Come Discover Untouched Island Beauty

Fortunately, few Americans know of Sardinia, or Sardegna as it is called in Italy. This beautiful island sits between Sicily, to its south, and the French island of Corsica just 15 miles to its north. Sardinia is a real find for the adventurous traveler. Given its great natural beauty, it remains mostly undiscovered and unexploited. The “jet set” may be familiar with the northeast coastline, the Costa Smerelda, or emerald coast, as its home to some very fancy resort hotels and the posh Porto Rotondo and Porto Cervo marinas. The consortium formed by the Aga Kahn, the original developer of the Costa Smerelda, smartly protected the natural beauty of the Costa Smerelda by influencing the local government to require that all buildings be constructed out of local materials and none be higher than the height of the local helm oak trees. Even here, the large resorts sprawl across the rolling land and blend into the lush landscape. Not being interested in the yachting crowd or corporate owned hotels, however, we chose to venture further afield.

Alghero Was Under the Dominion of Spain

La Corsa’s new tour will begin in Alghero, on the west coast, travel across the mountainous center of the island and end at the beach town of Santa Maria Navarrese near Tortoli on the east coast of Sardinia. Alghero has its own airport, making for easy arrivals. Long a quiet fishing village under the rule of Genoa, Alghero was transformed into a thriving port in the 1300’s when the Spaniards from the house of Aragon seized control. Today, the local dialect spoken in Alghero is similar to the Catalan language of northeastern Spain.

Our starting point hotel is steps from the port where the fishermen sell their daily catch and the fortified walls of the historic old center. Mostly closed to traffic, the centro storico is lined with cobblestoned streets and small alleyways. There are wonderful shops offering local handicrafts like intricate gold and coral jewelry and local gourmet specialities including the delicious Vermentino wine and pecorino cheeses. Small trattorias and elegant restaurants are known for their seafood. Scenic outdoor cafes look out onto the harbor where you can catch a cool breeze. At the end of March, the weather was cool but delightful and the streets invitingly empty of tourists.

Alghero is located on the western coast of Sardinia, along what is called the Riveria di Corallo (Coral Riveria). This nativity scene displayed in a local jewelery shop window is made entirely out of the local coral.

Alghero’s shoreline abounds in small bays and secluded beached sheltered by dense pine woods. The coast line offers an unpolluted oasis for underwater photography.

We traveled along the coast to a point known as Capo Caccia. White cliffs drop into pure turquoise water. The deep green of the pine trees is broken by swaths of yellow wild flowers. While the water was too cold to swim it was as inviting as you could imagine.

While the entire island of Sardinia was inhabited by a prehistoric culture known as the nuraghic people, the area around Alghero is home to the remains of many prehistoric structures, know as nuraghi. Nuraghi are tall stone towers. Not much is known about them or their purpose but there are thousands of them on the island.

One of the more interesting things about Sardinia is that the inland charecter of the island is completely different than the coast. The next day we ventured to the small mountain town of Villanova Monteleone. The area has an ancient necropolis and archeological site to be explored. A ’strada panoramica’, panoramic road, leads from the town along a ridge offering wonderful views of the ocean down below. The locals noticed right away that we were foreigners despite my speaking to them in Italian. Yet, when we went into a cafe filled with the usual old men playing cards and having a caffe correto they treated us kindly and showed mild amusement that we would visit their town.

That night, we met with Simone Scalas who is the government official in charge of cycling in Sardinia. Can you imagine our government having such a position? He took us to a very elegant restaurant in the heart of the town. The most interesting of many dishes we sampled was a wonderful mix of baby calamari, mussels, shrimp and local fish served to us in a closed jam jar in which is was steamed with fresh rosemary. When you opened the top of the jar, it was like getting a whiff of incense with every bite. At the end, the waiter came over and served some angel hair pasta into each of our jars so we could soak up every last drop of the remaining sauce. In Italy they call it “fare la scarpetta” or making the little heel when you clean your plate with a piece of bread since it is often done with the heel of the loaf.

Over the last of the wonderfully flavorful Vermentino wine for which Sardenia is known, Simone shared with us his intimate knowledge of the best routes and areas for cycling. We are grateful to have the opportunity to collaborate with him on our new tour as his knowledge of Sardenia is endless and he was so gracious.

Alghero to Fordongianus – Where Roman waters still Run Warm

Leaving Alghero we followed the road south along the coast with amazing views over the water. The colorful town of Bosa is situated where the Temo river meets the sea. While the origins of the city were thought to be Phonecian, during the Middle Ages the population fled up the hill to escape pirate incursions. The the walls and towers of the huge Malatesta castle built in 1113 is still clearly visible from the road.

