Sardegna da Orosei

At a Glance

• Start / Finish: Orosei, San Giacomo Apostolo (Gulf of Orosei) / Porto Torres, Torre Aragonese (Gulf of Asinara)
• Length: 270.7 km
• Duration: 12 days
• Elevation: ↗ 4,927 m / ↘ 4,925 m
• Highest point: 1,054 m in the uplands of the Goceano before Bultei; lowest point 0 m at both ends
• Stages: 12 (Camino Ninja proposal; only the final stages CSJ-21 to CSJ-24 from Ozieri are officially named)
• Network: eastern route of the Cammino di Santu Jacu — "Sardegna da Orosei" is our name; the operator lists a north-eastern branch and the asse centrale
• Waymarking: yellow arrows and scallop shell — the same visual language as in Spain
• St James church: San Giacomo Apostolo in Orosei — St James is the town patron, feast on 25 July
• No hostel network: partner businesses with pilgrim discount, ospitalità donativa, parishes; booking 24–48 hours ahead; referenti di tappa
• Feeder route: Sardegna da Olbia ends in Orosei
• Shared finale: from Chilivani/Ploaghe with Sardegna Centrale and Sardegna Nord
• Best time: April to May and September to October; July and August too hot inland

Overview

The route begins in a town whose patron is called James — not at a painted arrow. In Orosei, on the alluvial plain of the Cedrino, stands the parish church of San Giacomo Apostolo; 25 July is the patronal feast, and a few kilometres up the valley, in Galtellì, the Cammino di Santu Jacu was officially presented in 2012. From here you walk within two days from the coast into the Supramonte, the roughest upland of the island, via Dorgali and Oliena to Nuoro, where Grazia Deledda was born and the Redentore on Monte Ortobene watches over the town. Then it gets lonely: Orune at 745 metres with the well temple Su Tempiesu from the 13th century BC, the uplands of the Goceano via Benetutti and Bultei, where the highest point lies at 1,054 metres, and the long descent to Ozieri, whose cave gave its name to an entire Stone Age culture.

From Ozieri you are on the official final stages of the main axis — CSJ-21 to CSJ-24 — and from Chilivani and Ploaghe you walk the same stretch as every Sardinian St James pilgrim coming from Cagliari or Olbia: past the black-and-white banded basilica of Saccargia, up via Sos Bajolos to Sassari, through Sennori and Sorso to the lagoon of Platamona and to Porto Torres, where the Torre Aragonese stands in the harbour. To be honest, "Sardegna da Orosei" is our name: the operator lists two strands, which are joined here because that is exactly how people walk it. To be honest, there is no hostel network either — the municipal houses are currently out of service, you book 24 to 48 hours ahead, often in Italian, and in July and August the interior is blazing hot. In return you see an island commonly taken for a beach destination from the side nobody photographs.

Other Names

With its operator the route is simply called Cammino di Santu Jacu — and Santu Jacu is Sardinian for James, what is Santiago in Spanish and San Giacomo Maggiore in Italian. The name Sardegna da Orosei is our own: the association lists no section of that name, but a north-eastern branch, kept in its documents as the strand Ozieri–Olbia, and the asse centrale Cagliari–Porto Torres. What you walk here is the mountain strand from the coast at Orosei via Nuoro to Ozieri — and from there the official final stages CSJ-21 to CSJ-24 of the main axis. We have joined them into one continuous route because that is how it is walked. On the ground you ask for the Cammino di Santu Jacu, and everyone knows what you mean.

On the numbers you need to know: for the final stages from Ozieri the operator gives 102 kilometres — 32, 32, 14 and 24 — while for the mountain strand Orosei–Ozieri it publishes GPS tracks but no stage table. Our route measures 270.7 kilometres, the 12 stages below are calibrated to that, and only the last five are officially numbered. The whole network covers around 1,600 kilometres and about 60 stages on four main axes; for the central axis figures from 430 to 470 kilometres circulate depending on the source. Incidentally, in our database the route carries a typo — "Sardedgna" — which we have corrected here.

