Without travelling too far, on one of our beautiful islands, there is a canyon that will take your breath away: a true masterpiece of nature that is also a treasure trove of biodiversity. Flora, fauna and myths of a magical place.
Perhaps you are planning a holiday in Sardinia to enjoy the splendid sea or explore the island's deep-rooted culture… if so, add another stop to your trip: the Gorropu gorge.
We are in the Supramonte, between the municipalities of Orgosolo and Urzulei, where the intense erosive action of the waters of the Rio Flumineddu has carved out a deep canyon: more than 500 m in height and a width that varies from a few tens of metres to 4 metres.
It is considered one of the deepest canyons in Europe and is home to several Sardinian endemic species. If you love animals and regard seeing rare ones in their natural habitat as a true privilege, this gorge has a great deal to offer: the aquilegia of Gorropu, also known as the "nuragic" columbine, the Sardinian brook salamander, a Sardinian-Corsican endemic considered the rarest amphibian in Europe, the Supramonte cave salamander, found in the nearby Su Palu cave, the grass snake, the golden eagle, which still nests among the high walls with several pairs, and, among fish, the Sardinian trout. And more: mouflons, Sardinian hares, foxes, hedgehogs and wild boar.
The flora makes this an equally remarkable habitat: here we find the herbaceous species aquilegia nuragica, or Gorropu columbine, an endemic that has been listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) among the top 50 species at risk of extinction in the Mediterranean. It is found nowhere else in the world and grows, with only a very small number of specimens, inside the Gorropu canyon. Other species of interest are the yew and the phillyrea, estimated to be around 1,000 years old.
To help guide you in discovering this little-known wonder of Sardinia, you can turn to the website http://gorropu.info/info of the company Chintùla, which offers excursions of various kinds and takes care of the Gorropu gorge in every respect. It is possible to spend the night in the gorge, dine outdoors in front of a bonfire and savour Sardinian specialities in a truly unique atmosphere.
This sense of wonder, the grandeur and the awe you will feel in the presence of the gorge have given rise over time to strange legends: it is said that from the narrowest and darkest point of the gorge, where the walls rise vertically to over 450 metres, it is possible to see the stars in broad daylight, or that on the sheer walls the magical flowers of the male fern bloom at night.
Another face of beautiful Sardinia, another true and authentic aspect of an island rich in resources.