ITINERARY – 13 nights
Sardinia: Fly to Olbia/drive to Orosei [2] > Tempio Pausania [1] >Alghero [1] > Castelsardo [1] > Santa Teresa di Gallura [2] - Corsica: Ferry to Bonifacio [2] > Propriano [1] > Ajaccio [1] > Porto [1] > Calvi [1]
Michael and I, and a group of friends joined an organized bike tour of Sardinia and Corsica. As part of the tour, I will not be recommending any hotels – none of them charming, authentic or appealing to my design taste. Relatively large hotels that could have been anywhere in the world. Same with restaurants. We had very few opportunities to select our own restaurants, so I will mention only those.
We did however arrive a few days earlier in Sardinia so I will include more information on that.
SARDINIA
Orosei has a picturesque historic centre with cobbled lanes that wiggle around pretty stone-built houses, churches and piazzas. Nice little place for kicking back and watching the world go slowly by. The coast along the Gulf of Orosei is extremely beautiful. If you have the chance to rent a boat and explore the coast, I would highly recommend it. We unfortunately did not have the time.
STAY Albergo Diffuso Mannois [simple inn set in rustic stone buildings; rent their e-bikes and ride along the coast to different turquoise-water-beaches]
Tempio Pausania - we did not get to see the town since the place we stayed at – details below – was hidden in the hills.
STAY L'Agnata di Andre [very charming B&B housed in a building with grapevines all over the facade and surrounded by a beautiful garden. It used to be the house of the famous Italian songwriter Fabrizio De André – the Bob Dylan of Italy. The house has been maintained as it was while Fabrizio still lived there. For fans of Fabrizio a visit to this property is a must. We got to experience some of them sitting in the garden, drinking wine and singing Fabrizio’s songs accompanied by an acoustic guitar. It was special! We stayed for only one night but wish we had a couple more. The restaurant there is delicious, and the place very relaxing]
Bike Tour Begins...
Day 1: Alghero - beautiful coastal town encircled by ancient walls with a charming cobblestoned old center. This was the starting point to the bike tour.
Day 2: Castelsardo- ride inland through fields of wheat, farmland and distant villages. Castelsardo, the end point of today’s ride, is a hillside town overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. Make sure to walk up to the castle for beautiful views.
Day 3: Santa Teresa Di Gallura - not the most beautiful ride until Santa Teresa di Gallura’s coast is approached. The town itself is another nice little town, but the coast and beaches are stunning.
Day 4: La Maddalena’s Archipelago - beautiful wooden boat ride to La Maddalena with a stop at a very remote beach. The captain served up a delicious meal on board with local wine and homemade mirto - a Sardinian liqueur. No riding today.
CORSICA
Day 5: Bonifacio - ferry to Corsica – the views of Bonifacio perched atop the rocks from the ferry are magnificent. This was my favorite town in Corsica. Spend at least a couple of nights here since the old town is charming and the beaches in the area incredible.
EAT L'epicerie Corse [stop at this wine & charcuterie shop, for a glass of wine and a taste of Corsican cheese and cold cuts] Chez Ange [tiny French restaurant with tables on the sidewalk. Very charming spot for dinner]
Day 6: Day at the beach in Bonifacio
Day 7: Propriano - hilly ride with views of the coastline. We stayed outside of town, so cannot vouch for Propriano.
Day 8: Ajaccio - ride along the countryside and coastline along the bay of Propriano all the way to Porticcio – then shuttle to Ajaccio. Ajaccio is the largest town and capital of Corsica and Napoleon Bonaparte’s birthplace. A day is enough time to explore this town.
Day 9: Porto - the most incredible day of riding with amazing scenery - ride along a wonderful coastal road with white sandy beaches - climb towards Cargese, a very picturesque village – then ride ten miles through the astonishing coastal area of Les Calanche, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with red and pink granite spires that soar above the sea - descend to Porto, a sleepy village.
Day 10: Calvi - another incredibly scenic ride - tough climb out of Porto - zip-inland through lush mountains with eucalyptus trees and meandering cows and goats – take a very bumpy road along the coast with turquoise blue waters and white sandy beaches all the way to Calvi. Calvi is a charming town and it’s worth spending a day walking around.
EAT U Casanu [tiny place that serves delicious seafood. If you like octopus, don’t miss it!]
