Sardinia Bike (White-Sand Beaches & Granite Peaks on Italy's Mediterranean Isle) 6D5N, Fully Guided

TWO BIKING OPTIONS:
Level 2, Approx. 39 km (24 miles), Elevation gain: 305 m (1000 ft)
Level 3, Approx. 53 km (33 miles), Elevation gain: 488 m (1600 ft)

Today, meet with your trip leaders at 9.45 am at Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport in Olbia, Italy, on the island of Sardinia. You will find them outside the arrival terminal of the airport.

Please arrive dressed in your biking clothes, wearing layers that can accommodate a wide variety of temperatures, and bring your luggage and a day pack with your rain gear and anything else you may want for today's daily activities. (Your luggage will be transported directly to our first night's accommodation).

After meeting in Olbia, we hop on a shuttle to the mesmerising Gennargentu mountains, which boasts some of the highest peaks on Sardinia Island. On arrival, we feast on a yummy picnic lunch comprising local cheese, carasau bread, and cold cuts. The carasau bread is a culinary wonder in its shape and form, which is so flat and thin, it was nicknamed sheet music by the Sardinians.

Enjoy your lunch, and your trip leaders will prep your bike for the arduous task it's about to embark on. They will also deliver a pep talk and educate us on vital biking techniques and safety tips. Afterward, the biking trip hits the gas, kicking off from the remote unsullied Gennargentu massif, a geological icon that rents the skies of Sardina island unapologetically. As we ride to sea level, we will discover two of the several villages that make Sardina a globally renowned blue zone island. We unravel Talana and Ursulei villages, where residents have a high life expectancy rate, outliving their birth mates in other parts of the world. No wonder the island is dubbed "the land of the ageing well". This discovery adds to the thrill of our experience, beyond the striking views of the Gennargentu massifs framing the backgrounds.

The Lanthia Resort, a 28-room chic boutique hotel with access to its private beach in Santa Maria Navaresse, east coast of Sardina, will be our retreat for the next two nights. Perched in front of the Ogliastra islands, this hotel flaunts magnificent scenery, marked by imposing mountains behind and the glowing waters of the sea on its fore, with just a few metres to the beach. There's an outdoor infinity pool, spa facilities and lounge, swimming pool, waterslide, and beach umbrellas for relaxation and recreation.

This evening, we drink an aperitivo and feast on our first dinner lavish with local specialties. Retire to your cosy rooms to rest because the morning calls for adventure.

FOUR BIKING OPTIONS:
Level 2, Approx. 45 km (28 miles), Elevation gain: 792 m (2600 ft)
Level 3, Approx. 58 km (36 miles), Elevation gain: 884 m (2900 ft)
Level 4, Approx. 77 km (48 miles), Elevation Gain: 1006 m (3300 ft)
Level 5, Approx. 95 km (59 miles), Elevation Gain: 1280 m (4200 ft)

This morning, the airy shores of Santa Maria Navarrese Sea send its greetings with some fresh air, while the sun does the same with rays. Enjoy a sumptuous and luscious breakfast that starts your day on a high.

Next, we answer the day's call of duty by cycling the ancient land sandwiched between the imposing Gennargentu mountains and the snow-white sands of the Tyrrhenian Sea. If you longed for more of the blue zone villages, we will encounter two more on this route namely: Ulassai and Perdasdefogu.

Lunch at noon will be at a coastal restaurant, emplaced under the serene and soothing shade of a pine forest. Post lunch, proceed in full gear through adorable landscapes coated in vineyards and groves of olives adorning the paths, all the while soaking in views of stilly dramatic mountains.

We will proceed to the historic centre of Loceri, an artistic village where picturesque murals are everywhere, reflecting the grand artistry of the Sardinians. However, these murals are side attractions as the business of the afternoon involves learning and getting busy with our hands. In the alley of this village, we shall adorn aprons, roll our sleeves, and learn and practise the fine culinary art of making culurgiones, a special pasta from Ogliastra made with local ingredients only. Enjoy a locally-made coffee and help yourself to a mouthwatering local dish passed down from generations lost in the sands of time.

We retreat to the hotel where you can unwind at the beach with a cocktail, stroll on the sands, leverage the cabana, enjoy spa pamperings in a pine forest, plunge into the pool or take a short nap.

Later in the day, you join your trip leader for a guided Tortoli Fishermen Cooperative Farm tour. Here, you learn about the hanging structures used in Oyster farming and taste the delicious oysters. Afterward, we venture into Santa Maria Navaresse, the idyllic coastal and tourist town that hosts our hotel. Dinner here is on your own and depends on your choice.

THREE BIKING OPTIONS:
Level 2, Approx. 35 km (22 miles), Elevation gain: 396 m (1300 ft)
Level 3, Approx. 58 km (36 miles), Elevation gain: 1006 m (3300 ft)
Level 5, Approx. 68 km (42 miles), Elevation Gain: 1494 m (4900 ft)

Enjoy a heartwarming breakfast with espresso, your fuel for the day's biking expedition. We shuttle to the Supremonte mountains and embark on a more challenging ride that rewards you with enchanting views as you climb the soaring limestone massifs. Feel like a star cyclist as you ride on the glorious Genna Siliana Giro D'Italia Pass to Serra d'Orios, beholding the unreserved wonder of the changing landscape.