Who It's For – and Who It's Not

This route is ideal if you want Sardinia away from the beaches: within two days it pulls from the coast into the Supramonte and stays up there for a week. Ideal if archaeology appeals to you more than Gothic — on this stretch lie a well temple from the 13th century BC and the cave that gave an entire Neolithic culture its name. Ideal if you are looking for quiet: Orune has 2,000 inhabitants, Bultei far fewer, and between the villages there are days when you meet nobody. And ideal if you like walking in a network that still works on a personal level — there are referenti di tappa, volunteer contacts for each stage who will find you a bed when nothing is free.

To be honest, though, it is not for you if you expect a hostel network: there is none, the municipal lodgings are currently not in operation, much runs via parishes, private hosts and phone calls 24 to 48 hours ahead. Not for you either if you speak no Italian and dislike phoning — in the uplands you rarely get far with English. Not for you in July and August: the interior of Sardinia is then blazing hot and shadeless. And not for you if you need short days — three of the twelve stages are at or over 29 kilometres, two over 31, and there is not always an intermediate stop in between.

Route & Landscape

You start in Orosei at sea level, on the alluvial plain of the Cedrino, with Monte Tuttavista at your back. On the very first day you leave the gulf and climb to Dorgali, one of the eight official pilgrim destinations of the Sardinian network and the gateway to the Supramonte: limestone, holm oak, maquis, somewhere in a sinkhole the Nuragic village of Tiscali. Via Oliena at the foot of the limestone walls you reach Nuoro, the provincial capital below Monte Ortobene — and after that it gets lonely. Orune lies at 745 metres; beyond it the route runs through the uplands of the Goceano via Benetutti to Bultei; somewhere here lies the highest point of the route, 1,054 metres, after which the path gradually descends.

From Ozieri the landscape becomes wider and gentler: high plateau, grain, cork oaks, basalt domes. At Chilivani you cross the railway, at Ploaghe the other Sardinian Ways of St James arrive. The section after that is the most splendid scenically: between Ploaghe and Codrongianos the black-and-white banded basilica of Saccargia stands in the open valley; via Florinas, Cargeghe and Ossi you climb the old Sos Bajolos route up to Sassari. The last two days belong to the sea again: via Sennori and Sorso to the coast, along the lagoon of Platamona on boardwalks and paths, and past the white rock church of Balai Vicino to Porto Torres, where the Aragonese tower fortress stands in the harbour. From zero to a thousand and back to zero — that is the curve of this route.

Stages, Terrain & Difficulty

We propose 12 stages. Important to know: only the last five are officially named and numbered — the tappe CSJ-21 to CSJ-24 of the main axis from Ozieri, with CSJ-22 split at Florinas, the point the operator itself recommends. For the mountain strand from Orosei to Ozieri the association publishes GPS tracks but no stage table; our division follows the villages and is calibrated to the 270.7 kilometres of our track data, with the 102 official kilometres from Ozieri as anchor. The total is exact; the mountain stages are accurate to within a few kilometres.

1. Orosei – Dorgali (22.8 km) — from the Cedrino valley up into the Supramonte, pilgrim destination Dorgali.
2. Dorgali – Oliena (22.8 km) — limestone walls, holm oaks, at the foot of the Supramonte.
3. Oliena – Nuoro (15.7 km) — provincial capital, Deledda house, Monte Ortobene.
4. Nuoro – Orune (20.7 km) — up to 745 m, well temple Su Tempiesu.
5. Orune – Benetutti (29.0 km) — Goceano, Tirso valley; long, hardly any intermediate stops, carry water.
6. Benetutti – Bultei (22.8 km) — uplands, highest point 1,054 m.
7. Bultei – Ozieri (31.1 km) — long descent to the plateau, Grotta di San Michele.
8. Ozieri – Chilivani – Ploaghe (33.2 km) — officially CSJ-21, "impegnativa"; rail hub Chilivani, can be split.
9. Ploaghe – Codrongianos (Saccargia) – Florinas (16.6 km) — officially first half of CSJ-22; the striped basilica.
10. Florinas – Cargeghe – Ossi – Sassari (16.6 km) — officially second half of CSJ-22; ramp via Sos Bajolos.
11. Sassari – Sennori – Sorso (14.5 km) — officially CSJ-23, "facile"; Fontana della Billellera.
12. Sorso – Platamona – Balai Vicino – Porto Torres (24.9 km) — officially CSJ-24, "media"; lagoon, rock church, Torre Aragonese.

