Trenino Verde on the Ponte di San Girolamo
Itinerary 1: Mandas–Arbatax (159 km)
The regular train from Cagliari connects in Mandas with the Trenino Verde to Arbatax: a 5-hour ride with countless turns over a 125-year-old railway, through the heart of the green mountains of Ogliastra to the east coast. Through tunnels and over bridges, the train climbs to the highest point Arzana at 868 metres before winding its way down to sea level. A real roller-coaster ride.
Special train on the Is Barrocus water reservoir
Itinerary 2: Isili–Sorgono (83 km)
Another route you can access from Cagliari is the Trenino Verde from Isili to Sorgono. The 83-kilometre stretch takes 3 hours but it’s worth the effort. Heading north through the interior, the train climbs to an elevation of 800 metres, chugging its way through quiet mountain villages and old stations that were closed down many years ago. The final destination, Sorgono, is beautifully located in a valley on the edge of Golfo di Orosei National Park.
Train rides through countless tunnels and over bridges
Itinerary 3: Sassari–Palau (151 km)
This narrow gauge train in the far north of Sardinia takes you in 3.5 hours from Sassari (30 minutes from Alghero) to Palau on the north coast, across from the Maddalena archipelago. The train travels through the old city of Tempio Pausania in the Gallura mountains. This train takes countless turns, bridges and terminus loops at a high elevation. The views become increasingly expansive, overlooking granite mountains, forests of cork trees and the Mediterranean Sea.
Some train rides go right along the beach
Itinerary 4: Bosa Marina–Macomer (46 km)
Although it’s the shortest of the 4 routes, it’s also quite stunning: in 2 hours you will travel from the mountain village of Macomer in Campeda (accessible from Nuoro), through the sloping vineyards of Planargia and wine-growing villages such as Tresnuraghes to the port of Bosa on the west coast. We highly recommend disembarking along the way to sample the outstanding Malvasia wine.
