Following arrival at Cagliari Airport we will transfer north to the ancient walled city of Alghero. The journey will take approximately three hours, after which, we will prepare the bikes and relax a little before dinner. Due to its strategic position in the Mediterranean Sea, Alghero was built around a fortified port and its small winding streets make a great place to explore.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 1,175 Metres Approx.

Before bidding farewell to Alghero and setting off on our journey south, we’ll take a small detour along the medieval fortifications of the old Catalan-influenced town and head through some of its ancient narrow streets.

Once out of the city we’ll join the coastal road and head down towards the town of Bosa via a roller-coaster of high cliffs, little rocky bays and ancient watchtowers. It’s not unusual to see rare birds as we ride this section, including griffon vultures which can often be spotted perched high up on the cliffs or flying overhead.

We arrive in Bosa along the River Temo passing the traditional fishing boats moored along the riverbank, ancient tanneries reflecting in the water and the colourful pastel tones of Bosa ahead reaching up towards the Malaspina Castle.

Our final section continues along the river to Bosa Marina before climbing gradually towards Magomadas and then finally our destination for today, Tresnuraghes, a small quiet village on the high plateau. With a beautiful garden and a swimming pool, there is time to relax before we sit down for dinner.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Ascent: 885 or 1,090 Metres Approx.

Leaving Tresnuraghes, we head inland along the plateau passing through the villages of Flussio, Tinnura with its many murals, Sagama and Scano di Montiferru. The road undulates past stone-walled farm holdings, fields of grazing sheep and olive groves as the towering Montiferru mountain range lies ahead of us. Upon reaching Cuglieri we’ll be ready for a coffee break and, if time permits, a short walk through the village’s narrow cobbled streets up to the basilica and the viewpoint above the town.

Our destination for today is the charming village of Santu Lussurgiu, situated on the south-east side of the mountain range, and to reach it we have two options. We can either take the coastal road or a more direct route which winds through the woods and barren rugged slopes of the Montiferru. The guiding team will discuss the alternatives and make a decision depending on the weather conditions, preferences and progress on the day. Whichever option we take, a delicious picnic lunch will break up the ride, either on the coast or in the shade of the woods near the natural water springs of San Leonardo.

We’ll arrive in Santu Lussurgiu in time to explore the traditional cobbled streets before settling into our accommodation in an ancient mansion where our hosts pride themselves on their hospitality, offering a fine and special meal, in the context of a warm and homely environment.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 435 Metres Approx.

We leave Santu Lussurgiu’s cobbled streets via a lovely, gently-descending road that leads us to the coast and the wetlands of Cabras, a natural habitat for many species of birds and famous for merka and bottarga, local delicacies of smoked mullet and mullet roe, which the local fishermen still source using a unique and ancient method.

We’ll make a short detour to the Sinis Peninsula, where we can observe the Phoenician, Punic and Roman remains of Tharros and some early Paleo-Christian remains. The peninsula was a strategic location for the Phoenicians and Carthaginians alike, for both exploration of the Mediterranean and also as an access to the interior of Sardinia in search of minerals and land to exploit. Not far from Tharros we can visit the Paleo-Christian churches of San Salvatore and San Giovanni in Sinis reflecting the simplicity of the times in which they were built in their design and architecture.

Moving on, we ride through the flat agricultural region of Arborea, where most of Sardinia’s milk and vegetables are produced. Arborea town, built during the Mussolini era is a sharp contrast to the traditional Sardinian towns. Reaching Marceddi, a fishing hamlet on the southern side of the fertile plains, we stop for lunch and a short break, before crossing the Marceddi lagoon. Here if we are lucky, we might get to spot some flamingos before settling back on the coastal road for the final, short rollercoaster ride to Torre dei Corsari, our home for the night, right on the coast and an ideal setting to chill out after another great ride.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch, dinner
• Ascent: 1,100 Metres Approx.

Today our exploration of the coast will take us into the Costa Verde region, as we ride through lush green Mediterranean macchia overlooking the ever-opening sea vista. We stop at Portu Maga to take a coffee break while we admire the views of rugged coastline and long sandy beaches. From here we head inland, riding below the Monte Arcuentu volcanic range and into the mining area of Montevecchio. Here, we might, if we are lucky, spot a Sardinian deer or two.

A gradual climb will then lead us to Arbus and on to our final 9km descent to Fluminimaggiore and the long sandy beach of Portixeddu. Here there is time for a dip in the sea and a drink at the local bar before heading to the hotel, a short pedal away from the coast, where we will enjoy dinner.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 1,090 Metres Approx.

More long sandy beaches and rugged promontories accompany us as we continue down the coast. We’ll take a ferry* to Isola di San Pietro (St Peter’s Island) and the small town of Carloforte, unique for its Genoese and Tunisian influences where, for lunch, we can sample some of the finest fish cuisine in the Mediterranean. Another ferry will take us across to the island of Sant‘Antioco, famed for its Phoenician and Punic settlements and catacombs under the town. A final few kilometres riding through cultivated fields leads us to our hotel.

*Approx 20 Euros per person including bike carriage for both ferries.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 790 Metres Approx.

Although we may feel a little sad to have reached our final day on the bikes, there is still plenty to be happy about as we have a beautiful day ahead us, discovering one of the finest stretches of beach on the island. With the expanse of blue Mediterranean water permanently at our side, the traffic free road leads us past many beautiful coves and rugged rock formations until we reach Pula, our final destination, and the perfect setting to celebrate our achievement.

• Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast we transfer to Cagliari Elmas Airport (CAG) for return flights.

Alternatively, those who have opted to fly back from Alghero will be dropped off at the bus station to connect with bus transfers to the north of the island.