The best MTB trails around Gùspini/Guspini

On the Cuccur'e Zeppara hill, now incorporated into the town of Guspini, you can admire a spectacular wall of basalt prisms up to twenty meters high, perfectly arranged like organ pipes. The formation, created by the slow cooling of lava from an ancient volcanic cone, is considered one of the clearest in Italy and Europe. Declared a natural monument, the quarry can be visited via a short trail that allows for a close-up view of this rare geological feature, similar in shape to be seen only in Sicily, Veneto, Iceland, and a few other places in the world.

Montevecchio, also known as Gennas Serapis, is an ancient mining village now a hamlet of Guspini, nestled in the Geo-Mining Historical and Environmental Park of Sardinia. Founded in the 19th century as the administrative center of the lead and zinc mines, it was established here. The village is home to the Montevecchio Mine information point and the Gennas Food and Wine Confraternity, a trattoria offering excellent food in a friendly, family-friendly atmosphere. They are usually open on weekends, but we recommend contacting them to check opening times, make reservations, and arrange for service. The owner is very helpful and is happy to welcome hungry travelers.

Built in 1915 and nearly 300 meters deep, the Amsicora Shaft was part of the Telle mine, between Montevecchio and Ingurtosu. Active for nearly a century, it is now an important symbol of industrial archaeology and workers' memory. In the 1990s, it was the site of a historic month-long occupation by miners in defense of workers' rights. Permanently closed in 1991, the site is now abandoned but retains an austere charm, immersed in the greenery and silence of the Arburese mountains.

It would also be very nice for the gentle slope that makes it feasible uphill towards Montevecchio. It's a shame that as of today (2/10/25) it is rideable but not very clean....it could be an interesting connection to go to/from the Crocorigas road or the Mines.

Pro tip: You don't have to cycle through the deep spot where the cars drive through; there's a footpath to the side in the bushes where you can cross with your bike almost without getting your feet wet.

The Montevecchio mine is an impressive example of how a place devoted to the consumption of natural resources can be abandoned and used for other purposes. Zinc, lead and silver were once extracted here, but today it is a tourist site devoted to art and culture.

Beautiful dirt road that follows the route of the former mining railway that connected Montevecchio to San Gavino. This stretch in particular crosses the typical landscape of the Sardinian hinterland, characterized by shrubs and red earth. Very suggestive.

Geological point of interest