Difficulty: moderate to demanding — no alpine route, but no flat stage either: 4,927 metres of ascent, and the mountain week between Dorgali and Ozieri calls for fitness and self-sufficiency. Surface: in the mountain part mostly shepherds' paths, forest roads and gravel tracks; in the lowlands and through the villages the share of tarmac grows considerably. The operator explicitly rates CSJ-21 and CSJ-22 as "impegnativa" — 32 kilometres with 430 and 570 metres of ascent respectively; the climb to Codrongianos and the ramp to Sassari are punchy — CSJ-23 as "facile", CSJ-24 as "media". The waymarking — yellow arrows and shell — is densest on the official final section; in the uplands do not rely on it alone, a GPS track and offline map are essential. Water: stages 5 and 7 run for long stretches through villageless uplands — two litres from the start. Stage 8 can be split at Chilivani, right at the station.

The Church a Cow Built

Between Ploaghe and Codrongianos, in the middle of a green valley, stands a black-and-white banded building with a far too tall bell tower: the Basilica della Santissima Trinità di Saccargia. Its consecration date is recorded in the Condaghe, the medieval monastic register — "Nel condaghe è citata la data di consacrazione della basilica: 1116" — and as early as 1112 the abbey belonged to the Camaldolese, for at least three centuries. According to tradition it was built by Costantino I di Torres with his wife Marcusa: childless, guests of the monks, and an apparition is said to have moved him to build. But the church owes its name not to a prince but to an animal — "s'acca argia", the dappled cow that according to legend appeared before the monastery every day to give the monks her milk. Pisan builders layered black basalt and white limestone into stripes, and in the last years of the 12th century an Umbrian-Latian artist painted the main apse: to this day the only completely preserved Romanesque mural in Sardinia. You pass here on a stage the operator rates as "impegnativa" — take a break anyway. After the lonely mountain days this is the moment the route becomes a pilgrim route.

To be honest, Saccargia is the oldest hard evidence on this route, and it has nothing to do with St James. Sardinia has no medieval stream of pilgrims to Santiago to show; the Cammino di Santu Jacu is a new creation of 2009, built along the municipalities whose patron is San Giacomo — and on this branch Orosei is the only one of them. What age the route has belongs to the places: Su Tempiesu near Orune, a sacred well temple from the 13th century BC, excavated in 1953, fitted from trachyte and basalt so precisely that it is regarded as "l'unica testimonianza originale che ci rimane di struttura in elevato e coperta di un pozzo sacro" — the only surviving roof over a Sardinian well temple; the Grotta di San Michele in Ozieri, whose finds of 1914 and 1949 gave their name to an entire culture of the 4th millennium BC; and in Nuoro the birthplace of Grazia Deledda, who in 1926 became the first Italian woman to receive the Nobel Prize in Literature and who in 1901, with a fundraising letter to "L'Unione Sarda", helped finance the bronze statue of the Redentore on Monte Ortobene. Three thousand years in twelve stages — and at the end, in Sassari, the Museo Sanna holds the finds from the cave you passed five days earlier.

