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Gallura is the north-east corner of Sardinia, and its main town, Olbia, has an airport and a ferry port. When Italian climbers think of Sardinia they usually think of limestone on the east coast, like Cala Gonone. But as Planetmountain points out, most of the island's rock is actually granite, and Gallura in particular is strewn with boulders.
This post helps you decide what level Gallura bouldering suits, which months to go, how to reach each area from Olbia, and what rules apply when you're bouldering on private land. Tavolara, the island off the Gallura coast with mostly multi-pitch climbing, has its own post; for a season-and-region comparison across the series, see the series overview.
What kind of crag is it
Granite boulders shaped by wind and water. The local bouldering shop As We Flow describes smooth, rounded, rough, high-friction granite: good for technical balance problems, with steep overhangs on the "tafoni" (weathering hollows) typical of the area.
Developed mainly from 2013. In November 2013 La Sportiva, led by Pietro Dal Prà, brought ten top boulderers including Nalle Hukkataival, James Pearson and Caroline Ciavaldini to Gallura for "Sardinia Bloc Scouting". Planetmountain's full report says they cleaned and climbed more than 150 problems in five days, from the fifth grade to 8a, across two areas near Arzachena and two near Tempio Pausania. The results went into a free La Sportiva Gallura bouldering guide.
Main areas.
| Area | Where | Size and character |
|---|---|---|
| La Cerra | Tempio Pausania, next to Monte Pulchiana | The La Cerra agriturismo lists 9 sectors and 100+ blocks, 10–30 minutes' walk from the farm; Climb Europe says "over 200 documented problems", Font 2 to 7B+, and calls it "the best place to go bouldering in northern Sardinia" |
| Monte Pulchiana | Tempio Pausania, near Aggius | The 2013 guide splits it into Prato SX, Prato DX, Grottini and Nuraghe; the granite dome beside the boulders has 7 multi-pitch routes |
| Lu Branu | Arzachena | 27crags lists 73 problems, in the private woodland of the Lu Branu agriturismo |
| Parco Giochi De Li Conchi | Arzachena, towards Bassacutena | Covered in the 2013 guide |
| Luogosanto | Park at the west end of Luogosanto village | Boulders in a cork-oak wood; climbingitaly lists 79 problems and InfoBoulder about 100 blocks, grades 4 to 8b |
| Capo Testa | Headland on the north coast | Climb Europe calls it a mix of sport and bouldering; theCrag lists only 52 sport routes, no boulder count |
Who it suits. Boulderers of every level. La Cerra runs from beginner problems to 7B+; Lu Branu and Luogosanto have problems up to 8A+ and 8B. It's best as a road trip with your own crash pads; La Cerra agriturismo rents them.
When to go
| Source | Season |
|---|---|
| As We Flow | Spring (March–May), autumn (September–November) and especially December; climbable almost all year except the hottest months |
| Climb Europe | La Cerra best in autumn and spring |
| climbingitaly: Luogosanto | Shade all day, sheltered from all winds, listed as a summer crag |
| theCrag: Luogosanto | "Always shady", "Wet in rain" |
| climbingitaly: Monte Pulchiana | Multi-pitch in the sun all day, listed as a winter crag |
Go to Luogosanto when the mistral blows. As We Flow says Luogosanto is a good choice on days with strong north-westerly wind. The flip side is that the woods dry slowly after rain. The November 2013 Scouting trip had strong winds and heavy rain and managed to climb on only six days out of nine, so leave a weather buffer in late autumn.
Getting there
| Public transport | Driving | |
|---|---|---|
| Into Sardinia | Olbia airport or port | Hire a car at the airport |
| To each area | ARST and Turmo Travel buses to Tempio Pausania and Arzachena | Planetmountain says every area is within an hour of Olbia |
| Last stretch | No buses to the boulders | Park at the agriturismo or by the road and walk 5–30 minutes |
Public transport
The bus page of GEASAR, which runs Olbia airport, lists Turmo Travel's Palau – Arzachena – Olbia port – airport service (winter timetable valid 1 October 2025 to 30 May 2026) and ARST line 601 (Santa Teresa – Palau – Arzachena – Olbia airport). For Tempio Pausania there's ARST line 602 (Tempio – Calangianus – Olbia); taking the timetable checked in October 2026 as an example, about 12 buses a day leave Tempio station. Buses only reach the towns and the boulders are out in the countryside, so in practice you need a car. If you stay at an agriturismo like La Cerra or Lu Branu, you can walk to the nearest boulders.
