Sardinia is known for its beautiful beaches, but hiking enthusiasts will also enjoy it. Of course, they must not miss the highest mountain in Sardinia, Punta La Marmora (sometimes also known as Perda Crapias), which rises to 1,834 metres above sea level.

The mountain lies in the orphaned Gennargent Mountains, where you're more likely to encounter herds of grazing cows or sheep than tourists.

The Gennargent is a bare mountain range, covered only by low undergrowth and dominated by light to white limestone cliffs and mountains. The views in fine weather are spectacular and in all directions.

Climbing Punta La Marmora

There are indeed marked trails to Sardinia's highest peak, but don't imagine the signage is quite perfect. Only here and there are red and white signs along the beaten track, but it's almost impossible to get lost here as most of the trails lead right up to Punta La Marmora.

The shortest and easiest ascent is from the car park of the island's only ski resort at about 1,500m, the location of which can be found on the website en.mapy.cz. Parking here is free.

From here you can either go straight up the approximately 450m long slope to the second highest peak in Sardinia, Bruncu Spina (1 829m) or take a slightly more circuitous route along the "marked" trail, but with less elevation gain and better views. Once you've climbed the steepest part of the trail (about 0.5 km), the rest of the way to Punta La Marmora is a comfortable ridge.

The entire hike from the parking lot to Punta La Marmora and back is 10 km and can be done in about 3 hours. Good hiking boots are a must.