Motorcycle tours – on the road in Sardinia

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Motorcycle tours - on the road in Sardinia
Deleker

Motorcycle tours - on the road in Sardinia

Motorcycle tours - on the road in Sardinia

Motorcycle tours - on the road in Sardinia

Motorcycle tours - on the road in Sardinia

18th pictures

Motorcycle tours - on the road in Sardinia
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The basalt rocks of Capo Testa.

Motorcycle tours - on the road in Sardinia
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Castelsardo looks particularly picturesque from the outside.

Motorcycle tours - on the road in Sardinia
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Alghero has charm.

Motorcycle tours - on the road in Sardinia
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Bosa is a small, old city without mass tourism with a lot of morbid charm.

Motorcycle tours - on the road in Sardinia
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The Genoese castle Seravalle from the twelfth century lies above Bosa.

Motorcycle tours - on the road in Sardinia
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Green Island: en route on the favorite route from Alghero to Bosa.

Motorcycle tours - on the road in Sardinia
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Street in the bare, charming center of Bosa.

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Rough slopes beckon around Capo Boi, the south-eastern tip of Sardinia.

Motorcycle tours - on the road in Sardinia
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Break in the center of Fonni.

Motorcycle tours - on the road in Sardinia
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Curvy streets wind through the interior of the island.

Motorcycle tours - on the road in Sardinia
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Revolutionary graffiti in Orgosolo.

Motorcycle tours - on the road in Sardinia
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Steep coast on the Golfo di Orosei with beautiful bays without tourists.

Motorcycle tours - on the road in Sardinia
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Limestone often creates bizarre shapes, also in the dolomite-like Supramonte mountains.

Motorcycle tours - on the road in Sardinia
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Impressive: the mountains of Sopramonte.

Motorcycle tours - on the road in Sardinia
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The slopes at the south-east tip offer magnificent views.

Motorcycle tours - on the road in Sardinia
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Driving fun: Road from Alghero to Bosa.

Motorcycle tours - on the road in Sardinia
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Evening sun in the bay of Vignola with the Torre that the Spanish occupiers built.

Motorcycle tours - on the road in Sardinia
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Exotic: turtles that live in the bizarre, smooth basalt rocks of Capo Testa.

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Motorcycle tours – on the road in Sardinia

Motorcycle tours – on the road in Sardinia
Close to paradise

Sardinia in early summer is not just a festival of colors. It is the ideal time for an extended cruise on beautiful roads and for surprising discoveries before the heat, drought and tourists attack the island in midsummer. So: helmet on and go! You will not regret it.

Joachim Deleker

07/09/2015

The question is simple, the answer is not: “Which is the best European island for motorcycling?” Ireland or Iceland, Crete or Corsica, Pellworm or Pag? Neither, most connoisseurs make their mark near Sardinia. So far, Gran Canaria is in pole position in my top ten. Should Sardinia really be any better? Let’s go and see.

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Close to paradise

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Well, the first day on the island doesn’t bring it up a notch in the charts. Early in the morning Werner and I rolled off the ferry with our single cylinders in Golfo Aranci, followed the rain-soaked SP73 between cloud-covered mountains along the famous Costa Smeralda. We were amazed at the wickedly expensive and fabulously beautiful villas in envious viewpoints and annoyed us about the typical Italian speed limits. Construction site? 10 km / h. Straight country road? 40 km / h. Pot level bridge? 20 km / h due to non-existent bumps. Extremely bizarre. But what to do The Italians stubbornly ignore such signs, presumably knowing where the Carabinieri are lurking. We agree to freely interpret the current danger from trucks charging from behind or police officers hidden in the bushes and, in case of doubt, to pay attention to the locals. Which works best.

Rock labyrinth at Capo Testa saves the day

Back to the Costa Smeralda. It may be that their chocolate side can only be seen from the sea. In any case, along the road, the much-vaunted charm of this coast remains hidden from us. Densely populated with holiday homes, hotels and luxury villas, expensive places and a calm, green macchia landscape. But finally the rock labyrinth at Capo Testa saves this day. As if primeval giants had bowled with marbles, the white granite stones – modeled in millennia by wind and weather – drape themselves in every shape directly on the sea. Everyone discovers different fantasy beings in this rock garden. You can go on a voyage of discovery here for hours.