Nearby was Tinnura, the first small town we came to where almost every exterior building wall was decorated with beautiful paintings. The paintings depict scenes of traditional daily life from “the old days” and are a way for the local people to preserve their heritage.

When we reached Cugliuri we saw signs for a restaurant Simone had highly recommeded to us. Noticing that it was almost 2pm and we hadn’t eaten since breakfast I suggested that we stop for lunch. It often happens in Europe that restaurants have set meal times and if you wonder in a bit late they prefer not to mess up the kitchen again. As politely as I could I basically plead with the woman who got up from her lunch table for a simple plate of pasta. She offered to have the chef prepare something cold for us to which we immediately agreed.

Out came the delicious bread. Then the cannellini and garbanzo beans in olive oil, roasted red and yellow peppers, grilled eggplant and zucchini, local salami and prosciutto, pecorino cheese, and a huge mixed salad. All fresh, all local, all delicious. What a surprise when she returned with a platter of homemade ravioli. She wanted us to have dessert but we were too full. So instead she brought half a dozen special marzipan cookies to us with our espresso. The bill came to 15 euros each – an amazing bargain.

We continued on through olive groves and rolling hills, we descended down to the banks of the Tirso river. There, just downstream from the Roman bridge, is a thermal spa that dates back to Roman times under Trajan when it was called Forum Traiani, now Fordongianus.

Being able to actually try to step into (it was hot!) the same thermal waters that Roman govenors bathed in was a unique experience. It was truly being immersed in history. Our hotel, on the other hand, was brand new. Continuing our thermal bath experience, it had a large indoor/outdoor pool with jacuzzi jets and submerged whirlpool lounges. Our terrace looked out on the beautiful green countryside.

Fordongianus to Fonni – The Heart of the Mountains

We left our hotel and headed for nearby Lake Omodeo, one of the largest in Sardinia, created by the dam on the river Tirso.

The water was azure blue and the lake was surrounded by trees. Traffic was nonexistent except for the herds of sheep blocking the road. We passed little villages, waterfalls and forests as we headed into the mountains. Fonni is the highest town in Sardinia located in the area of the Gennargentu mountains, known for its natural beauty.

Located between Monte Bruncu Spina and Monte Spada, there are numerous hikes and excursions that can be made into the hills. The presence of nuraghis and giants tombs in the area indicates that Fonni was inhabited since prehistoric times but it developed in the middle ages due to the presence of a Franciscan monestary of Santa Maria dei Martiri.

Still important today, there is an annual pilgrimage and festival to celebrate the return of the shepards from the rural areas in the mountains. The oldest part of the town is clustered around the church of St. John the Baptist, Fonni’s patron saint. There is a lot do to in Fonni, including a walking tour of its many wall paintings which tell the story of the history of the town.

Our hotel was exceptional. The daughter of the owners was our host and she spoke perfect English. She explained that what we were looking at next to the pool was a recreation of a typical shepard’s hut. During the season the hotel would prepare a special dinner served to guests in the hut and local townspeople would come in dressed in traditional costumes to perform and dance to folk music. We could immediately tell that staying at this hotel in Fonni would be one of those irreplicable experiences that makes traveling worth while.

While we didn’t get to have dinner in the big hut, we were treated to an unbelievable meal of local specialties. From the artisanal cured meats, cheeses and sausages to the special dessert of honey covered cheese fritter we were treated like royalty. The people of Fonni are known for their warm hospitality and they certainly lived up to their reputation. We can’t wait to return and have more time to explore this interesting area.

Doing research on Fonni, I came across this amazing collection of photos by Henry Cartier-Bresson, taken in the 1960s.

Fonni to Santa Maria Navaresse – Back at the Beach

As we left Fonni and headed to the eastern coast of Sardinia, we followed a beautiful road with a huge mountain looming nearby. Most of our ride was through the protected area of the xxx xxx park. We could see the city of Nuoro in the distance as we entered Orgosolo, probably the town best known for its wall paintings and an enormous painted rock just outside the town center.

As we headed up into the hills, the landscape was a lush mix of greens even in February. The winding road that brought us to the top of the ridge offered amazing views over the coutryside.

We bought some pollo allo spiedo (rotisserie chicken) for lunch at a local rosticceria in Dorgali and took a detour through a small tunnel and down to the water to enjoy our picnic. There is a great advantage to traveling outside of the summer season in Sardinia as the beaches are peacefully quiet.

Back on our route, we were amazed as we crested the final hill and entered the town of Baunei. Along with interesting rock formations all around us, we had a view of the entire coastline down below. It was easy to spot the promentory of Arbatax in the distance, where we would catch the ferry in a few days to return to Rome. What really took us by surprise when we turned off the main road and headed down the hill through olive groves for the quaint coastal village of Santa Maria Navarrese.