Driving
From the 2013 La Sportiva guide:
- Lu Branu: from Olbia take the SS125 towards Palau; at about km 348, after Arzachena, turn right and follow the signs for the Lu Branu agriturismo.
- La Cerra: take the SS127 towards Tempio, then near Luras the SP10 towards Luogosanto; at the SS133 turn left, and after about 1 km La Cerra agriturismo is on the right. The boulders are across the road, a five-minute walk.
- Monte Pulchiana: a few kilometres past La Cerra, turn right onto an unsigned paved road. SardegnaTurismo describes it from Tempio as the SS133 towards Palau to about km 10.7, then a dirt track on the left.
- Parco Giochi: from Arzachena take the SP115 towards Bassacutena for 5–6 km, park by the road, climb over a gate and follow the cairns.
- Luogosanto: theCrag says to park at the small car park of the "Parco di Mònti Castéddu" at the west end of the village, or walk up the footpath from the village; under 5 minutes.
Parking
At Lu Branu you start from the agriturismo car park and go through two wooden gates (27crags). At Parco Giochi you park by the road; don't block the gate.
Rules to know before you go
Mostly private land. The 2013 guide says the Monte Pulchiana boulders are "located on private land to which access is allowed, but courteous behaviour is required at all times". Lu Branu is in the agriturismo's private woodland, and theCrag's listing for the La Cerra guidebook mentions that Alberto, who runs the agriturismo, owns some of the boulders. At areas near a farm, say hello to the owner first.
Monte Pulchiana is a natural monument. SardegnaTurismo says the Sardinian regional government declared Monte Pulchiana a "natural monument" in 1994. I found no climbing-specific restrictions; check locally before you climb.
Luogosanto is an archaeological site. theCrag's Luogosanto page says "no fires, no camping, don't leave waste". InfoBoulder is more specific: "Divieto di accendere fuochi e di rimuovere eventuali muretti a secco sotto i boulder in quanto sito archeologico, divieto di campeggio", meaning that because it's an archaeological site, fires, moving the dry-stone walls under the boulders, and camping are all forbidden. Don't shift the walls when you place your pads.
Capo Testa. theCrag has a warning on the Cala Poltusinu sport crag that I couldn't read; check it before you go.
Rescue. The regional emergency list from CNSAS (Italy's national mountain and cave rescue service) gives 118 for Sardinia.
Routes by level
YDS and V-grade conversions follow the Mountain Project international grade comparison chart and are approximate; "approx." marks grades the sources give without a/b/c (such as 4 or 5+). The original grade is the one that counts.
Gallura is mainly bouldering, and the named, graded problems are in the Bouldering table further down. The four level tables below only have a few sport routes at Capo Testa; Monte Pulchiana's multi-pitch routes get their own table. Most boulder grades come from climbingitaly, 8a.nu and the 2013 La Sportiva guide. For full problem lists at La Cerra and Lu Branu you need the guidebooks; most names and grades on 27crags are behind the paywall.
Beginner: up to 6a (YDS 5.10a and below)
La Cerra starts at Font 2 (Climb Europe), and Luogosanto has a batch of problems from 4C to 5C. On the sport side there's one three-star route at Capo Testa.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fluttuazioni | 5c | 5.9 | Single pitch | Capo Testa | theCrag three stars, single source |
Intermediate: 6a+ to 6c+ (YDS 5.10b–5.11c)
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spigolo | 6c+ | 5.11c | Single pitch | Capo Testa | theCrag three stars, single source |
Advanced: 7a to 7c+ (YDS 5.11d–5.13a)
No sport routes listed in the sources. For boulders in this range, see the Bouldering table below.
Expert: 8a and up (YDS 5.13b and up)
No sport routes listed in the sources. Boulders of 8A and up are at Lu Branu, Monte Pulchiana and Luogosanto; see the Bouldering table below.