A small storm sneaked in overnight, bringing heavy wind and rain for a few hours. Good for Sardinia if the water reservoirs are filled before the hot and dry summer comes. Not so good for us. Wait and read. Until the strong northwest wind blows the clouds away and polishes the sky deep blue. The colors of nature can hardly shine more intensely than in the strong light after a complete wash. In May Sardinia is the greenest island south of Ireland anyway. Speckled with a patchwork of yellow blooming gorse, whose heavy, sweet scent perfumes the air for a few weeks.

Motorcycle tours - on the road in Sardinia

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The mountains of Corsica can be seen in the north

We have been on the road for a long time, enjoying the perfect weather and the view that is so rare for the Mediterranean. From the vast, rugged highlands east of Sassari, we can even see the mountains of Corsica in the north, more than 100 kilometers away. In the evening we reach Alghero, the rustic historic port city, built by the Catalans in the 14th century. In fact, we believe we are in an old Spanish city with large plazas and the wonderful patios of the swanky mansions. Alghero is undoubtedly different and shamelessly exploits its Spanish flair to surprise busloads full of tourists with absurd prices.

Our enthusiasm is limited, but the next day it turns into limitless, because we finally find out why this island is so popular with many motorcyclists. The area between Alghero and Bosa turns out to be a direct hit. Even the coastal road is not bad, but the incredible bends in the interior heave the island massively towards the top ten. Grippy tar, curves and bends without end, the fragrant macchia decorated with all kinds of blooming flowers, boundless distant views over the sea or the mountains. Motorcycling can hardly be better.

Bosa the most beautiful place in Sardinia?

Hours later, we are surprised by Bosa, a small compact town with tall, pastel-colored houses, narrow streets with the typical patinated charm of old Italian towns: with shady piazzas, an avenue of palm trees on the Telmo river, where fishermen mend their nets in front of their old wooden boats, almost a lively ensemble without tourists. The 900-year-old defiant Castello di Seravalle watches over the city. Bosa is real and without make-up, for us the most beautiful place in Sardinia.

We stay on the south course, quickly cross the boring plain near Oristano and shimmy along the Costa Verde via “stradas biancas”. A dense network of such slopes, often blindingly white, covers the island. A paradise for enduro riders and explorers. Ruins such as those of Naracauli and Ingortosu appear more and more along the way. They are the sad remnants of old mines that at some point were no longer productive enough and were simply abandoned. Nobody has cleaned up, all the rubbish is now rotting away. The people who once toiled here had to leave their villages after the end of the mining industry, their livelihoods were deprived. What remains is a deserted country with no prospects.

Turquoise green water, white chalk cliffs and green hills

But before melancholy arises, we reach the SS126 in Arbus. The following 20 kilometers to Fluminimaggiore are certainly one of the toughest routes I’ve ridden in recent years. The best carpeting, countless smooth and clear curves for aisles two to four, zero traffic, this mountain road has everything that motorcyclists could want, except for racing drivers and cruisers. Take a deep breath, the tension gives way to a permanent grin. We stay within reach of the coast, follow it around the southern tip to the capital Cagliari. Fortunately, it is Sunday, and the city is quickly crossed. A few kilometers later it’ll be really nice again. The southeast coast around Capo Carbonara fulfills many a Sardinia cliche. Turquoise-green water sloshes in small bays framed by white chalk cliffs, rough slopes wind through the green hills, no one far and wide and the usual view over the sea.

After so many kilometers along the coast, we now need a different program: mountains. Off to the Gennargentu massif, the roof of the island, 1834 meters high. As soon as we have the side road to Ulássai under our wheels, the landscape and the route take off. Curve surfing for hours. Where did the Sardinians get this fine tar from? Signs tell it: “Sponsored by EU.” The rounded Gennargentu peaks do not look spectacular, rather the landscape calms down with soft green waves and brittle charm. A few white clouds creep eastwards in the deep blue sky, the thermometer shows 23 degrees. Perfect. And which is the hottest street in the area? Forget it, just drive everyone, but by no means skip the magnificent specimen from Seui to Tonara.

