DURATION
LOCATION
ANNUAL LEAVE
SEASON
GROUP SIZE
MEETING POINT
ACCOMMODATION
Chalet
OVERALL RATING
0.0
DIFFICULTY
This adventure will keep you on the move, but there is nothing too strenuous that can't be managed by anyone with average fitness
Tackle the island’s remote hiking trails, then leap, clamber and abseil your way down canyons and along sea cliffs
Sail along the sparkling Mediterranean coastline, hopping from beach to beach and swimming in hidden coves
Kayak Lake Cedrino, a tranquil gem in Sardinia's rugged interior surrounded by karst ravines and glistening grottos
Day 1
Welcome to Sardinia!
Touch down in Olbia Airport and transfer to Cala Gonone, a beautiful seaside town on Sardinia's eastern coast. Your home for the week is a comfortable campsite, where you'll be accommodated in cosy wooden chalets surrounded by an age-old pine forest – within walking distance from local amenities and the stunning beaches Sardinia is famous for. Meet up with the rest of your group for a delicious welcome dinner in town, and chat through the adventure ahead with your host.
Day 2
From wild canyons to dreamy beaches
Canyoning
Kickstart your island adventure with some hiking and dry canyoning, ending at the beautiful Cala Fuili cove. Begin with an uphill hike along ancient mule tracks, built by charcoal burners in the nineteenth century, to reach the entrance point to the Codula Fuili canyon. Next, gear up with harnesses and helmets and start the thrilling wild descent all the way to the coast. The canyon becomes gradually narrower and deeper, so your guide will assist you as you abseil down four drops (maximum height 20 metres) to the very heart of the gorge. Continue along the ancient riverbed until you reach the beach at Cala Fuili, where it's time to relax and enjoy a refreshing swim in the crystal-clear Mediterranean.
Day 3
Kayak tranquil Lake Cedrino
Kayaking
Today will be spent kayaking Lake Cedrino, one of the quietest spots in the whole of Sardinia. After rushing through deep canyons, endless underground rivers and deep caves, the waters flowing from the Supramonte range merge in this oasis of peace. Setting off from a midpoint station, you'll paddle along different sections of the lake, amongst high limestone walls and basaltic columns. Enjoy a stop by the Grotta del Guano and the old church of San Pantaleo, dating back to 1600 and reachable only from the water. Back in Cala Gonone later in the day, enjoy a few hours at leisure or head into town for some drinks and food.
Day 4
Sail Sardina's turquoise waters
Sailing
Swimming
Enjoy a leisurely day sailing along Sardinia's breathtaking Gulf of Orosei, hopping from beach to beach and swimming in stunning beaches and coves. Your private boat will leave the port of Cala Gonone to cruise along the spectacular sea cliffs which make this area so famous. There will be plenty of stops to explore and relax, including the iconic Cala Mariolu and Cala Sisine.
Day 5
Wild coasteering and refreshing swims
Coasteering
Today you'll explore the coast from a completely new perspective: venturing along cliffs and rock faces, crossing caves and underground tunnels, and jumping into the crystal-clear waters of the Mediterranean. During this thrilling coasteering adventure, you'll have the opportunity to jump into the sea from various heights, including an eight-metre option. There will be some swimming time with optional snorkelling too, and you'll end the day with a quick visit to the enormous cave of Biddiriscottai, followed by a short climb (via ferrata) up to the panoramic road above the cliffs, from where you'll walk back to your campsite.
Day 6
Trek to Cala Luna and explore secluded caves
Hiking
On your final day of adventure, you'll hike from Cala Gonone to Cala Luna, through some of the most beautiful landscapes of the island, trailing through scrub and juniper trees. Your final destination is a secluded beach only accessible on foot or by boat – a great spot to take a break and soak up some sun, surrounded by towering cliffs and crystal-clear waters. Enjoy some time swimming or snorkelling, then catch a boat back to Cala Gonone. This evening you'll celebrate with a final group dinner, tasting some typical Sardinian dishes.
Day 7
Aaaand relax...
Spend the morning relaxing with a well-deserved lie in, or soothe your muscles with a reinvigorating swim at Cala Gonone. If you are feeling energetic, you may opt to hire a SUP or kayak from the campsite and spend the morning out at sea. Your transfer will depart Cala Gonone after lunch and will take you back to Olbia Airport in time for your afternoon flight home. Arrivederci!
Included
Guides
Certified, English-speaking local guides
Accommodation
6 nights in woodland chalets
Meals
4 packed lunches and 2 dinners
Transfers
Airport transfers and everything in between
Equipment
All kayaking, canyoning and coasteering gear and safety equipment
Not Included
Flights to and from the meeting point
Travel insurance
Personal expenses
Tips for your guides
Visas where required
Day 1
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 2 – Day 3
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 4
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 5
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 6
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Day 7
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What is the food like?
