Su Gorroppu: the Sardinian canyon

AN EXCURSION INTO THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CANYON IN EUROPE

You don’t have to go to the other side of the world to see a canyon and be breathless before a masterpiece of nature. In fact, one of the most beautiful and deepest canyons in Europe is located in Sardinia. It is the Gola di Su Gorroppu, a canyon in the Supramonte mountains that marks the border between the municipalities of Orgosolo, Urzulei and Dorgali, in eastern Sardinia.

Formed by the erosive action of the waters of the Rio Flumineddu, the Su Gorroppu Canyon is about 1.5 km long and descends for about 500 m, narrowing in places to a minimum width of 4-5 m. A natural monument that for Sardinians themselves represents one of the 10 must-see places in Sardinia.There are also numerous legends linked to the history of Su Gorroppu, such as that of Sa mama de Gorropu (The Mother of Gorropu), a frightening creature that lives inside the canyon.

HOW TO GET TO THE CANYON OF SU GORROPPU:
There are several ways to reach and visit the Canyon. The easiest way is to set off from the base camp in an off-road vehicle with a guide, travelling along a scenic dirt road of about 5 km as far as Rio Flumineddu. Then it is an easy 2.5 km trek to the canyon. It takes about one hour to visit the canyon. Another, but more difficult, way is to walk the descent from the Ghenna Silana Pass on foot with a guide, covering an approximately two-hour-long trek of 4 km with an altitude difference of about 650 m.