Bunker, and a Prison Branch, the latter being now employed as Environmental Education Centre. You can also find a Park Guest House, mechanic’s workshops, the former cheese factory, etc.

Cala Sabina: it is a splendid bay known for its crystal-clear waters and fine white sand. Surrounded by lush Mediterranean vegetation, Cala Sabina is the final stop of our off-road tour where our guests can enjoy this breathtaking scenery by swimming in its clear and turquoise waters.