In this article, we disclose the various routes and strategies we had to explore before finally achieving the totalsynthesis of (−)-exiguolide ((−)-1). Two first types of approaches were set, both relying on the Trost’s domino ene–yne coupling/oxa-Michael reaction that we choose for its ability to control the geometry of the methylacrylate-bearing tetrahydropyrane ring B. In our first approach, we