The Santa Barbara Mining Trail (which we had already talked about in this article) officially enters among the world excellences of hiking and sustainable tourism thanks to the Global Choice Award from Komoot, the largest outdoor platform in the world with a base of around 50 million users. The recognition certifies the value of a project that has managed to unite landscape, historical memory and local communities, gaining the attention of an international public. First path ever to receive recognition.
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The ceremony in Stuttgart and the dedication to the founder
The award was presented in Stuttgart, within the CMT, the main international fair dedicated to tourism, leisure and outdoors. The recipients of the Global Choice Award were Andrea Tarozzi, manager of the administrative area of the Cammino Minerario di Santa Barbara Foundation, and Roberto Rossi, representative of the Komoot campaign (both portrayed in the photo below).
The Foundation has chosen to dedicate the award to the memory of Giampiero Pinna, founder and former president of the Cammino, a central figure in the birth and development of the project.
A global selection decided by users
The Global Choice Award was born from an international consultation held in December 2025. The Santa Barbara Mining Route prevailed over a shortlist of leading finalists, including Tourspain, the Municipality of Genoa, the Trans Canada Trail, the GT 20 Bike in Corsica and the Sauerland-Höhenflug in Germany.
The peculiarity of the award lies in the method of awarding: no technical jury, but the direct vote of the Komoot community, which rewarded the authenticity and narrative capacity of the Path.
An itinerary that tells the story of the most genuine Sardinia
The recognition valorises a circular route of over 500 kilometers in the south-west of Sardinia, capable of crossing profoundly different territories. The route passes through Sulcis Iglesiente, Arburese and Guspinese, alternating abandoned mining villages, historic mining sites, centuries-old forests, rural areas and highly evocative coastal stretches. Alongside the pedestrian route, the Santa Barbara Mining Trail cycle route develops, largely coinciding with the main itinerary, and the “Sentieri del Carignano” project, which intertwines slow tourism, landscape, mining memory and ungrafted viticulture.
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The role of the Komoot platform in the use of the Camino
According to the official motivation for the award, a decisive contribution to the success came from the Collection dedicated to the Santa Barbara Mining Route on Komoot. The tool faithfully reproduces the official route and offers concrete support for trip planning, so that it is possible to make the experience accessible and organizeable even for an international audience.
Two thousand nights at a symbolic price to celebrate walkers
On the tenth anniversary of the Camino, the Foundation has chosen to transform the recognition into a special occasion: to celebrate the Global Choice Award and thank those who believed in the project, 2,000 nights will be made available at the symbolic cost of 10 euros in the posadas and participating accommodation facilities along the route.
The initiative concerns two periods particularly suitable for using the Camino, from 10 February to 10 June and from 10 September to 10 December 2026, with vouchers available starting from 26 January.
