Rock climbing near Cagliari

Cagliari is a beautiful city, and the many climbing areas make it a great place to live in, even for climbers! Since the eighties, a bunch of young city dwellers began scouting for crags and soon landed on the sea cliff at Cala Fighera. This is where a crew of passionate formed. They picked up drills and gave birth to a large number of new climbing sectors all over Sardinia.

The many climbing sectors in this area offer an escape to city life and great adventures. Particularly in the mountain range of Sette Fratelli. Apart from the limestone walls in Cala Fighera, all the other climbing areas around Cagliari are of granite. While limestone is often bolted, granite walls are dedicated to trad climbing, climbing on superb cracks and off-widths.

Which are the best sport climbing crags near Cagliari and Villasimius?

Only 5 kilometers from Cagliari is the always sunny Cala Fighera. It has 2 main climbing sectors:  Babbo Natale and Giardini sospesi sull’acqua. Babbo Natale has easy and short routes, ideal for beginners and climbing courses. On the other hand, the other has almost 60 routes ranging from 5a to 7b with a great range of styles. From the easy slabs on the left end to the athletic overhangs on the right end, Cala Fighera has plenty of climbing routes for multiple visits. Furthermore, it is on shade in the morning, allowing an early session even in the summer.

Moving east, the newly bolted Rocca Gommai is a great summer crag. It is not too far from Cagliari and is the perfect destination when the heath makes it impossible to climb anywhere else. There are currently over 30 routes and surely many more will come up soon.

Near Villasimius, on the small peninsula of Capo Carbonara, the old granite cave Cava Usai is the wonderful frame for over 40 sport routes. This is a rarity in Sardinia, as there are no other granite sea cliffs equipped with so many routes as Cava Usai. Climbing grades start from 5b and go up to 8a. Bolting conditions are varied; we recommend checking the description of the route and its first bolts before engaging on a dangerous journey.

Where are the best multi-pitches near Cagliari?

Perda sub’e pari is the best sector for trad climbing, with a dozen of wonderful multi-pitches (and a handful of sport routes too). It is in the national park Sette Fratelli, near a botanic garden and a deer reserve. The best seasons are spring and autumn, or sunny winter days.

Along the old winding road to Burcei there are also 2 gigantic leaning slabs. They are equipped with many multi-pitch stretching over 100 meters in height. These are called Placca del Frate and Placca dell’elefante and are just on the side of the road, only 5 minutes from each other. Sometimes, after a long rain, the river makes it hard to reach the base, but it’s an exception.