On my first ride in Sardinia, I cycled to Golfo Aranci and Porto Rotondo and back to Olbia, a ride of just under 50 km. A wonderful ride and a perfect introduction to the landscape of Sardinia and the spectacular views and vistas of its coastline. There were a handful of cyclists on the road and a few cars. Golfo Aranci is a renowned vacation destination on the northeastern tip of Sardinia, with houses, villas, and apartments for sale and rent. Its port offers ferry connections to the mainland of Italy and the island of Corsica, and during the summer it welcomes thousands of tourists. In late April, however, it was virtually deserted, exuding sleepy ambiance, a perfect day to come cycling through for a taste of this corner of Sardinia.

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Cycling across Sardinia, Italy’s second largest island, beholds stunning landscapes, mountainous stretches of uninhabited territory, challenging climbs, fast descents, and vestiges of the Nuragic civilization. While Sardinia’s beaches are legendary, and most visitors to this isle are sun worshippers, Sardinia offers some epic bicycle rides.

Tour length: It depends, but with two to three weeks to spare, you can ride 500 to 800+ kilometers all across the island, starting from Olbia in the northeast, and finish in Cagliari, the capital, in the south. Of course, you can easily ride twice as much, but there in no reason to rush along the way as Sardinia is worth a few days of just hanging out, and sample its arts and culture, including and not to forget its wines.

Difficulty: Moderate to hard

Terrain: The coastline is a mix of hilly and flat; the interior is predominately mountainous.

Surface: Mostly paved roads with light to almost no traffic.

Climate: Being relatively a large and hilly island, Sardinia’s weather is not uniform. The East is drier, but paradoxically suffers the worst rainstorms. With much the same latitude as Majorca and south of Italy, Sardinia sports a Mediterranean climate, with mild, rainy winters and hot summers. “Mistral,” the dominant wind from the northwest off the coast of France, blows throughout the year, on and off, though it is most prevalent in winter and spring, when it can become quite uncomfortable for a cyclist. Usually dry and cool, it brings respite from the summer heat, although it becomes less of a factor, particularly on the west coast and the further south you ride.

Attractions: Rocky coasts, striking headlands, deep bays and inlets, sprinkled with amazing beaches. Sardinia’s coast and interior are mountainous, with stretches of uninhabited territory, offering many challenging climbs and fast descents. The ranges run crosswise, separated by wide alluvial valleys and flatlands. Cycling Sardinia is your best way to experience the beauty of Sardinia’s long-untouched landscapes dotted with vestiges of the Nuragic civilization and move about at your own pace. Ruled by the Phoenicians, the Romans, the Byzantines, and the Iberian Crown of Aragon before the period of Italian unification, Sardinia’s culture and history was remarkably rich. I cycled Sardinia this past spring, in April-May, and will post more on this resplendent island.

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The weather was still horrible, drizzling as I pedaled to the top of the ridge above Cavriglia. It was pouring as I pushed off downhill to Gaiole and I had to stop and hide under trees at the side of the road for over thirty minutes. When the rain let up, I pedaled into Gaiole, stepped in the church Chiesa di San Sigismondo and cursed the weather.

At last, an hour later, I could continue with my second climb of the day toward Castello di Brolio. The sky cleared, fog lifted, and first rays of sun soon appeared. The parking lot at the castle winery was full with tourist buses arriving for wine testing of the original Chianti recipe and well-known wine label.

As the weather improved, beyond Brolio began a spectacular downhill that only got more incredible with every kilometer. The panoramas looking west and south were sweeping, the landscape lush green and undulating. I rode past many wineries and through small hamlets, the scenery so Tuscan that I disregarded the rain that started up again, depositing me at the bottom of a climb toward Porta Pispini, the southeastern gate into Siena.

From Cycling Tuscany & Umbria

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