• Meals: Dinner

Following your arrival into Cagliari (CAG) in the south of the Island, we will transfer to the first nights’ accommodation near Olbia in the north. Once here we check into our hotel and after organising our bikes for the journey ahead sit down to our first delicious Sardinian meal

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Ascent: 630 Metres Approx.

Your mountain biking adventure begins south of Olbia, near the small town of Lode in the limestone territory of Mt Albo. From our vantage point in the mountains we head down to the coast on one of the most beautiful singletracks on this part of the island, 6 km of real fun before a tarmac section leads us into the hills and onto a dirt track to the coast.

Our journey then progresses along the coast as we ride narrow trails and country lanes over granite hills to the sea. From here we continue south on a fun coastal roller-coaster ride though a dense pine forest towards Capo Comino promontory, passing huge granite rocky outcrops and some of the most beautiful beaches in Sardinia along the way.

Next up, we’ll pass through the Bidderosa Natural Park famous for its lagoons and white sandy beaches. This will be your last chance to take in the stunning sea views, before heading to our overnight stay near Cala Liberotto and another succulent Sardinian dinner.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 1,030 Metres Approx.

With a less strenuous day ahead, we can allow a little bit more time over breakfast before we get ourselves on our bikes. Leaving our accommodation near Bidderosa, we follow the coastline on a mixture of off-road trails and singletrack, through a landscape of low Mediterranean shrub, lagoons and long sandy beaches.

Reaching the basalt promontory of Osalla, a short technical climb will lead us to a nuraghe (bronze-age dwelling) from where coastal views open up ahead of you. Down on the beach, a short singletrack from Cala di Osalla to Cala Cartoe will keep everyone entertained and hopefully on their bikes! We then head inland past the Ispinigoli caves towards Dorgali where after a short climb we embark on an amazing singletrack descent. Time permitting, we’ll stop off and visit the impressive Nuraghe Mannu, perched at the top of the Fuili Gorge.

The final singletrack descent to the coast and Cala Gonone is a special treat and ends today’s ride in style. Tonight’s accommodation is at a small hotel close to the sea front. With the evening meal taken in town, it’s time to try out one of the many excellent restaurants and celebrate the ride so far in one of the bars.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Ascent: 2,150 Metres Approx.

From Cala Gonone, we embark on a challenging day’s riding, leaving the coast behind and gradually climbing into the oak forest of Givine.

The climb is initially on paved road, through some stunning limestone mountains. It then becomes tougher as the loose gravel track become steeper towards the end. Our reward is the technical singletrack on the opposite side leading onto a tarmac road, from where we climb up gradually to the Genna Silana Pass at 1017 m.

A coffee stop at the little café at the pass is a must before we head off onto our next off-road section into the Supramonte di Urzulei.

Here it feels like entering the wild west, wild pigs and horses graze freely in a barren landscape of rock and pastures, as birds of prey soar in the thermals above our heads. After a last glimpse of the east coast in the far distance from our panoramic viewpoint (1,350m) our fast descent on a stony, loose gravel trail leads us to the oak forest below.

A final 10km of ups and downs to go before we arrive at the accommodation and a no doubt a chilled Ichnusa Beer.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 1,300 Metres Approx.

This morning, the artificial Lake Flumendosa perched high up in the mountains is soon ticked off the schedule as we head towards the rocky peak of Perda Liana. Climbing gradually, the natural monument of Perda Liana will edge closer before we finally reach its base. From here we easily reach the panoramic viewpoint from where the highest mountain ranges in Sardinia, as well as the ranges to the south you’ll be crossing in the next few days are all visible.

Moving on we have a fun challenge for you as we ride down a steep fire break. Continuing on, a ‘carefree’ descent on forest trails leads us to the forestry land of Monte Arbu National Park. Here there is more forest singletrack before a gravel road takes us to river valley of the Niala Natural Park nestled under the ‘Ogliastra Tacchi’, whose large limestone peaks are covered by dense oak wood.

After climbing up from the little river we head to Gairo Taquisara from where an abandoned rail way line takes us to Ulassai. Located at the bottom of a limestone cliff with views to the sea, this small mountain village is a great place to end the day

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 1,630 Metres Approx.

Our journey continues south with an easy start to the day, descending into the river valleys below the town of Ulassai before winding back up. The unspoilt nature of this area makes it a fascinating spot for naturalists and bikers alike. It is an area that most vividly reflects the ancient character of the island. Shepherd’s trails, huts and ancient Nuraghi litter the landscape and villages perch over steep sided valleys.

Leaving the village of Perdasdefogu behind us (after a coffee stop!) we ride along the Quirra Plateau. The landscape changes yet again as we ride up and down the valleys across this vast plateau, with the highlight of today’s ride the long sweeping descent from the plateau to the Flumendosa River. After crossing the river a short climb on a quiet secondary tarmac road takes us to the town of Armungia where we settle into our accommodation.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Ascent: 1,200 Metres Approx.

Today we’ll continue our journey through the mountains of the Sarrabus region. The first 10 kms from Armungia take us on a roller coaster ride on wide gravel roads through the lush countryside

The following sections see us riding a mountain road contouring the peaks of Mt Genis, taking us up to about 800 m above sea level.

After lunch we head downhill for a few kilometers and then up on a challenging gradient. The last climb is a classic Skedaddle challenge with a 33% gradient. The reward though is a 360° view of the whole range of mountains we’ve crossed during our Sardinia Traverse right back to our first day’s riding. We end the day a few kms later via a beautiful singletrack that takes us to the outskirts of Dolianova where we stay for the evening.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 500 Metres Approx.

A Grand Finale on our last riding day as we ride through pine forests on a series of singletrack trails that whilst not overly technical are nevertheless great fun!

After another delicious lunch, we continue towards Cagliari, our final destination after eight days of challenging riding. Which ever thrilling route we take it’s down to the south coast and the beach where we celebrate our achievement.

Our accommodation is a short ride away in town, mostly on cycle paths, with a celebratory meal on the cards to celebrate our epic biking journey through Sardinia!

• Meals: Breakfast

Following breakfast it’s sadly time to head to Cagliari Elmas Airport (CAG) for return flights. Depending on flight times, there may be the option of exploring Cagliari prior to checking in for your flights.

If you have a day or two to spare why not extend your trip with some trekking or sea kayaking exploring the picturesque coastline and sandy shores which stretch along the coast to the east of Cagliari. Our local team can join you for a day’s guiding or we can provide the information and equipment to allow you to enjoy the routes self-guided, just give us a call for further info.