A mining port carved into the rock above the sea
On the south-western coast of Sardinia, near Iglesias, the stretch of coast between Masua and Nebida is one of the most spectacular on the island: high white limestone cliffs falling into an intense blue sea, and, rising from the water just offshore, the Pan di Zucchero, a huge limestone stack 133 metres high, named after the Sugarloaf Mountain in Rio de Janeiro. It is one of the most photographed sights in Sardinia.
This coast was for centuries the heart of the mining district of the Sulcis-Iglesiente, where lead, zinc and silver were extracted. In 1924 the engineer Cesare Vecelli designed an ingenious solution for loading the ore onto ships: Porto Flavia, named after his daughter, a "suspended port" carved into the cliff, made of two tunnels, one above the other, about 600 metres long, dug into the rock: in the upper tunnel the ore was stored in huge silos, and in the lower one a conveyor belt carried it to a mobile arm that extended out over the sea and loaded the ore directly into the holds of the ships moored below, avoiding the use of boats. Today Porto Flavia can be visited on guided tours, which lead through the tunnels to the opening in the cliff overlooking the Pan di Zucchero. The mining district is part of the Geominerario Park of Sardinia.
Tip: tours must be booked in advance, especially in summer; the beach of Masua, in front of the Pan di Zucchero, is perfect for a swim afterwards.
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