Where is Buggerru and how to reach its town
Buggerru (o Bujèrru in Sardo), an ex-mining center, is a municipality in the southwest of Sardinia that has about 1000 inhabitants. Located on the west coast of Sardinia, it is located in the sub-region of Iglesiente.
The small maritime village can be reached thanks to Provincial Road 83. One of the most beautiful scenic roads I have ever seen.
Yes, as you probably know, I come from this area and you will think that I am biased but I can say that I have traveled a lot, I have lived in different places and yet, every time I walk through it, I fall in love as if I saw it for the first time.
This road is nice to do especially by motorbike and if you are heading to Buggerru starting from Nebida, I’m sure you will want to stop in a parking lot to admire a fascinating view.
If instead you are already at Iglesias, you might want to take a longer tour and reach Buggerru passing through Via Eleonora (where the Salvaterra Castle is located), crossing the dam, overcoming more than 260 curves (yes, once I counted them), cross the municipality of Fluminimaggiore and continue following the signs for Buggerru.
Once you arrive, you will notice that the village is very characteristic, the houses are fan-shaped on a steep valley positioned in front of the sea, exactly at the Canale Malfidano.
Buggerru: a bit of history
Born in the second half of 1800, Buggerru has recent origins. Demographically it grew rapidly with the opening of the numerous mines surrounding the area. Reading the data, there are about 400 inhabitants in the second half of the nineteenth century, up to a peak of almost 6 000 inhabitants at the beginning of the twentieth century, but – due to the closure and abandonment of mines – the country was quickly depopulated and, Already in the 1920s, there were about 2,000 fewer visitors until today.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Buggerru was renamed Petit Paris, because the managers of the mines and their families had managed to create a small cultural environment. Among them was Achille Georgiades, a mining executive of Greek descent. He was hired to manage the mines of the Societé des Mines de Malfidano in Paris, whose headquarters was Buggerru. Cultural spaces were created in the village, such as a cinema, a theatre, and a club reserved for the elite of French society’s executives.
At Buggerru, in 1904, the first electrified line of Sardinia was inaugurated, one of the first in Italy. It was an innovative electric railway intended for the transport of the mineral from the Aquaresi plants to the nearby coast.
In the same year there was a dramatic event: the massacre of Buggerru on 4 September. If the managers and their families spent a pleasant stay in the “little Paris”, the miners were forced to work in inhumane conditions, often victims of fatal accidents at work.
On September 4, 1904, it happened that the army fired on the crowd of two thousand protesters, killing three and wounding eleven. Following this tragedy, the Milan Chamber of Labour proclaimed the general national strike, the first in Europe, which lasted from 16 to 21 September and to which Italian workers of all categories joined. If you are interested in mining history, I suggest you read this article.
Beaches of Buggerru
Buggerru is today a very sought-after and appreciated tourist destination because it is surrounded by fabulous beaches. You can easily reach the small beach of the same name that pops up to the right of the small port of the village and in a few minutes, moving by public transport, you can reach: the beach of Cala Domestica, San Nicolò and Portixeddu.
The beach of Cala Domestica
Cala Domestica beach extends north of Masua and south of Buggerru. From the town of Buggerru, the beach of Cala Domestica is about 8 km, it is not too far but it is better to reach this beautiful beach with a means of transport.
Cala Domestica is a deep sandy cove protected by its rocky cliffs. The beach preserves ancient ruins, old deposits, and some tunnels dug by miners.
In fact, to its right, there is a small gallery that leads to a more hidden cove, called the Caletta. La Caletta, is easily accessible with a walk along the path will direct you to the most sheltered area of Cala Domestica.
The waters are blue and shallow, ideal for swimming, and immersed with the mask to discover all the underwater wonders.
The beach is also ideal for surfers who want to ride the wave when the sea allows it.
Cala Domestica offers ample parking, also suitable as a rest area for campers.
The beach of Buggerru
If you are looking for a beach that can be reached on foot directly from the apartment, hotel, or b&b in the country where you are staying, I recommend you visit the beach of the village.
