Golfo Aranci and Porto Rotondo

A great option for an acclimatisation ride, this Tour takes you out of Olbia to explore part of the island’s famous Costa Smeralda, including Golfo Aranci and Porto Rotondo. While there’s not a huge amount of climbing to contend with, there are plenty of amazing swimming opportunities on this ride, so make sure you pack your swimmers and suncream!

From Olbia centre, head out to the north-east through the industrial area until you peel off the tarmac on a dirt road. This heads uphill fairly sharply, turning into a fantastic technical singletrack climb. Concentrating on your line choice, or perhaps hopping off a few times to push up the hardest sections, you’ll be surprised when you look back over your shoulder and realise how much you’ve climbed above the city already.

Take roads from down into Pittulongo, where you’ll find your first beach stop. We highly recommend a cappuccino break at Bar Bados on Spiaggia di Bados (yes, really), and it’s lovely to swim here too.

Some great singletrack sections await as you follow the coastline north. Keep your eyes peeled for wildlife, as you might see tortoises and lizards on the trail, as well as wading birds such as black-winged stilts in the little lagoons behind the beaches.

The tracks near Cala Sassari are more technical, but you can forgive a little hike-a-bike with views like these, straight out to sea, to Golfo Aranci and to the island named Tavolara.

There are some good places to stop for a meal or snack when you get to Golfo Aranci. We enjoyed some traditional Sardo pasta dishes at Hotel Tabby. Carry on all the way to the end of the dirt track to find a beautiful cove with crystal clear waters at Spiaggia di Cala Moresca.

Take the main road out of Golfo Aranci to the roundabout, where you’ll find a cracking dirt doubletrack down to the beach at Cala Sabina. Ride along the shore to the track on the other side, then take roads up to explore Porto Rotondo.

The town is rather upmarket and full of yachts and boutique shops, but still makes for a great gelato stop while you eye up the sails and boat names. You can return to Olbia on some dirt tracks and roads, though there’s a short, unavoidable stretch of main road, so take care.