DESTINATIONS: MORTORIO

Together, they form a delightful little archipelago, known for its natural pools and protected by the bay of Porto Rotondo and Capriccioli, in the northeast of Sardinia.

The environmental protection of these islets falls within the prerogatives of the Arcipelago di La Maddalena National Park. However, the two islets, along with a third called Le Camere, make a small archipelago of their own, which is part of the treasures of the Costa Smeralda. The island of Soffi is in front of the beach of Capriccioli, while the island of Mortorio, the largest of the group, lies in front of the Romazzino coastal road. Both are of granite origin. The first has a surface area of 40 hectares and the second of 60. And both are integral reserve areas, subject to maximum protection: they can be admired at a safe distance from their coasts, within an accessible marine belt and with the authorization of the park authority. In fact, they preserve uncontaminated ecosystems, enriched by marine fauna and rare species of birds that nest, especially on the coasts of Mortorio, such as the Corsican gull and peregrine falcon. In order to discover them, it is first necessary to ascertain the park authority’s conservation rules.

Soffi is flat and not very indented, without any large inlets but with four delightful little coves, which are real natural pools surrounded by pink rocks. The little beaches have coarse-grained sand and small pebbles, while the seabed is sandy and the sea is crystal clear. Waters around the island can be navigated only within a limited area, through guided tours from Portisco, Porto Cervo or Porto Rotondo.

Mortorio, unlike Soffi and Le Camere alongside it, is precipitous with steep cliffs that reach heights of up to 80 metres, featuring low vegetation of Mediterranean scrub and broom shrubs. It is divided into two parts by a strip of land and dotted with small coves with beaches that are sheltered, thanks to their position, and with waters are almost always calm. Access to boats and disembarkation on the islet is totally forbidden. On it, however, the past traces of the passage of man are evident. It was inhabited for a few years by Genoese settlers, who then moved to Tavolara.