The beach of Buggerru is located to the right of the small port but is beautiful, characterized by blue water and golden sand and fine. To attract lovers of water sports is the deep seabed and the wind that makes it possible to surf or windsurf at different times of the year.
The beach of San Nicolò
San Nicolò is a beach that could surprise anyone who sees it for the first time. The sand is very fine and soft, the water is cold and transparent. It has a deep seabed and when the wind blows hard, dozens of surfers reach this coast to have fun or train.
A really suggestive and uncrowded beach, also, for this reason, you could find yourself in a wild context.
Highly discouraged to challenge the rough sea in this area, many, especially tourists, underestimate the power of the sea and its currents, sometimes leading them to death.
That said, I spent my childhood on this coast, and the most beautiful and funny memories I associate with this part of Sardinia.
The beach of Portixeddu
The beach of Portixeddu (or “small port”) is located in the South West of Sardinia, halfway between the Sulcis and the beautiful Costa Verde. It is part of the municipality of Buggerru but takes its name from the homonymous seaside resort, a fraction of the municipality of Fluminimaggiore.
La spiaggia di Portixeddu è tagliata a metà da una foce del ruscello, motivo per cui la spiaggia è chiamata anche Rio Mannu. It is curious to note how nature shifts the stream from year to year to remind us, once again, that it is the man who must adapt to his will.
From the square of the small tourist village of Portixeddu, you can admire the stretch of beach, about 3 km long. All the surrounding environment is reminiscent of a wild beach: on the right a sea with crystal clear and clean waters, on the left the small dunes and then the pine forest, at your feet a small cliff that seems to collect transparent water in a small natural pool.
On this beach, it is nice to walk in the shoreline both during sunrise and sunset. Portixeddu Beach is also a popular destination for surfers, especially when the mistral blows hard and the waves become a source of fun for fans.
What to see in Buggerru
Beyond the town and its small port, I recommend an excursion to see the Grotta Azzurra and the Faraglioni Punta Nido dell’Aquila. While to rediscover life in the mine, you can visit the Henry Gallery.
The Henry Gallery
The Henry Gallery is named after the French director of the company Anonime des Mines de Malfidano, who built the gallery.
Today a point of interest, reached by hundreds of tourists every year, once a place of exploitation of both the territory and human resources.
The Henry Gallery was built in the second half of the nineteenth century for the transport of minerals from the mine of Pranu Sartu to the lavery of Buggerru.
During my visit to the gallery, I crossed for about a kilometer the cliff overlooking the sea.
At the beginning of the visit, we boarded the electric train, while at the end we have a pedestrian path overlooking the sea, exactly 50 meters above sea level. Perhaps it is useless to point out that the scenario is crazy, to say the least!
Beyond the breathtaking view, you can appreciate the smell, and different scents that come from both the sea and the vegetation.
During the visit, they will tell you about a mining activity that began in 1865 and then led to an unexpected industrial revolution. Where simple fishermen became improvised miners. Men were forced to work many hours a day for little money and in poor safety conditions.
Despite this, the Henry Gallery as the Galleria of Porto Flavia, are remembered for a cutting-edge engineering work. This was mainly due to the use of a steam locomotive at the end of the 19th century. This means of transport allowed to transport the raw minerals from the underground mines to the nearby sinks and, finally, the cleaned minerals were boarded on boats thanks to the small ports nearby.
Another mining site that I highly recommend is the Su Zurfuru Mine. It is located not far from Buggerru and is part of the municipality of Fluminimaggiore.
How to get to the Henry Gallery
The Henry Gallery can only be reached on foot. Once you arrive in the village, maybe in the central part, near the main square, I recommend to look for a parking for the means of transport. From there on a path where you can admire Buggerru, the sea and the port. The view that you will see is just an appetizer of what you will see inside the visit. To buy tickets online you can click here!
If you’ve read this far, thank you! At this point, I ask you to let me know between the comments if you knew Buggerru, its history, and if you have had the opportunity to visit it in the past or if you would like to visit it after reading this article.
