See the section for Italy of
the Trento Bike Pages
Mountain Biking in Sardinia
Contributed by Lucio Cadeddu (lucio@riemann.unica.it) on Fri, 30
Dec 1994 18:57:53 +0200 (CET)
Sardinia is the second biggest island in the Mediterranean Sea.
It's well known for the wild beauty of its beaches and for its mild weather
(+20 C in December isn't so rare...that's +65 F...). If you add that it
rains during winter only (and for no longer than 3 days/week) you'll get a
perfect-all year-riding place.
The island doesn't have high mountains (max elev. 1842 m.) but the soil is
rocky almost everywhere.
The vegetation is the very characteristic Mediterranean bush and it's not
so uncommon to find completely wild trails with no *land-access* problems.
Here's the description of 4 trails of different degrees of difficulty.
A multi-purpose trip near Iglesias
You start from Iglesias, a small town in the South-West of the island,
taking the paved road till San Benedetto, a little but characteristic
village. After the mountain pass called "S'Arcu 'e sa Cruxi" you have
several choices, here I'll describe only one of these:
an easy singletrack leads to an old mining village called Baueddu then you
start uphilling in a lovely scenery between oaks and birches.
The subsequent downhill and uphill leads to Arenas, another typical
deserted old mining village.
Going on uphilling you reach Tini' (700 m. over the sea-level) where
you can choose (again!) two different trails:
one is a downhill to the famous San Giovanni's caves while the second
leads to Oridda and the Piscina Irgas waterfalls (30 m.)
If you decide for the caves you have to leave the Sa Duchessa village on
your left and go on for few kms.
The S.Giovanni caves are known to be the Europe's longest caves practicable
by car.
After the caves you have to ride on pavement for a while till Domusnovas
and then Iglesias.
This round trip is 50 km. long and well suited with every kind of biker.
Submitted by Alberto Marchiori and Lucio Cadeddu (cadeddu@vaxca1.unica.it)
Mountain biking in the heart of the island
These are 3 evocative trails in the Supramonte, a wild area in the heart
of Sardinia.
The starting point is Baunei, a lovely village (500 m. over the sea-level)
near Arbatax, a small harbour in the East coast of the island.
Round trip #1
You start from the center of the village and take a paved lane till you
reach the Planu Supramonte tableland. Then you go on for a km. till the
crossroad to Monte Ginnirco. Here, on the left, there's an uphill which
ends at the S.Pietro church where you can refill your body (and your water
bottles). Slightly before the church, on the left, there's a singletrack
that leads to the striking Voragine di Golgo, a deep rocky chasm.
Now a steep uphill leads to Coe Serra, a prehistoric area with a typical
Sardinian nuragic village.
A long ascent allows you to reach the top ot the Pissu 'e Serra hill, which
means that, after the photos to the impressive scenery, it's time to go
home....luckly downhilling !
This round trip takes approx. 4-5 hours and is affordable by everyone,
though the last ascent is a little bit gnarly.
Round trip #2
As in the Round trip #1 you reach the S.Pietro church then go north for 7
km. till S'Utturu 'es Muflones (Mouflons' gorge). In this area it's possible,
if you're lucky, to see some specimen of this rare animal.
The easy singletrack becomes more and more difficult and the downhill to the
Codula valley (what goes up must come down...) isn't the right place to
relax.....sometimes you're forced to get off and walk.
These efforts are well paid because this valley ends at Cala Sisine, one of
the most evocative beaches of the Mediterranean Sea.
For the complete round trip it takes almost 6-7 hours and the last part
(the uphill and the subsequent downhill) are best suited for expert bikers.
Round trip #3
Again, starting from Baunei you go north following the paved road
called Orientale Sarda. After 18 km. you have to turn right to the
Codula de Luna valley, a deep limestone canyon plenty of Karst-type
caves. Here the joy (or the torture) of the asphalt ends and it
starts the trail (or the trails) which leads to Cala Luna (Moon's
Hold), probably the loveliest and the most famous among the Sardinian
beaches. Here you can find, in the same place, several Karst-type
caves, a river which flows along the beach and beautiful mountains
surrounding the gorgeous green sea.
Forget the car...there are only two ways to reach this beatiful scenery :
by boat or by mtb.
It takes almost 6 hours but it's really worthwhile !
Submitted by Lucio Cadeddu (cadeddu@vaxca1.unica.it)
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LIFE IS SHORT , RIDE HARD !
Lucio Cadeddu
Real Analysis researcher
* * * * * * * * * * * * * Dept.of Mathematics
* Kie nasket tundu no * V.Ospedale 72 09124
* podet morre quadru * Univ.of Cagliari, Sardinia
* * * * * * * * * * * * * O""O +39(0)70.2000460
E_mail cadeddu@vaxca1.unica.it
ITALY
Tr. He who was born *round*
can't die *squared*
(Popular Sardinian saying)
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