The North Sardinia Circle Tour takes place in seven stages. This special tour is designed to highlight the outstanding features of northern Sardinia. It is also incredibly versatile as a self-guided tour. You can start from the airport in Alghero and finish there. Or you can start at the airport in Olbia and finish there. Or you can start in Alghero and finish in Olbia or vice versa. These options are also a possibility for a guided tour, just tell us what suits you best and we’ll tailor it to your specific needs. However you decide to experience this tour it contains a lot that we consider amazing and we’re quite sure you’ll agree with us. You’ll visit places offering coastline views of the Costa Smeralda and the hilly landscape of the northeast of our lovely island. And if that’s not enough you’ll experience the medieval heritage and Mediterranean lifestyle of cities such as Castelsardo, Alghero and Bosa. The tour also visits some of the most secret areas of Sardinia such as Barbagia and Ogliastra with their strong traditions, true Sardinian pride and of course outstanding cuisine.
Circle is the perfect geometrical shape. If you go round a circle, your start and finish will be the same. And on your journey you can embrace a wide space. So we wish our friends to enjoy all the beauties enclosed into one of our classics: the North Sardinia Circle Tour.
Total distance: 667.9km | |
total elevation: 11,126m | |
Duration: 9 days | |
difficulty level: Challenge |
Arrival in Olbia (OLB), transfer to accommodation in Arzachena. Dinner at hotel
From Costa Smeralda, riding along the hills of northern Sardinia, and passing through the famous landscapes of the Aggius valley, you come to the medieval town of Castelsardo. This is a very well preserved historical city, thanks to the fact that it’s perched atop a promontory high above the sea that has protected it from attacks and destruction over the centuries. Today, Castelsardo is a well-known tourist destination with all the services imaginable available for you. There’s a marina and beautiful beaches and small inlets perfect for a pleasant summer holiday. But rituals and traditions such as the famous Festa di Lunissanti mark the everyday life of the town, characterized by the industrious work of basket-weavers, fishermen, and farmers. You’ll love it! Accommodation in a four-star hotel.
On this stage, you’ll experience the special connection between the coastline and mountains in Sardinia. You start from Alghero and ride south to Bosa on one of the most renowned coastal roads on Sardinia. The medieval village here is one of the best preserved on the island. And it’s worth visiting. Enjoy an unforgettable ride through the narrow streets and stop for a quick meal in the heart of this old town. It's simply special. Bosa is the place where you leave the sea behind you. A long climb into the inner mountains of western Sardinia takes you to the historical city of Santu Lussurgiu. A Sardinian traditional dinner awaits us. Accommodation and dinner in a hotel.
This is a real mountain stage. It takes you on a climb up to the highest mountain village in Sardinia. After 30 km, you enter the wildest area of Sardinia, called Barbagia. This region is considered the heart of the island, for thousands of years it is here Sardinians took refuge from the invasions of other mediterranean cultures, and an area where tradition and true Sardinian pride live on. You can almost breathe it and you shouldn’t miss it. Here, you ride through very small villages such as Neoneli, famous for the Neoneli’s tenors. This is a male quartet which sings the so called 'Su cantu a tenòre', a style of polyphonic folk singing characteristic of the Barbagia region and today it's a proud member of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List. The more you climb, the deeper you get into Sardinian tradition. For instance, you pass through Tonara, a village famous for the production of delicious Torrone nougat. Sardinian nougat is known and loved by many for its delicious taste and top-quality natural ingredients. Fortunately, you will need some extra calories at this stage of the trip. From Tonara we climb up Tascusì pass topping out at 1250m. Your legs will get a well earned respite on the descent before the last hill on the way to Fonni, where we overnight. Accommodation in a three-star hotel.
Hope the memory card of your smartphone has still some space left, as this day will give you plenty of great photo opportunities. You ride to the north to seal the Circle and right from the beginning the scenery is gorgeous: you'll ride along the very large limestone - extraordinarily white - range of Monte Albo. Many of the peaks of the limestone bastion are over a thousand metres high; Mediterranean scrub is all around and evergreen. After a long descent, you'll find the valley of the Torpè lake and nowadays a park oasis: almost eight thousand hectares of unspoilt forests, trails, springs, rivers and ‘dunes’ in the territory of Bitti, Lodè, Posada and Torpè. Some more hilly roads will take you to the last - final - descent to Olbia at the end of a challenging and unforgettable trip! Overnight at a four-star hotel.
Transfer to Olbia Costa Smeralda airport and end of services.
5 nights at 4-star | 3 nights at 3-star
Individual arrival transfer from Olbia airport to Arzachena € 80 p.p.; individual departure transfer from Olbia to Olbia airport € 30; supplement for single accommodation € 340 p.p.; bike rental.
5 nights at 4-star | 3 nights at 3-star
Arrival transfer from Olbia airport to Arzachena € 80 p.p.; departure transfer from Olbia to Olbia airport € 30; supplement for single accommodation € 340 p.p.; bike rental; luggage transfer (€ 799 + 10 per pax).
5 nights at 4-star | 3 nights at 3-star
Individual arrival transfer from Olbia airport to Arzachena € 80 p.p.; individual departure transfer from Olbia to Olbia airport € 30; supplement for single accommodation € 340 p.p.; bike rental.
The best airport for arrivals is Olbia Costa Smeralda (OLB): from there we arrange the group transfer. Other options are possible and we can help you select the best one.
During the rides we plan at least one longer food stop in the middle of the stage plus one or more coffee stops. In the assistence van we have bars, gels and water.
Our guests will get a pre tour info kit that gives useful suggestions on how to enjoy our trips in full. Here is a quick selection that might be useful at this stage.
We suggest renting a Canyon bike with us. But feel free to bring your own bike. Just consider bringing along a selection of model specific spare parts (ie. derailleur hangers).
The hotels have a room for the bikes, and we will have a selection of tools to perform basic maintenance.
Bring along a wide selection of clothes, including some full arm jackets, rain coat, leg and arm warmers: there are a lot of hilly areas where the weather is never completely predictable.
Design team / HQ / Sardinia
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18:30Design team / Sicily
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18:30Design team / Lombardy
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18:30Via Vittorio Emanuele, 43
Quartu Sant'Elena, Italy
+39 070 204 10 29
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SP59 to Baia Sardinia
Arzachena, Italy
+39 070 204 10 29
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Via Vittorio Emanuele, 130
Letojanni, Italy
+39 340 342 6320
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Via Tollen, 46
Châtillon, Aosta, Italy
+39 3356456037
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via Finazzi, 6
Bergamo, Italy
+39 329.3781686
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Via Vittorio Emanuele, 43
Quartu Sant'Elena, Cagliari