Breakfasts are not included in this trip, as the only place to eat together on site is a cafe where very light breakfasts are served (coffee, plus a croissant or a cake). This is usually not enough to fuel most people for a day of activities, so for this reason, your guide will take you to a local shop where you'll be able to choose and purchase your favourite breakfast foods and drinks for the week, then you will have breakfast in your own self-catering chalet. During most days of the trip you'll be provided with a packed lunch, usually featuring freshly baked bread with a choice of cured meats, cheeses, vegetables and fruit. Dinners are included on the first and final night of the trip somewhere local. For the remaining evenings, your guide will recommend and arrange optional group meals in a variety of local establishments in Cala Gonone, where you'll have the chance to taste a wide range of delicious Sardinian specialities, including fresh fish and seafood.
Vegetarians, vegans and other dietary requirements and allergies can be catered for – please just request this on your passenger info form.
What is the accommodation like?
Cala Gonone
You'll have a single base for your whole trip, allowing you to kick back and enjoy plenty of downtime at the end of each day. You'll be staying at Cala Gonone Campsite, nestled among four acres of ancient pine forest yet within walking distance from the lively coastal village and its beaches. Accommodation will be in comfortable, twin-share, wooden chalets equipped with private bathrooms. Each cabin has a large veranda outside with a table and kitchenette. Free WiFi is available throughout the campsite and there is also a bar and a pool open between June and September. The chalets vary in size and you'll either stay in a two-bed cabin (one room for two guests, one bathroom with a shower, veranda with kitchenette) or a four-bed cabin (two rooms, each for two guests, two bathrooms with a shower, veranda with kitchenette).
Upgrades
For solo travellers wanting their own personal space, you can request your own private room (subject to availability). Please see Optional Extras for the pricing.
The Area
Logistics
Starts
Olbia Airport
17:00 on Day 1
Ends
Olbia Airport
14:00 on Day 7
Transfers
A group transfer is included on Day 1, which will depart Olbia Airport around 17:00. It will take just over 1h30m to reach the campsite located in Cala Gonone. Your return transfer will arrive at Olbia Airport at around 14:00 on Day 7, so you'll need to book flights departing from 16:00 onwards.
It will be difficult to use public transport to reach the start point of the trek independently if you choose to travel at different times, so we strongly recommend taking advantage of the set group transfers from and to Olbia Airport.
Private transfers can also be arranged on request – see Optional Extras for prices.
Travel options
There are regular direct flights to Olbia from airports in London, the rest of the UK and Europe. Alternatively, you can also search for indirect flights via Rome or Milan.
Enjoy 12.5% Off Outdoor Gear
In need of a few more items? All bookings receive a 12.5% discount to use at Cotswold Outdoor, Snow + Rock and Runner's Need.
What's included?
- All your canyoning, coasteering and kayaking equipment
What's not included?
- Snorkelling gear (optional)
What do I need to bring?
BAGS
- Soft overnight duffel bag or luggage
- Daypack (15-20 litres)
CLOTHES
- Waterproof jacket
- Fleece jacket or warm jumper
- Trekking shoes with a hard sole
- T-shirts
- Lightweight trousers/shorts/skirts
- Trekking socks
- Swimwear and light towel
- Hat, glasses, and suncream
- Something to sleep in
- Sandals
OTHER
- Universal travel plug adapter
- Power bank or solar charger
- Passports (and visas)
- Travel insurance documents
- Ear plugs
- Insect repellent (recommended!)
- Suncream
- Personal first-aid kit (inc. blister treatment)
- Personal items (biodegradable toiletries, sanitary wear etc)
- Alcohol hand-gel
- Reusable water bottle(s) (1.5 - 2 litre capacity)
- Biodegradable wet-wipes
- Energy bars and snacks - read our article on Best Hiking Snacks
Optional Private Bungalow Upgrade (Jul, Aug)
Payable Before Departure
Optional Private Bungalow Upgrade (Jul, Aug)
…
Optional Private Bungalow Upgrade (May, Jun, Sep)
Payable Before Departure
Optional Private Bungalow Upgrade (May, Jun, Sep)
…
Private Arrival Transfer Olbia airport - Cala Gonone
Payable Before Departure
Private Arrival Transfer Olbia airport - Cala Gonone
…
Private Departure Transfer Cala Gonone - Olbia ariport
Payable Before Departure
Private Departure Transfer Cala Gonone - Olbia ariport
…
We’re still waiting to collect any reviews from other travellers on this trip. However, all our hosts go through an extensive vetting process to ensure that your adventure is awesome.
We've crunched the numbers to work out the total carbon footprint of this trip, and plant enough trees to suck 2x as much back out the atmosphere.
What's the number?
It works out on average at 200kg of CO2 emissions per person, including all local transport, accommodation, food, activities, guides, staff and office operations.
