This year summer kicked in with very high temperatures so unless you want to get your brain fried under the scorching sun there’s a better option for all of you who can’t stay away from the Sardinian mountains even in the hottest season and it’s called (here at least) ACQUATREK.

So first of all we should talk about what acquatrek is. Well, the name itself explains it as we are talking about a single or multi day trek that follows a creek or a river but instead of avoiding getting wet (as you would probably do in winter) you just simply walk, jump, swim and slide in the river stream.
No ropes, no harness, no carabiners and no abseiling – only peaceful a joyful walking in the heart of the mountain!

You might think that Sardinia is not the land of rivers but approximately in the last 10 years a lot of “new” water outdoor activities have been explored such as canyoning and coasteering together with the more widespread rappeling and climbing which makes this land a paradise for everyone who prefers finding a sort of syntony with nature and its various breathtaking forms.
There’s still a lot to explore about these possible routes (and don’t forget that it is very likely that their flow undergoes a serious reduction during the hottest months) so this time I’ll show you two rivers (actually one is the tributary of the other) from the same area.
The first one I vistited is called Su Fruscu in the mountain range of Gennargentu and it flows into one of the longest rivers in Sardinia called Flumendosa. As a matter of fact one could opt for a joined acquatrek which would last four days following up both streams.

One of my favourite aspect of acquatrek is how essential it is. By essential I mean that you can’t bring your usual 60l rucksack with all the tiny bags and pockets. Whatever you need for a couple of days must fit in 2 waterproof bins (also known as canyon kegs) placed in a canyoning pack (with good drainage so you don’t have to lift tons of water every time you come out of the creek).
But let me show you what I mean by essential:

By the way if you prefer using dry bags instead of the kegs they did work for some of us so it’s really up to you.





And now here we are with the second acquatrek of this summer following the second longest river in Sardinia called Flumendosa. This route has been described as a 3-day trek but not having enough time we decided to set off for the last 2 stages (approx 25 km).




This seemed the most logical thing to do given the circumstances!

I wish I could tell you what the real essence of walking in a river is. I mean it’s not about endurance or having an aim in front of you, something to reach. I guess when they say it’s not the destination but the journey this is what they meant. Imagine being surrounded by mountains with their harsh walls while you are constantly lifted by water, the smell of the mediterranean scrubland stimulating your olfaction and a playground making you smile like you were a kid again.




Acquatrek – which I suppose we may also call “river walking” – is an emerging outdoor activity which is particularly fun and relaxing and considering the temperature of the river in summer, staying in the water for a long time will ease your walk.
Not much has been written or published about river walking in Sardinia so far except for this guidebook (available only in Italian) I got the info from with 10 detailed descriptions of various rivers and creeks.
I’ll be around though so visit my fb page and I’ll be happy to answer your questions as soon as I can!