Sardinia
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9. Sardinia INFO
Geography
Roads and traffic
Climate
Terrain
MTB guides
Maps
Bike service
How to get there?
Accommodation
Food
Water
Car petrol
Danger
Geography
Sardinia (Sardegna in Italian) is the second largest
island in the Mediterranean and a region of Italy. It is
located 200 km west of mainland Italy, 12 km south of
Corsica (Corse in French) and 200 km north of Africa
continent. It measures 260 km (N-S), 140 km (E-W) and
23 813 km2 in area with population 1 657 562.
The capital city is Cagliari with 220 000 inhabitants.
Roads and traffic
Sardinia has got quite good road network. There is a
toll free main road (two lanes in each direction), which
runs almost all the way across Sardinia in N-S direction
(from Olbia to Cagliari) and thus enabling comfortable
long distance journeys. Other roads are less
comfortable. They are typical countryside roads, which
can be very curved and slow in the mountains.
Climate
Biking season lasts all year long, except in hot
summer moths when it might be too hot. You can wear
shorts from Feb to Nov. The best time to visit is spring and autumn. The nights can get cold at this time
though, so a warm sleeping bag is good to have, if you
camp of course.
Terrain
Sardinia is very MTB friendly land, very diverse, just mountainous
enough, with low type vegetation. Thus enabling nice
views, not only from mountain tops, but also along
ascents and descents. It is a land of pastures mostly
reachable only by 4 wheel drive vehicles and thus very
much suitable for mountain bikes. The same goes for
numerous trails made by animals. But on the other hand
Sardinia is very well developed and civilized as much as
any other part of Italy. The capital Cagliary is similar
to many other Italian harbor cities, with rush hours and
traffic jams, shopping centers and galleries.
MTB guides
- Sole, Sale, Salita, A. Porcu, E. Pascalis, 1991
- Gennargentu
in Mountain Bike, F. Pintore, C. Deidda, Edizioni, Della Torre,
Cagliari, 1995
Maps
- SARDINIEN, Die General Karte, Marco Polo,
1:200 000; excellent road map
- Military topographic maps I.G.M (L'Istituto Geografico
Militare) 1:25 000, which can be bought in better
bookstores, e.g. in Cagliariju: "F.lli
Dessi" (they speak English), Corso Vittorio
Emanuele, n° 30,32 - tel. +39 70 669145 Via Dante n°
100/b tel. +39 70 402645, and you can buy them also
on-line: Omni
Resources
Bike service
> Ciclosport - via Busacchi, 2
> Soddu Tonino - via Resistenza n°
1
> BC di Cannas Luca - via
Cavaro,
6, via S.Benedetto, 106 - tel.
070/4520221
> Extreme - via Giudice Chiano, 43 -
tel.
070/490380
> Runner - Corso V. Emanuele,
296 -
tel. 070/669218
> Vadilonga - viale
Elmas 172 - tel.
070/240537
>
Cogoni Pietro -
via Carbonara, 4 -
Monserrato
- CA - tel. 070/581953
How to get there?
Accomodation
As far as camping is concerned you can spend the night
for an average of 10 euro (2p. + car + tent). The
prices can be double in the high season. Some on-line resources:
Food
The food is quite inexpensive as usual for Italy.
Water
The tap water is drinkable. There are quite a few
sources along the trails as well.
Car petrol
No worries with petrol. The price is the same as on the
mainland Italy. You can always use major credit cards.
Danger
No great danger. There are no dangerous animals in
Sardinia. The possibility that your car gets stolen is
lesser than in Corsica though. But be advised to leave
your car in safe places and do not leave it unattended
in the cities.
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