The Cammino Minerario di Santa Barbara (CMSB) is a 311-mile (500km) pilgrimage trail on the Italian island of Sardinia. Located in southwest Sardinia, this long-distance trail follows old mining routes through a geo-mineral park and pays homage to Saint Barbara, who miners would pray to for protection before descending into the mines. It is a circular route, beginning and ending in the beautiful historic town of Iglesias. Use the resources below to plan your own self-guided walking tour along the Santa Barbara Mining Trail or book with one of our recommended tour operators.
Review of Santa Barbara Mining Trail
The CMSB website is still a work in progress but it has all the details you need for planning your pilgrimage walk. For each stage they provide difficulty levels, GPX files, distance, walking time, elevation charts, and interactive maps with restaurants and accommodations. You will find updated route variations and trail closures, as well as local tourism offices and transport services for each stage.
To find lodging and dining, use their interactive map or the Hospitality page which lists accommodations for each stage. Make sure to watch the video and read everything on the Before Leaving page, as this is where you’ll find details about obtaining a pilgrim passport and pre-departure details. This is also where you’ll find an excellent list of approved hiking guides, should you prefer guided tours.
This site truly has everything you need to DIY a pilgrimage on the Santa Barbara Mining Trail. While reviewing their site, I had issues with it not translating to English. If you have this problem, just keep clicking the EN translation button in upper right corner.
Important Things to Know
- The trail has 30 stages, ranging from 3mi (5km) to 18mi (29km), with most days averaging 9-12mi (15-19km)
- Cyclists can complete the trail in 9 stages
- Accommodations are a mix of hostels, guesthouses/agriturismos, posadas (managed by CMSB Foundation) and small hotels. Many only include phone numbers, so it takes effort to book lodgings. Make sure to book with those who have agreements with the CMSB and do so within the months they honor that agreement — it’s the only way you’ll get low rates by showing your pilgrimage certification. It can mean the difference of €28 vs €150 or more per night!
- There is a guidebook in Italian, English and French and GPX files can be downloaded from the site.
- You may need to pay with bank transfers for most transactions — this is a common practice in Europe and very safe. Credit cards are not the preferred payment method for many local businesses outside the US.
- Pilgrim credential costs €5 and you are eligible to receive a Testimonium when completing 100km (which does not have to be continuous). If you complete the entire 500km you receive this tower shaped plaque.
Things to like about Santa Barbara Mining Trail
- Perfect mix of coastal hiking and inland hiking
- Chance to explore ancient mines and historic villages
- Transportation to beginning and end of trail is easy, you won’t need a car
- Lesser-known pilgrimage trail, offering far fewer crowds than the Camino de Santiago routes
- Other than transportation costs to get here, hiking the CMSB is budget-friendly — accommodations average €28/night if using recognized lodging
- If you want a more relaxed walking holiday, that is also possible as there are several excellent towns along the route that offer more luxurious lodging and dining options
- The CMSB supports local businesses and is a good example of sustainable tourism that supports rural communities
Tour Operators covering Santa Barbara Mining Trail
- Where Sardinia offers a 4-day small group tour on the first 3 sections. They are wonderful to work with and own their own B&B, where you will stay during your tour with them.
- Janas Escursioni is an excellent choice if you want guided tours. They specifically focus on the Santa Barbara Mining Trail and are happy to design tours that accommodate for different abilities.
- Local company SardiniaNatour offers an itinerary along sections of the trail but they can also design a custom tour to meet your needs. Good choice if you want a trip that covers more than just hiking the trail. Prices will be higher as they prefer to work with B&Bs and hotels (rather than pilgrim hostels).
- SloWays covers sections of the Santa Barbara Mining Trail on their self-guided West Sardinia Sea & Mines tour.
Great choice for
- Those seeking pilgrimage walks or inn to inn hiking in Italy
- Anyone under the age of 35 who wants FREE accommodations — look at the Leg’s Go in Cammino campaign.
last reviewed November 20, 2024
