Porto Flavia was the harbor of the neighboring mine, no more operative since the 2nd World War.
The harbor is formed by two tunnels coming out in the middle of the cliff which offers a breathtaking view over the beaches below and the Concali su Terràinu, a limestone stack 426 ft high above sea level.
This rock is also called Pan di Zucchero (Sugarloaf Mountain) for its resemblance with the Rio de Janeiro peak.

A short history:
before the construction of Porto Flavia, the ore was manually loaded on the “bilancelle” (traditional Sardinian boats with two lateens) and brought to Carloforte harbor, where the ore was unloaded and stored in the magazines or in the hold of steamships.
In 1882 the young D’Annunzio complained about the pitiful conditions of the miners, forced to killing pace of work.
In 1924 became operative the new harbor planned by the Italian engineer Cesare Vecelli and called Porto Flavia from the name of his daughter.
The complex is formed by two superimposed tunnels, each 656 y long.
In the upper tunnel an electric train brought the ore to the reservoirs.
In the lower tunnel a conveyor belt received the ore from the reservoirs and brought it to a steamship moored at the base of the cliff.
The ore was formerly carried on the shoulders of the so called ”galanze”.
Porto Flavia was closed when mineral production in Masua ceased and today is a UNESCO-protected site, and daily guided tours are held in the tunnel.

Thank to our friend Francesca for the beautiful photographs