A protected headland of trails, wartime relics and coves reached only on foot or by fin. How to walk, swim and snorkel Capo Figari, fifteen minutes from the villa.
Hiking and Snorkelling on Capo Figari: The Hidden Coves — Golfo Aranci
Capo Figari is the wild headland that closes the coast north of Golfo Aranci: a protected limestone promontory of 342 metres, laced with trails and edged by coves that only feet, fins or paddles can reach. It rises about fifteen minutes' drive from Villa Cala Sassari in Punta Pedrosa, close enough that a morning on its paths still leaves the afternoon free for the pool.
Walking Capo Figari: The Trail to the Semaphore
The main route starts at Cala Moresca, just beyond the last houses of Golfo Aranci, and climbs steadily through juniper, mastic and strawberry tree. It passes the Luigi Serra gun battery, a Second World War emplacement, before reaching the old semaphore station at the summit — 342 metres above the sea, with Tavolara filling the view and, on the clearest days, Corsica on the horizon. The round trip is about eight kilometres; because the route is linear, you can turn back whenever you like. It was from this semaphore station, in 1932, that Guglielmo Marconi carried out pioneering shortwave radio experiments with the mainland.
The Coves, and Where to Snorkel
Cala Moresca itself splits into two small golden beaches shaded by pines, facing the pyramid islet of Figarolo; behind it stands a disused lime kiln, a striking relic of the promontory's quarrying past. A rougher path continues to Cala Greca, a narrow, stony inlet whose clear water and rocky beds make it the best snorkelling on the headland — morays, starfish and shoals of bream among the boulders — and on to secluded Cala del Sonno. On the promontory's north side, Cala Sabina has its own gentle loop trail.
Best Time to Go
Spring and autumn are ideal for the full semaphore hike; the trail is exposed and hot in July and August, when it is better walked at first light. The coves, by contrast, are at their best in summer, when calm, warm water rewards a slow snorkel. Winter days can be superb for walking, with the maquis in scent and the paths empty.
Practical Tips
Leave the car at the paid car park before Cala Moresca and continue on foot; there are no refreshment points anywhere on Capo Figari, so carry more water than feels necessary, along with sun protection and proper shoes. Pack masks and reef shoes for the stony coves, and keep to the marked trails — the headland is a protected site of European importance.
An Insider Detail
Just off the main trail lies the small, half-forgotten Cimitero degli Inglesi — the "English cemetery", where shipwrecked sailors were buried far from home. Few walkers notice the turning; those who do find one of the quietest places on the whole promontory.
Back at the villa, the arithmetic of the day feels generous: a summit, two coves and a snorkel before lunch, then the heated pool and nothing more strenuous than choosing where to eat. Capo Figari asks a little effort of Villa Cala Sassari's guests, and repays it several times over.