The only thing it doesn’t include right now is flights and travel to the destination. We do make an overall estimate across all our customers separately, but as we don’t book flights, have customers from all corners of the world, and no way of reliably knowing their travel plans, we simply can’t include an individual number in the figure on display here. We’ve got a goal for 2023 to fix that, so that when you book, there is a way to measure and mitigate the carbon emitted by your flight too.
But what does the number mean?
Yep, hard to picture eh? To give you an idea:
- Driving 1000miles/1609km would be approx. 281kg of CO2 in an average car (or 140.5kg per person if there was 2 of you in it).
- A return economy class flight London - New York would be approx. 1,619kg (1.66 tonnes) per person.
- 10 trees in a temperate forest are estimated to remove approx. 250kg of CO2 from the air in a period of 5-10 years.
What are we doing about it?
Our trips are relatively low-carbon by design, and we're working with all our hosts to develop long term carbon reduction plans. For every person booked with us since 2016 we’re planting enough trees to suck at least 2x more carbon out the atmosphere than is emitted by their trips. All native trees, as part of amazing projects that are re-foresting degraded land, tackling the biodiversity crisis and supporting local communities at the same time. We go further than that too, also funding re-wilding projects worldwide to help protect important keystone species from extinction. See the reforestation and re-wilding schemes we support. See our carbon action plan.
Want to know more?
Amazingly, no international travel company has ever publicly published their carbon measurements before, as far as we know. We believe that must change, quickly. So we’re openly sharing the method we used in the hope that other companies will be able to more easily follow suit and build on what we've done so far. You'll find it all here.
All of the activities on this trip can be done without any previous experience – you'll have an expert guide to show you the ropes and help you navigate the canyoning, coasteering and kayaking. A few of the trails will involve narrow parts with exposed sections and you'll also be expected to abseil (up to 20 metres) or jump from the cliffs (up to 8 metres), so those with an extreme fear of heights should be wary, but it's really quite a relaxed hike managed by people of all ages and fitness levels. You must also be comfortable in the water if you wish to join the coasteering tour.
You don’t have to know how to abseil. Your professional mountain guide will take care of all rope manoeuvres. You just need to relax and carefully follow their instructions.
Your local guide knows the itinerary and routes very well, and holds a professional mountain hiking certificate as well as First Aid certifications.
Tap water in Sardinia is safe to drink so please bring a 1.5-2L refillable bottle with you to avoid purchasing single-use plastic bottles locally.
Tips are not included in the trip cost. These are entirely at your discretion but there is an expectation to tip for good service. Of course, you are free to tip more or less, and the amount should be reflective of your perception of service and quality – a tip is not compulsory and should only be given when you receive excellent service.
From May to October the daytime temperatures in Sardinia range from 22–35°C and cool off to 15–25°C at night. You'll have plenty of time at the beach and out at sea during the trip, so there will be always the chance to refresh in the water should the weather get really hot. Unseasonable weather is possible at any time of year, but your guide will be assessing the weather conditions daily and will plan the walking times, routes and schedules accordingly. Continuous rain is uncommon, so you're sure to get a lot of sun.
If it’s just a case of drizzling rain you can wear a rain jacket and walk, occasionally you may have to wait for it to stop by seeking shelter along the route.
Sure can! Over 70% of our travellers travel solo, it’s a great way to meet like-minded people.
We recommend checking out the country-specific information and also talking to a travel nurse.
Our recommended travel insurance provider is Campbell Irvine.
Travel insurance is compulsory for all of our adventures and you are required to provide your policy information before departing.
Your insurance should include adequate protection for overseas medical treatment, evacuation/repatriation, your baggage and equipment and the specific activities involved on your adventure. We also strongly recommend it includes cancellation and curtailment insurance, should you be unable to join your trip for specific reasons such as illness.
We fully endorse Campbell Irvine as their insurance offers all of the above, so get in touch with them or call on 020 7938 1734 to get your insurance sorted. We suggest that you book travel insurance as soon as you book your adventure, just to cover you for any last-minute life changes. We know you’re an active lot and injuries do happen!
We automatically convert prices from the local currency that a host receives to your chosen currency. We update our exchange rates on a daily basis so this does mean that prices displayed on the site are subject to currency fluctuations, which is why you may see them change over time.
If you wish to change the currency you pay in, head to the bottom of the page.
All of our group adventures are specially designed for adults to enjoy (18+) as we want these adventures to bring together outdoorsy people who are truly like-minded. Children can be accommodated on some private departures.
You're in good company. Our adventures are typically made up of a mix of solo travellers and small groups of two or three friends who simply love adventure, pushing themselves and meeting awesome like-minded people. See here for more info about our lovely bunch of Much Better Adventurers.
Want to book a private trip? Just tap ‘Private Group’ in the dates and prices tab.
Your trip is led by carefully curated local hosts and expert guides. See here for more info about the guides we work with.
Pay In Installments
You can choose to pay for this trip in as many installments as you like, with no interest or fees.
Full Financial Protection
Your money is safe. Every booking is fully financially protected.