There was a beautiful promenade along a magnificent beach with a Saracen tower perched above it. Our hotel was steps away with a great terrace cafe where we had a marachino caffe. The scene was one of orange rocks, green palm trees, white sand and aqua water inviting us to jump in. The water stays warm through late October so when we return to run our tour in the Fall we will be able to swim.

The next day we headed up the mountain to Baunei again to the Altopiano of Golgo. On the windswept expanse there were more nuraghis which we went to explore on foot. As we approached the large stone structure, I spotted a huge wild boar munching on shrubs. These are not very friendly creatures so we quickly headed back to the road. Further on, we came to an old church surrounded by many other animals. Pigs, goats, sheep, horses and more.

That night, we headed for the dock in Arbatax to board the overnight ferry back to Rome. We drove our rental car right on board. We had a small but private cabin for two for the journey. I wondered around the ship, feeling a bit claustrophobic due to the lack of windows and air, but found it interesting to see the groups of school kids and teenagers hanging out in the lounge, old people playing cards, ladies in the dining room and many others like myself just wondering before settling in for the night. The next morning, in typical impatient Italian driving style, cars started pulling u turns to get off the boat faster rather than waiting for their line to be backed off by the ships crew.

We arrived at Civitavecchia on the mainland the next morning where we visited the local market and bought some food for the plane ride home. Our hotel was a bargain we found on Travelocity.com. I wasn’t sure if we were getting the deal of the century at 68 Euros or if we’d be sleeping in a dump. It was lovely. The neighborhood was filled with Art-Nouveau villa, like our hotel, now used as embassies and bank headquarters. While quiet, the subway was nearby so we visited the Forum for the afternoon. I passed a small Trattoria sign and instinctively knew that was “the place”. We were not disappointed by our amazing dinner of baby artichokes, spaghetti amatricana and osso bucco followed by tiramisu. We were the only foreigners, surrounded by neighborhood people all of whom seemed like regulars. A perfect ending – leaving us wanting more and looking forward to our return.

We’re back from a dynamite week in northern Spain.  The rain in Spain may fall mainly on the plain, but it sure didn’t rain on us.  Not at all.  Not even a little bit.  We had eleven consecutive days of perfect blue sky with fluffy white cumulus clouds.  

“Green Spain” is the northern-most part of the country, wedged between the Cantabrian Mountains and the Atlantic Ocean.  It’s called ‘green’ because the frequent rain keeps the landscape lush and, well, green.  The Moorish influence was not as great here, as it was in Southern Spain, so the area has it’s own distinctive architecture, cuisine and customs.  Our tour touches the Basque Region, Cantabria and Asturias.  The major airport in Bilbao, designed by Santiago Calatrava, is only 30 minutes from our starting point of the small fishing village, Castro Urdiales.

The first day’s loop ride took us into the Basque Country where we rode right into a local celebration.  We were given the festive scarves that everyone in town were wearing and offered much alcohol (which we politely declined) and we took many, many photos promising to email copies to the bar where I’m certain we’ll find them displayed next time we ride through.

Our journey took us next into Catabria, the green heart of Spain where we stayed in Santillana del Mar, the most historic, beautiful town you’ve never heard of.  On the way to Sanillana we ran into an unexpected delight.  You’ve heard of the running of the bulls in Pamplona?  Well they run the bulls in Ampuero too and we rode our bikes right down the main street with the marching bands and thousands of spectators cheering us on.  When we got to the end of the street they rolled a big steel door closed right behind us, and out came the bulls!  We got to see it all and no one’s bike got trampled.  What a hoot.

We then took off for two point to point days over the Colladas de Carmona and Hoz, over the Puerto San Glorio and through the gorge that surrounds the Picos de Europa on our way to Potes and Cangas de Onis.  Drinking cider under the Roman bridge in Cangas is the type of experience the Asturian locals have every day, but for most Americans is once-in-a-lifetime.   

Even though our customers were outstanding cyclists, even they chose to take a rest day in Cangas to enjoy the beautiful town, sample local foods and sightsee. 

We then rode back through the gorge to the shore at San Vicente de la Barquera and rode with the crashing waves to our left along the coast back to Santillana.  A spectacular surf and turf dinner in Suances with sweet meaty langostines and hearty chuletton was our closing meal.

We love Green Spain, and based upon your responses to our survey last month, so do you.  As such, we’ll be running the Green Spain Tour again in 2008.  Check out our website for our ever-evolving 2008 schedule of tours.  We hope to finalize it this month.

And don’t forget our annual Early Bird Special where, if you sign up for any 2008 tour before New Year’s Eve you will save 10% off our listed tour price.  Our prices for ‘08 will not increase despite the increase in the Euro.

Thanks for your time and we look forward to our 17th year of great riding – challenging bike tours designed especially for avid cyclists like you!