A lot to discover on the second largest island in the Mediterranean

Tourists are rarely drawn to the mountainous heart of the island. Perhaps because the Romans called the inland Barbagia – land of barbarians. The few places are sober and honest, the prices friendly, pizza from five euros, cappuccino one euro. On the Costa Smeralda there is at best a bread roll from the day before yesterday. We forgot most of these places before they disappeared from the rearview mirror. Only one thing is different: Orgosolo, the village with the famous wall paintings. But awareness was and is not the intention of these “Murales”, which originally came from Mexico. Rather, they fancifully denounce exploitation by the large landowners, arbitrary state and social and world political grievances, the victims of which the small farmers here have become.

To the east of Orgosolo the white limestone mountains of the Supramonte dazzle, barely 1500 meters high, but much more dominant than the Gennargentu peaks. High, steep and rugged, a paradise for hikers and climbers. The heavenly beautiful gorge Gola su Gorropu is hidden on the east side. Far above the canyon, the panoramic road SS125 balances up to the Passo di Silvana. And the dreamy, turquoise, lonely bays on the Golfo di Orosei beckon even further east. There is still so much to discover on the second largest island in the Mediterranean after Sicily, but we still have a few meters to go and want to sail from Santa Teresa to Corsica. The next island to be in the top ten motorcyclists. Speaking of the top ten. Has Sardinia now made it to my pole position? Let’s put it this way: In January to Gran Canaria and in May to Sardinia, that would be pretty close to the ideal case.

additional Information

Sardinia is never as colorful as it is in spring. The midsummer flood of tourists is still in the future and the temperatures in May and June are comfortable. It is the ideal time for a relaxed island cruise.

Getting there: If you arrive with your own motorcycle, you cannot avoid a sea trip on the mostly calm Mediterranean Sea. Various ports on the island are called by France and Italy. The traveler has the choice between the fast day ferry or the time-saving overnight passage. An overview of the various ferry connections is provided www.ferrylines.com.

Travel time: The best months to travel are May / June and September / October. In spring the island is almost as green as Ireland, the temperatures are between 20 and 30 degrees, hotels and campsites are open, but by no means overcrowded. That changes completely in July / August. Heat up to 40 degrees, prices are often doubled, and the search for accommodation can be extremely annoying. At the end of August the calm comes back. Then, however, large parts of the landscape are burnt brown, but the sea is still pleasantly tempered in contrast to spring. Most of the rain falls in winter.

Motorcycle: The roads are mostly in a passable to very good condition, thanks to EU funding for structurally weak areas. The traffic density is thin apart from the few big cities, the driving style of the Sardinians, in contrast to Italy, is more defensive and considerate. The island is a paradise for motorcyclists, even better than Corsica because the roads there are often worse. If you have little time and want to rent a motorcycle on site, www.sardinien-roadbook.de find it.

A BMW F 800 GS costs 744 euros for a week, the fat 1200 GS costs 893 euros. The provider also offers guided tours. Another company can be found at www.motorbikerentsardinia.eu and offers the entire BMW fleet. For example, an F 800 GS costs 675 euros per week. at www.sarda-tours.de the same motorcycle costs 860 euros per week.

The MOTORRAD action team also offers guided trips to Sardinia. Info under www.actionteam.de or phone: 07 11/1 82-19 77.

Stay: Campsites and hotels are open from April to October. Most of the campsites are closed in winter. From the beginning of July to mid-August is absolute high season with sometimes outrageous prices. A place for your own tent can easily cost 30 euros. Apart from the lonely inland regions, the infrastructure is so good that you can spontaneously look for a room outside of the high season.

Literature: The Sardinia travel guide from Michael Muller publisher is almost omniscient for 26.90 euros. The manual from Reise Know-how-Verlag is in the same league for 24.90 euros. If you want to hike on the island, you will find numerous hiking guides, for example by Rother, Michael Muller and DuMont. The beautifully illustrated DuMont picture atlas is ideal for getting in the mood at home for 8.50 euros. Good maps come from Marco Polo, Michelin, Reise Know-how and Kummerly & Frey.

Addresses:As usual, the most productive search is provided by the Internet, for example on these pages:

  • www.ciaosardinia.com
  • www.sardinien.com
  • www.visitsardinien.de
  • www.sardinien-bilder.de

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