The Bicycle Adventure Club - Come Ride With Us!

Sardinia-Medieval Towns

May 6th to May 18th

Ride Director: Arleen Sakamoto
Ride Co-Director: Rosa Katz
Report by: Marylu Lehman

This trip is for all those cycling enthusiasts that enjoy endless vistas, challenging but reasonable rides, hills, long descents, fields of wildflowers, turquoise water, one-of-a-kind archeological sites and the warmth of the kind and proud Sardinians who call this beautiful island their home.

The trip started in Palau, Sardinia; a sea bearing town on the northern tip of the island. From the quaint family run Hotel Piccada, one could see La Madelene islands a short ferry ride to the north. It was  obvious there was lots to do! A few riders took their bikes over on the ferry to explore the island, and word had it, if you timed it right, there was a great happy hour to be found there.

The leaders provided 2 independent pre-trip rides. Both were great options: One followed the lush eastern coastline 32 km to the seaside resort of Porto Cervo, known as a billionaire’s playground. The dining, shopping and yachts were an interesting sight, but most of us landed at a small bakery cafe on the ride back home that served the most delicious fresh tuna sandwiches and espresso! We were also pleasantly surprised that the roads were quiet and well maintained... so far so good!

The second pre-trip ride was to a Nuragic civilization (approx. .1800 BC - 2nd Century AD) archeological site. The Nuraghe -megalithic edifices and their remains dot the Sardinian landscape. If you miss this first round, your chances to experience other sites will be many!

After an informational and fun first meeting, the enthusiastic group of cyclists were eager to start riding this intriguing island. Here are a few of my favorite highlights from the trip:

Palau to Castlesardo - Wow! The first day was spectacular, with 52 miles from Palau around the west coast. The breathtaking site of the town and the Mediterranean, surrounding a 500- year old castle, is an indelible memory. The roads were mostly smooth and made riding a joy.

As the days rolled on the views continued to be unbelievable! The hills are alive – lush and green. On the second day we had a relaxing 45 mile ride, the first half along the coast with no traffic - it felt like Big Sur in October. Beautiful. The second half we cut inland to reach our next destination, the coastal town of Alghero. With plenty of gelato/espresso and panini choices along the way, we eventually arrived in the fortress walled city.

The layovers on the trip were as delightful as the ride days! With so many things to do and see we enjoyed ourselves both on and off the bikes. We jaunted over to Neptune's Grotto, via optional cycling or ferry ride, explored the Spanish Catalan influenced old quarters, and visited museums (Coral museum was fascinating). We certainly had plenty of sites to see. Riding options were also available on rest days... and for those who enjoy shopping there were lots of beautiful Sardinian crafts, artists, clothiers, etc.!

Some tips for future Sardinian riders: if you’d like to rent a bike rather than travel with your own, about half of our group did this and all I heard was positive comments about them! The island is not the easiest area to get to lugging a bike case, but if you do want to bring your own bike you can take a domestic flight from Rome (which is what I did), or take an overnight ferry which was very reasonably priced. Two of our riders took the ferry and had a very positive experience. For flying options, the best option is to fly into Olbia (north) and out of Calgari (south).

All in all this trip was absolutely outstanding! I’d highly recommend it to anyone who wants to combine breathtaking panoramas, delicious food, and a unique culture!