Gola Gorropu
The Gola Gorropu ( Sardinian also Gorropu , Italian Gola di Gorropu ) is a gorge in the Supramonte mountains of the island of Sardinia in the municipalities of Urzulei and Orgosolo in the province of Nuoro . With walls up to 500 meters high, it is one of the deepest gorges in Europe. The limestone formation of the gorge was shaped by the amount of water from the Riu Fiumineddu river .
The entrance to the gorge is approx. 18 km south of Dorgali and can be reached on a winding road that branches off the SS 125 and descends into the valley floor of the Valle di Oddeone. A good 11 km can be covered by car, the remaining 7 km must be followed on foot in about 1.5 hours along the course of the Riu Flumineddu. The path is varied and partly leads through forests, which offer a pleasant cooling off in the scorching heat.
The impressive gorge is formed by mostly vertical and in parts even overhanging limestone walls and offers a rich flora and fauna. In summer the place with the many holm oaks and the constant wind is pleasantly cool and offers numerous birds nesting places. In the basin of the gorge there are rubble and huge boulders. Water collects in smaller pools.
Nearby are the largest sinkhole Su Suercone and the deepest karst cave in Sardinia, Su Sterru .
Web links
- Gorropu.info - Official website of the most spectacular canyon in Europe (English)
- Urzulei City Hall
- Photos of the gorge (Italian)
- Information on excursions (Italian)
- La Gola di Gorropu on www.dorgali.it (Italian)
Coordinates: 40 ° 11 ′ 7 ″ N , 9 ° 30 ′ 6 ″ E