{"id":36846,"date":"2021-03-13T08:00:48","date_gmt":"2021-03-13T07:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/?p=36846"},"modified":"2021-03-12T19:41:25","modified_gmt":"2021-03-12T18:41:25","slug":"asinara-national-park-sardinia-italy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecobnb.com\/blog\/2021\/03\/asinara-national-park-sardinia-italy\/","title":{"rendered":"Asinara National Park: the Most Beautiful Paths of the Sardinian Island"},"content":{"rendered":"

Asinara<\/strong> is an island situated on the north-western border of Sardinia<\/strong>. Over the centuries, Asinara has always had an atmosphere of mystery<\/strong> and enchantment<\/strong>. For example, a legend tells that Hercules<\/strong>, son of Jupiter, came to this island to discover with his own eyes if it was as beautiful as everyone said. Not only did he find it beautiful, but he fell so in love with it that he wanted to possess it. So he called it Herculis Insula<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"View
View from the Falcone Tower. By Gianni Careddu, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons<\/div><\/div>\n

Asinara has kept its vegetation untouched<\/strong> thanks to a century of isolation<\/strong>: from a “quarantine” health centre<\/strong>, to a prison camp<\/strong> during the First World War, to a maximum security prison<\/strong>. Finally, in 2002 came the establishment of the the Park Authority<\/strong>. Now visitors can admire splendid landscapes covered with Mediterranean maquis<\/strong> and anthropized places able to relive moments of the past.<\/p>\n

\"Asinara
Photo by Antonellaspi on Pixabay<\/div><\/div>\n

The white donkey and other animals of the Asinara Park<\/h2>\n

The island owes its name to the presence of many donkeys and especially a very peculiar species: the white donkey<\/strong>. The originality of the animal comes from its white coat<\/strong> and its sky-pink eyes<\/strong>. There are several assumptions about the origin of this very particular donkey. It is even said that they landed on the island due to the shipwreck of a vessel<\/strong> on its way to France. Most probably, the white donkey is an native species that would derive from grey donkeys with an albino character<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"White
White Donkeys of Asinara. Photo by asibiri via Flickr – CC BY-SA 2.0<\/div><\/div>\n

Besides the donkey, the mammals of the Asinara Park are the mouflon<\/strong>, the hare<\/strong>, the weasel<\/strong>, the wild boar<\/strong> and the horse<\/strong>. Among the most common reptiles there is the tortoise<\/strong> and viperine snake<\/strong>, a snake similar to the viper but not poisonous. The seabirds are represented by the Corsican seagull<\/strong>, the tufty gull<\/strong> and the Sardinian partridge<\/strong>, a small bird that nests only in Sardinia. The Asinara, moreover, is part of the so-called\u00a0“Pelagos Sanctuary for Mediterranean Marine Mammals”<\/strong><\/a>, classified as a Special Protected Area of Mediterranean Interest<\/strong>. During a boat trip, it is very common to sight some nice dolphins<\/strong>. These creatures have fascinated people since ancient times.<\/p>\n

\"Dolphin<\/p>\n

Hiking in the Park<\/h2>\n

The Asinara Park is conventionally divided into 3 areas<\/strong>. You can explore them through paths that will allow you to deepen both the geological<\/strong> and historical-cultural features<\/strong> of this island. We suggest you to dedicate a whole day to each of these areas. This way, you will be sure to fully appreciate all the aspects that characterize Sardinia, but on a smaller scale.<\/p>\n

\"View
View from the top of Scomunica. By Marco on Flickr – CC BY 2.0<\/div><\/div>\n

1. The Fornelli area<\/h3>\n

From Fornelli<\/strong> it is possible to walk along different themed paths. The Granite path<\/strong> allows you to get to know the geological characteristics of the southern part of the island. The Water path<\/strong> shows the hydrogeological environment in all its forms. After visiting the Castellaccio fortress<\/strong> through the dedicated path, you can observe the mouflons and other species of animals of the island along the Muflone path<\/strong>. Whereas on the small islands of Cala Scombro di Dentro<\/strong> you will find Sardinian partridges, colonies of seagulls and tufty gulls. Here these birds find the perfect environment to nest.<\/p>\n

\"The
The Castellaccio fortress. Photo by Michela Simoncini on Flickr – CC BY-SA 2.0<\/div><\/div>\n

2. The La Reale area<\/h3>\n

Ships affected by infectious diseases landed in this area of Asinara. You can notice the characteristic town-planning scheme of Cala Reale<\/strong> from the seashore, with the pier leading to the steps, the gardens and the entrance to the Royal Palace<\/strong>. The latter is now the headquarters of the Park and the Ministry of the Environment.<\/p>\n

\"Cala
By asibiri via Flickr – CC BY-SA 2.0<\/div><\/div>\n

The visitor centre is the starting point of two routes. The Memory Path<\/strong> will take you on a journey through time to discover the main stages of the island’s history. Otherwise, the White Donkey Path<\/strong> will allow you to have a close encounter with this particular species. Don’t miss the Nature Trail<\/strong>, the first of its kind in Sardinia. You can walk along this trail on your own thanks to the numerous informative texts and interactive stations that accompany you along the uncontaminated environments of the Asinara.<\/p>\n\n\t\t