Passi di Gusto is born: excursions, tastings, and cooking demonstrations in Southern Sardinia.

Passi di Gusto , the first edition of a unique event combining hiking, wine and local product tastings , cooking demonstrations, and exploration of the local area , is getting ready to take shape. The initiative is promoted by the Cammino Minerario di Santa Barbara, a walking itinerary in southwestern Sardinia that focuses on the relationship between man and nature, history, and the rediscovery of mining sites, transformed into stages of a journey to be experienced at your own pace.

The initiative is part of a national context of strong growth in wine and food tourism . In Italy, the value of wine tourism in 2024 was approximately €2.9 billion , a 16% increase compared to the previous year (source: Qualivita Foundation). It is also estimated that in 2025, Italian wine tourists will exceed 13 million, with over 20 million overnight stays related to the phenomenon (source: CNA).

In Passi di Gusto , the Sulcis-Iglesiente, Arburese, and Guspinese regions will be fully involved . The protagonists will be the actors of the agri-food and wine supply chain: companies, wineries, restaurateurs, chefs, producers, agricultural cooperatives, oil mills, and artisan businesses. Each day of Passi di Gusto (the following is the program of the three events , divided into five dates ) will be dedicated to a specific product ( spiny artichoke, oil, wine, beer, honey, almonds) and will include walks immersed in the beauty of Sardinia's landscapes, itinerant activities, guided tastings, and cooking demonstrations . The chefs participating in Passi di Gusto are: Damiano Carrara, Luigi Pomata, Leonildo Contis, Manuele Fanutza, and Nicola Paulis.

The stages (all the details in the program available here)

• November 29 – from Nuxis to Santadi (about 8 km hike, challenging level)
• December 6 – From Guspini to Montevecchio: 6 km hike, cooking demonstrations, craft beer tastings, and workshops at the Montevecchio Mine.
• December 7 – From Giba to Masainas: 7 km, workshop “The Roads of Wheat and Good Daily Bread,” show cooking and local tastings.
• December 13 – from Su Portu de su Trigu to Candiani: 5.5 km, “tales among the rows of Carignano,” show cooking with main course and gourmet dessert.
• December 14 – From Tratalias to Palmas (San Giovanni Suergiu): 8.5 km hike, storytelling among the almond trees, show cooking with chef Damiano Carrara, masterclass on Sulcis wines.

" In Passi di Gusto, the walk is conceived as an experiential journey that combines nature, flavor, and discovery of the territory, showcasing local products typical of southwestern Sardinia, with a strong connection to the mining and rural landscape ," says Mauro Usai, President of the Santa Barbara Mining Trail Foundation. " The evolution of wine and food tourism ," continues Usai, " underscores the importance of initiatives like Passi di Gusto, which combine landscape, product, experience, and hospitality, enhancing areas like Sulcis, which has undergone a major redevelopment into a food and wine and sports destination, where hospitality has always been in the region's DNA ."

For information and tickets: https://www.camminominerariodisantabarbara.org/passi-di-gusto-lungo-il-cammino-minerario-di-santa-barbara-2025/