Highlights Along the Way

• Orosei — a St James town in the literal sense: San Giacomo is the town patron, patronal feast on 25 July, the parish church is called San Giacomo Apostolo; of 27 documented churches 13 still stand. Galtellì, the place of the official route presentation in 2012, lies a few kilometres up the Cedrino valley.
• Dorgali and the Supramonte — one of the eight official pilgrim destinations of the Sardinian network and the gateway to the limestone mountains; hidden in a sinkhole the Nuragic village of Tiscali.
• Nuoro, Monte Ortobene — at 955 metres the seven-metre bronze statue of the Redentore by Vincenzo Ierace has stood since 1901, inaugurated on 29 August 1901 before around 8,000 people; every year on 29 August the Festa del Redentore brings traditional dress from all over Sardinia.
• Museo Deleddiano, Nuoro — birthplace of Grazia Deledda (1871–1936), Nobel Prize in Literature 1926 as the first Italian woman; a museum since 1979.
• Su Tempiesu near Orune — sacred well temple from the 13th century BC, in use until the 9th century BC, excavated in 1953; around seven metres high, gabled roof with triangular pediment, bronze votive offerings, swords and statuettes.
• The uplands of the Goceano — between Orune, Benetutti and Bultei lies the highest point of the route, 1,054 m.
• Grotta di San Michele, Ozieri — an 80-metre-deep cave that gave an era its name: Ozieri culture, 3200–2800 BC; excavations in 1914 and 1949, marble idols of Cycladic type, finds today in the Museo Nazionale G. A. Sanna in Sassari.
• Ozieri — Cattedrale dell'Immacolata from the 15th century, rebuilt 1550–1571; Basilica di Sant'Antioco di Bisarcio, one of the largest Romanesque churches in Sardinia; the Roman bridge Pont'ezzu from the 2nd century, 87.50 metres over six arches.
• Chilivani — the island's rail hub with trains to Olbia, Sassari, Porto Torres and Cagliari; the most important entry and exit point of the whole route.
• Santissima Trinità di Saccargia, Codrongianos — consecrated 1116 according to the Condaghe, Camaldolese since 1112, named after the dappled cow; in the main apse the only completely preserved Romanesque mural in Sardinia.
• Sassari — the largest city on the route; in the Museo Nazionale G. A. Sanna the finds from Ozieri, plus the cathedral of San Nicola with the mightiest Baroque façade on the island.
• Sorso and Platamona — Fontana della Billellera, then the lagoon with boardwalks and paths and the Grotta dell'Inferno between two beaches.
• Balai Vicino (San Gavino a Mare), Porto Torres — whitewashed church on the rock above the sea, where the relics of the town patrons Gavino, Proto and Gianuario are venerated; next to it the Torre Aragonese in the harbour — the end of the route.

How Pilgrims Reach This Route

The most obvious feeder is Sardegna da Olbia — 135 kilometres along the east coast from Olbia via Posada and Siniscola, ending exactly in Orosei. Anyone arriving via Olbia airport or port therefore strings two routes together and has a good three weeks of Sardinia in one go; the transition is seamless because both strands belong to the same network. The second group travels directly to Orosei — by ARST bus from Olbia or Nuoro — and walks only this eastern route.

And a third group does not start at the front at all but joins at Chilivani: the station in this district of Ozieri is the hub of the Sardinian rail network; from here trains run to Olbia, Sassari, Porto Torres and Cagliari. If you have only a week, you begin there and walk the official final stages to Porto Torres — the Testimonium is available from five stages onwards. From Chilivani and Ploaghe you are in any case on the same path as the pilgrims of Sardegna Centrale from Cagliari and of Sardegna Nord from Olbia.

Continuing On?

In Porto Torres not only this route ends but the whole north–south axis of the Cammino di Santu Jacu — it is the Sardinian destination, as Santiago is the Spanish one; the operator sees the harbour as the point where the Sardinian way ideally connects to the Camino, and indeed Sardinia's only direct ferry to Barcelona departs from here. Continuing on therefore means above all: adding another piece of the same network. Sardegna Centrale is the main axis from Cagliari to Porto Torres, 448.6 kilometres — identical with your route from Chilivani and Ploaghe; if you want to walk both, you turn round in Porto Torres and head south to the island's capital.

In practice that means: from the Stazione Marittima in Porto Torres, Grimaldi Lines sails all year to Barcelona, around 12 hours across the Mediterranean, once to several times a week depending on the season (as of September 2026, check sailing days beforehand). In Barcelona the Camino de Barcelona via Montserrat and the Camino Catalán via Lleida take over – and the Sardinian finish becomes the next stage of the Camino Maltés to Santiago.

Sardegna Nord runs 268.3 kilometres from Olbia via the Gallura, Tempio Pausania and the Anglona to Porto Torres and joins the same final stretch at Ploaghe — a completely different landscape to the same destination. And Sardegna da Olbia, the coastal path that ends in Orosei, is the logical encore if you did not walk it as a feeder. Whoever walks all four Sardinian strands in a row has around 1,100 kilometres in their legs and has travelled an island commonly taken for a beach destination.

