Complete Guide to Visiting Laveria Lamarmora, Sardinia

Where is Laveria Lamarmora & What to Expect

Laveria Lamarmora (Miniera di Nebida) is located in the town of Nebida, in the Iglesias territory on the southwestern coast of Sardinia, Italy. 

It is located at the foot of a cliff about 1h drive from Cagliari, and only 15 minutes drive from a popular mining site, Masua’s Porto Flavia & Pan di Zucchero. 

On the site of Laveria Larmormora, you will discover the ruins of a stone building dating from the 19th century that played a major role in Sardinia’s mining history.

In fact, the building, connected by a railroad to a mine located a little further south, was used to wash the extracted minerals (lead and zinc). The transport of the clean minerals was then carried to the top of the cliff by a funicular whose rails and cable are still visible.

Abandoned in the 1980s when the mining of the area ended, the building slowly deteriorated but some ruins remained well preserved. Today, the beauty of its architecture perfectly integrated into the surrounding nature makes it a top tourist attraction in the region.

How to Get to Laveria Lamarmora Nebida

To visit Laveria Lamarmora, you need to reach the city of Nebida. Here is how to do it by car or public transportation:

🚗 By car – the best option

If you have a car, simply write “Giardino belvedere di Nebida” on your GPS device. The town is served by route SP83 you can reach through route SP126 when coming from Cagliari, Chia, or Costa Rei. 

• From Cagliari, the nearest big city: 1h05 drive 
• From Chia: 1h30 drive
• From Costa Rei: 1h45 drive

When arriving, you will find a small parking lot referred to as “Parcheggio Piazza Belvedere” on the GPS. You can leave your car there for free. If there is no spot left, you can park on the roads around quite easily.

🚌 By public transportation

Bus 808 will get you directly to the Giardino belvedere di Nebida. But you should know that the bus frequency is very low and depends on the weekdays. If you choose to take it, make sure to prepare your trip well in advance and to check the bus times table.

Here is the fastest way by public transport when coming from Cagliari:

1. Take the train from Cagliari bus station to Villamassargia-Domusnovas
2. Switch train to Iglesias
3. Take the bus 808 in the direction of Masua and stop at “Nebida Scuole Elementari”
4. The Giardino belvedere di Nebida is right behind

The whole trip from Cagliari to Nebida would take about 1h40.

I don’t recommend coming from Chia or Costa Rei by public transportation as it would take more than 4 hours to get there.

Tip: There are 1-day guided tours starting at Cagliari that will take you to Laveria Lamarmora, but also the the others attractions nearby (Pan di Zucchero & Porto Flavia). It is a good option if you are staying in Cagliari and don’t have a car. 👉 Check it out!

Laveria Lamarmora Hike Details

The hike to Laveria Lamarmora Nebida is a well-signed loop trail starting right after the parking lot at the Giardino belvedere di Nebida. 

It is an easy trail, almost entirely on paved paths, that includes a stop at Belvedere Daniele Pani. There is only one small section on steep cliff before arriving at the ruins’ stairs.

Although easy, I recommend wearing walking shoes (no flip-flops) as the stairs down to Laveria Lamarmora are very steep, with high steps and no railing, so it can be dangerous if you don’t pay attention.

Here are the hike details: 

Laveria Lamarmora Hike

Easy

45min    2.5km / 1.6 miles

100m / 328ft    100m / 328ft

View Hike

Hike distance: The hike distance is about 2,5 km including the return trip.

Hike duration: The trail will take you about 45min round trip (15min to reach Laveria Lamarmora + 20min to come back + 10min to the belvedere).

Hike elevation: The way to Laveria is flat until arriving at the stairs. Here, the trail goes down 100 meters to the ruins, and the same for the return climb.

Hike difficulty: It is an easy hike because short, on paved paths without tricky parts. But the 300 stairs to the monument are very steep, so the return trip is definitely exhausting. 

Exploring the Site

Nesrine and I decided to visit Laveria Lamarmora on the 5th morning of our itinerary through Sardinia. We spend the night at la Calasetta in Sant’Antioco island the day before, so it took us about 1 hour to reach the Giardino belvedere di Nebida.

Even though the weather was wet and grey on this summer day, the road was very beautiful with great viewpoints of the Iglisiente rugged coast and the Faraglioni.

We parked in the small parking lot and started our visit by 11 am. We chose to turn left as said on the sign and followed the path.

After only a 10min walk with wonderful coastal views, we quickly arrived at the beginning of the stairs. We could already see Laveria Lamarmora overlooking the sea from far, and realize its exceptional location very far down the cliff.

We went down the stairs carefully completely stunned by the view and started discovering the site. We were surprised that the site is completely open and free to access.

The ruins were fun to explore. The structure is divided into 4 main parts all connected to the stairs, with 2 ovens and 2 large chimneys on the sides. We loved taking photos through the building’s arches that create the perfect framing.

We kept walking to the right of the Laveria and discovered another part of the building disconnected from the rest, with a huge cave and another great angle over the Pan di Zucchero and the scoglios. 

We decided to come back to the Laveria, and continue walking to the left this time, to have a fuller and wider sight of the ruins including the chimneys and the sea rock stacks. 

We climbed the stairs back up (which was tiring!) to go to the Belvedere Daniele Pani through the Passeggiata Panoramica di Nebida.

Right before the viewpoint, there is a café/restaurant with an amazing panoramic view. At the belvedere, the view is great and a bit different from what we have seen before as you will see the small villages nestled in the mountains overlooking the sea. It was worth the detour.

End of the hike! It was a nice and unique experience as we were blown away by the phenomenal sea views. 

Visit Sardinia

Going to Sardinia? Here are further readings that will help you plan your trip to Sardinia:

👉 Here is the main travel guide: 7 Days Itinerary in Sardinia (with free map)

If you are looking for Sardinia’s best beaches, here are other dedicated guides:

• All the Most Beautiful Beaches in Sardinia
• The Best Beaches on La Maddalena archipelago
• The Best Beaches in Northern Sardinia
• The Best Beaches in Southern Sardinia
• The Best Spots to Snorkeling Sardinia
• The Best Beaches Near Olbia

Also, find below my guides to discovering some of Sardinia’s best attractions: 

• The Best Things to Do in Olbia
• Visit Cala Goloritze in the Gulf of Orosei
• Hike Guide to Cala Napoletana, La Maddalena 
• Explore Pan di Zucchero & Porto Flavia
• Visit the archeological site of Tharros
• Hiking Capo San Marco
• Visit Neptune’s Grotto
• Complete Guide to Spiaggia di Cala Li Cossi

Finally, if you’re looking for a home base in Sardinia, you will find my best accommodation recommendations below:

• The Best Areas to Stay in Sardinia
• The Best Place to Stay in Sardinia for Couples
• The Best Places for Nightlife in Sardinia

I hope you have found everything you need to visit Sardinia’s Laveria Lamarmora; if you have any questions, let me know in the comments below.

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