Trad and multi-pitch (Monte Pulchiana)
climbingitaly lists 7 routes; all but Pochaontas are marked "Multi-pitch TRAD", so bring your own protection.
| Route | Original grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Wall | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aperitivo con le capre | 5b, 5a, 5b | hardest 5.8 | 110 m, 3 pitches | Monte Pulchiana | 2014 |
| Pochaontas | 5c, 6a, 4, 6a+ | hardest 5.10b | 120 m, 4 pitches | Monte Pulchiana | The only route marked "BOLTED"; La Cerra agriturismo calls it the most popular line |
| Grandi laghi | 5b, 5a, 5a, 2, 5a, 4, 6a | hardest 5.10a | 260 m, 7 pitches | Monte Pulchiana | First ascent 1981 by Azzalea and Beuchod |
| Sete Satanica | 6b, 6b, 4 | hardest 5.10c | 85 m, 3 pitches | Monte Pulchiana | 2014 |
Bouldering
| Route | Grade (Font) | V grade | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La bella energia | 5C | V2 | Luogosanto | climbingitaly |
| Cavallo Pazzo | 5B | V1 | Luogosanto | 8a.nu |
| Il pentito di Luogosanto | 6B | V4 | Luogosanto | climbingitaly |
| Mincammino | 6C+ | V5+ | Lu Branu | 27crags, 10 ascents |
| Basfemia in Luogosanto | 7A | V6 | Luogosanto | climbingitaly's spelling; 8a.nu lists it as "Blasfemia a Luogosa…", 13 ascents, the most logged in the area |
| Lo squalo | 7B | V8 | Luogosanto | climbingitaly, 8a.nu |
| Il Diamante (boulder 4) | 7C | V9 | Monte Pulchiana | 2013 guide: vertical wall on small crimps |
| Bette papassino | 7C | V9 | Luogosanto | climbingitaly, 8a.nu |
| 3 grappini (boulder 3) | 8A | V11 | Monte Pulchiana | 2013 guide: highball, at the time climbed only by Hukkataival |
| Altri concetti | 8A+ (climbingitaly) / 8A (8a.nu) | V12 | Luogosanto | The two sites disagree on the grade |
| Lu Branu boulder 1, problem A | 8A+ | V12 | Lu Branu | 2013 guide: first ascent by Hukkataival, the hardest problem of the Scouting trip |
| Patagarroso | 8B | V13 | Luogosanto | climbingitaly, 8a.nu; As We Flow says the island's first V13 was by Gabriele Moroni |
Where to look things up
- La Sportiva Gallura bouldering guide (2013, PDF): maps, approaches and problems for Arzachena, Lu Branu, La Cerra and Monte Pulchiana, free.
- climbingitaly: Luogosanto and Monte Pulchiana: problem lists and multi-pitch tables.
- 8a.nu: Luogosanto: logged ascents, to see which problems are most climbed.
- 27crags: Lu Branu and La Cerra on thetopo: topos, mostly paid.
- GEASAR airport buses and ARST line 602: timetables change with the season; check before you go.
- Guidebooks: Grades and route counts here come mainly from online databases; the guidebook is the authority.
- Bouldering in Sardinia (Pietra di Luna; Maurizio Oviglia, Filippo Manca and Giorgio Soddu, 2022, ISBN 9788889661451): 31 bouldering areas across the island; As We Flow says it came out at the end of October 2022. Bibliographic details from theCrag.
- La Cerra Bouldering Guidebook (Iva Mirastschijski and Felix Clotten, 2021, ISBN 9783945271704): La Cerra and the Monte Pulchiana area; sold by Climb Europe and at La Cerra agriturismo.
- The 2013 La Sportiva guide reflects the early development; newer sectors and problems are in the two books above.
References
- Planetmountain: Boulder Gallura (in Italian)
- La Sportiva: Bouldering Guide to Gallura (2013, archived on lacrux.com)
- Planetmountain: Sardinia Bloc, new boulder problems in Sardinia (2013)
- Planetmountain: Sardinia Bloc Scouting, the full Gallura bouldering report (2013)
- Agriturismo La Cerra: Bouldering and Climbing
- Agriturismo La Cerra: The history of bouldering in La Cerra
- SardegnaTurismo: Monte Pulchiana
- Climb Europe: Olbia rock climbing and La Cerra bouldering
- As We Flow: Bouldering in Sardinia, what you need to know (2024)
- 27crags: Lu Branu
- 27crags: Lu Branu problem list
- theCrag: Luogosanto
- theCrag: Capo Testa
- InfoBoulder: Luogosanto (in Italian)
- climbingitaly: Luogosanto
- climbingitaly: Monte Pulchiana
- 8a.nu: Luogosanto
- Planetmountain: Luogosanto, Rock & Walls and the bouldering in Sardinia (2015)
- GEASAR: Olbia airport buses
- ARST: line 602 Tempio–Calangianus–Olbia timetable
- CNSAS: Distress call