Land and waterSARDINIA

Article published in Euromoto magazine in 2007.

Sardinia offers various tourist entities, which are hardly attributable to the Costa Smeralda alone or to the maritime area of Cagliari or to the strength of the reliefs that occupy four fifths of its surface. There are also 1800 km of coasts, mostly solitary and intact, in addition to the inland areas. Visiting the western and central part of the island, you will go in search of this solitary heritage of silence, sea, rocks and more.
The experiment would seem successful: 2 groups of 30 people who roamed the length and breadth of the island which is probably the most intriguing, fun and satisfying region of our beautiful country from a motorcycling perspective.

Read the story published in the magazines.

Of course, starting from Sardinia was certainly helpful: stratospheric views, fantastic lights, beautiful roads, often beautiful, with a thrilling asphalt and with traffic that, especially out of season, borders on complete desolation of roads. What more could you ask for? Even the chosen period, between the end of April and the beginning of May, allowed not only to be able to take advantage of ten days with the possibility of fitting the bridges for the holidays, to take advantage of one of the best periods that the year can offer: colors, scents, a pleasant temperature. Only positive aspects, so positive that, next year in agreement with the friends who participated in this experience, in the same period of the year, we will face another motorcycle raid: Sicily as the protagonist. How nice to be in Italy !!!
If someone asked me how many times I have been to Sardinia, honestly I would have a hard time giving an exact answer. We are certainly closer to 10 than 5, maybe 9, always out of season.
And once again, arriving at the end of April, the weather immediately gives its best, managing to grant us a splendid visit to the very uninteresting Costa Smeralda and the Maddalena archipelago.
We prefer the panoramic road that runs along the circumnavigation of the Maddalena, 20km really exciting, to the visit of the Garibaldi Compendium, established by the State in 1978.
In the late afternoon, we are at Capo Testa, a promontory where granite reigns, and which takes on surreal colors at sunset, connected to the mainland by a narrow isthmus.
The roads are beautiful and the group in single file proceeds towards the Valley of the Moon from where they will reach the elephant rock, for the usual photos along the spectacular stretch of coast from Isola Rossa. The light is spectacular and the natural statue lends itself well to a souvenir photo.
We are very close to the sea and Castelsardo appears, perched on the rocky promontory from whose summit the gaze opens towards the Gulf of Asinara.
The sunset is truly extraordinary !! What lights !!!

The next day, apart from a certain fatigue due to the excesses of the previous evening, all the participants begin to realize that the fantasticness of the road surface will be a splendid constant of the whole trip. Exceptional up to the visit of the Basilica of the Holy Trinity of Saccargia, the most beautiful example of Romanesque style on the island.
In Stintino the lunch stop allows you to fully enjoy this Caribbean corner: white beaches and sea that changes from blue to green with unlikely transparencies.
Sardinia despite its almost 2000km of coastline, has very few cities that directly overlook the sea, and Alghero is certainly the one that does it in the most suggestive way.
But the road calls for the approach to Bosa.
All the signals and logic would lead to a rapid movement following the panoramic coast road, but the winding Scala Piccada (ss292), literally a road dug with a pickaxe, is too strong a temptation, which it is practically impossible to resist. The ss292, in its initial stretch, has all the best that can be offered to those who decide to travel it by motorbike: tortuous hairpin bends and splendid curves with full, absolute, satisfying view; a stratospheric asphalt and finally, an amazing view, with the gaze that sweeps freely over Alghero, its gulf and, in the distance, the mighty, looming silhouette of Capo Caccia.
Among other things, continuing, the arrival in Bosa will take place from above, with the dominant shape of the Malaspina castle appearing in the last curves.
We are now on the third day and we move away from Bosa and the coast, for a short detour on the usual stratospheric roads to visit the Losa nuraghe, just after Abbasanta.
The complex is undoubtedly one of the most important prehistoric monuments on the island and the guided tour is very explanatory.
We continue along secondary roads and in Torre Pittinurri the sea of Sardinia returns to the scene and then disappears, covered from view by the Sinis peninsula, which houses the ruins of Tharros, founded by the Phoenicians in the eighth century BC. and beautifully located astride the tapered promontory of Capo San Marco.
Continue to Oristano, Arborea, and Marceddì, a fishing village on the lagoon of the same name that will be crossed on a very strange bridge built by the fishermen themselves, allowing you to reach one of the wildest areas of the island, the Costa Verde.
This little-known corner of Sardinia extends from Marina di Arbus to Capo Pecora, but the road, the asphalted one, ends at the Rio Piscinas, to leave room for an easy short dirt road that will ford the river in a couple of points, to get to the clearing in front of the giant dunes and a hotel which, not surprisingly, is called "Le dune".
What does a hotel have to do in such a wild area? The structure has even been declared a national monument.
We are in the area of the mining villages of various eras, now abandoned, but extremely fascinating: Montevecchio, Ingurtosu, Fluminaggiore.
And once in Arbus, off towards the south, on the ss126 a real joy for driving. But the best comes after only 20 km: right for Burgerru another corpse from industrial archeology, which was used as a huge mineral crushing workshop.
I state that the guide, referring to the road, mentions "it allows for some of the most beautiful landscapes on the island".
But there is no self-respecting visit to Sardinia, without including the Gennargentu and the last stage is probably the most spectacular with an arrival point at the height of the day. The Sugologone springs also house a hotel with one of the best restaurants on the island. We are in the Supramonte, a huge Dolomite spur, but we have also crossed the Barbagia, the proud and beating heart of Sardinia.
The best restaurant on the island will prove to be the place where the suckling pig is cooked on sight with the help of huge fireplaces. Joy, flowing wine and the usual grappa-based finish.
We are at the end and we must celebrate.
The next day will be complete relaxation, first with a visit to the Bue Marino caves, then to the cellars of the cooperative of Oliena, custodian of Nepente, an excellent quality Cannonau wine.
All that remains is to return to Olbia for boarding. See you next year.