Preparation & Practicalities

The season runs from April to May and from September to October. Sardinia can be walked all year, but inland the high summer is simply too hot, and in winter rainy periods can soften the mountain paths. Note two dates: 25 July, patronal feast of San Giacomo in Orosei, and 29 August, Festa del Redentore in Nuoro — both big festivals, both days on which you had better have booked ahead. There is no hostel network — this is where you have to plan. There are three kinds of beds: partner businesses (B&Bs, agriturismi, small ostelli) with pilgrim discount against the Credenziale, ospitalità donativa with private hosts and parishes — "Non è un prezzo fisso, ma una libera offerta", typically 10 to 20 euros — and church houses, often very basic, sleeping bag required. The municipal lodgings are currently not in operation. The operator expressly asks you to book 24 to 48 hours ahead; if you find yourself in front of closed doors in the evening, every stage has a referente di tappa whose contact the association provides. The easiest way to plan your stages and lodgings is directly in the Camino Ninja app.

The Credenziale del Cammino di Santu Jacu has no fixed price — the association asks for a voluntary donation for printing, postage and trail maintenance; you order it in advance by email or pick it up at the info points in Cagliari (Via Roma 145) and Porto Torres (Stazione Marittima). Collect at least one stamp per stage — at lodgings, bars, churches, parish offices or the town hall; you get the Testimonium from five stages onwards. The waymarking — yellow arrows and scallop shell — is densest on the final section from Ozieri; in the uplands download the association's GPS tracks and walk with an offline map. Language: Italian and Sardinian in its local forms; in Nuoro, Sassari and Porto Torres you get by with English, in Orune, Benetutti or Bultei hardly at all — a few Italian phone phrases for finding a room are equipment here, not a bonus. Packing list: water for the villageless stages 5 and 7, sun protection and hat, sleeping bag, sturdy shoes for gravel and karst, tick protection and cash — card payment is not a given everywhere in the mountain villages.

What the Route Costs

To be honest, the interior of Sardinia is noticeably cheaper than the coast — the most expensive nights are Orosei at the start and Sassari shortly before the end. The following figures are guide values, not individually queried prices (as of September 2026), except for the operator's figure for the ospitalità donativa: €10–20 with private hosts and parishes. A partner lodging — B&B or agriturismo with pilgrim discount — is around €30–50, a hotel double room in Nuoro, Ozieri or Sassari €60–100. Lunch at a bar or panini cost €6–12, a trattoria menu in the evening €18–30, self-catering €10–15 a day.

A realistic daily budget: frugal with donativo and self-catering €25–40, mid-range with a discounted B&B and one hot meal €55–80, comfortable €100–150. For twelve stages that comes to roughly €300–480 frugal and €660–960 mid-range, excluding travel. Add the Credenziale on a donation basis, usually €5–10, ARST buses €2–6 and the train Chilivani–Sassari or Olbia €4–10 (as of September 2026). Churches, Saccargia and the basilicas cost nothing, Su Tempiesu and the Grotta di San Michele a few euros.

Getting There

To the start (Orosei): The nearest airport is Olbia Costa Smeralda, around 90 kilometres to the north; from there and from Olbia ferry port ARST buses run down the east coast via Siniscola to Orosei. Alternatively by ferry to Olbia, Golfo Aranci or Porto Torres and on by bus or train. If you fly into Cagliari, take the train to Nuoro or Chilivani and the bus from there.

En route: Chilivani, a district of Ozieri, is the island's rail hub — connections to Olbia, Sassari, Porto Torres and Cagliari. Nuoro, Ozieri and Sassari are also well connected. The route can therefore easily be split into two or three holidays.

From the finish (Porto Torres): Porto Torres is a ferry port with connections to Genoa, Barcelona and Corsica; the station lies on the line via Sassari to Chilivani. The nearest airport is Alghero-Fertilia, around 40 kilometres away, with bus connections via Sassari. At the info point at the Stazione Marittima you get your last stamp and — from five stages — the Testimonium.

• Rail Sardinia: trenitalia.com — Chilivani, Ozieri, Sassari, Porto Torres, Olbia, Cagliari
• Bus: arst.sardegna.it — Olbia – Siniscola – Orosei – Nuoro, mountain villages
• Credenziale, CSJ stages, lodgings: camminosantujacu.it — Associazione Amici del Cammino di Santu Jacu
• Note: municipal lodgings currently out of service — book 24–48 hours ahead, referente di tappa as fallback