Proceed into the rugged rural areas as you course through olive groves and stunted Mediterranean trees to end in the Nuragic village of Serra d'Orios. We enjoy a nourishing lunch abundant with local flavours at this historic and well-preserved archaeological site before heading to San Pantaleo.

On arrival, feel free to explore this unconventional community, filled with ancient stone buildings and contoured by magnificent mountains. Roam its cobbled streets, admire the creativity in its art galleries, and visit antique stalls to shop for souvenirs. Otherwise, leverage the extra downtime at our Relais & Chateaux Retreat, the Petra Segreta Resorts and Spa, to relax and have fun as you please.

Petra Segreta Hotel is another lovely pleasure dome to accommodate us for the night. Perched on the rocky highlands of San Pantaleo, arresting views of the scrub and stone landscape below is a plus to the unrivalled five-star hospitality, facilities such as a spa and pool, and wellness treats available inside. This rustic, stonewalled, elegant retreat offers its warmest welcome across 27 rooms in traditional Sardinian building styles.

Savour the views of the sunset and the stunning Costa Smeralda from the hotel's panoramic terrace. Tonight, we converge at the restaurant for a delectable dinner before you retire to your rooms for the night.

THREE BIKING OPTIONS:
Level 2, Approx. 35 km (22 miles), Elevation gain: 427 m (1400 ft)
Level 3, Approx. 43 km (27 miles), Elevation gain: 732 m (2400 ft)
Level 5, Approx. 82 km (51 miles), Elevation Gain: 1311 m (4300 ft)

Experience a glorious morning that starts with tasty morning coffee and a nourishing breakfast that equips you with the needful adventurous energy. Today, we depart San Pantaleo, sniffing from afar the scents of rosemary, myrtle, and other plants in the Mediterranean scrubs. We cycle through a forest of olives and the island's solitude into the coastal town of Palau, where we stop for coffee or gelato depending on the team's mood. The journey advances on two wheels into more of the island's coast, with scintillating views of rural landscapes dotting the shorelines, while enjoying the interface between the mountains and the seas. We stop at the private beach resort of Porto Rafael for a tasty lunch before heading for our accommodation.

We lay our heads tonight in the spectacular CPH Pevero hotel lodged on a less-dramatic slope in Porto Cervo, a luxurious seaside resort town in Costa Smeralda. This hotel, with exclusive access to the Piccolo Pevero Beach, will host us for two nights in its deluxe rooms with views of the sea and the natural elements that make Costa Smeralda a truly outstanding tourist hotspot. The hotel has a pool for plunges and refreshing swims and a spa to get pampered and relax like a baby.

Dinner tonight attains a new high as we visit a local Italian farmhouse in Costa Smeralda to relish organic Gallura specialties, and pork roasts, with sweeping views of granite rocks and vineyards to complement the experience.

Retire to your hotel room, replete with all amenities needed for your comfort and in anticipation for the penultimate day of the trip.

Level 2, Approx. 40 km (25 miles), Elevation gain: 549 m (1800 ft)

Wake up on the morning of your penultimate day to lavish breakfast, savour it, and freshen up. Today, we take a zodiac boat to the pristine La Maddalena archipelago, a nature reserve bordered by crystal-clear turquoise waters off the northwest coast of Sardina. Here, we visit one of the seven islands in the archipelago, the exclusive Caprera Island, to cycle around it. As we explore this island on two wheels via a serene coastal route, jaw-dropping sights of aboriginal prospering plants, charming beaches, and quaint seaside hamlets, including hidden coves, amplifies the experience. The island, which is also part of the La Maddalena Archipelago National Park, is a popular tourist destination renowned for being the retirement place of Giuseppe Garibaldi, a political and revolutionary figure who contributed immensely to the unification and establishment of the Kingdom of Italy. He died on the island after his retirement. You can visit his fort and memorial, the Batteria Arbuticci, located down a gorgeous path while you are here.

Enjoy lunch on your own with no shortage of Paninis, Pizzeria, and family-owned restaurants to spoil your palates with delicious offers.

After lunch, we enjoy a boat ride along the colourful and magnetic Costa Smeralda (Emerald Coast). You can plunge into the bright green waters of a hidden cove, feeling overwhelmed with views of the magical Sardinian scenery.

This night, we toast to a sensational and memorable experience on the island before indulging in dinner at the backdrop of a photogenic Mediterranean sunset.

Level 2, Approx. 29 km (18 miles), Elevation gain: 488 m (1600 ft)

Today marks the end of an amazing voyage into the alluring Sardinian islands. Wake on time this morning to enjoy one last biking loop of the island as a team. Enjoy a delectable, hearty breakfast, and we shall take on one of the scenic coastal routes around Porto Cervo and Costa Smeralda. If you prefer a slow morning, recline back at the hotel, and enjoy the scenery and all the amenities present, including the private beach access.

Sadly, the trip has to end, and as the time draws nears, emotions will be high as you bid farewell to trip leaders and acquaintances. However, we have to leave as a shuttle arrives to convey you to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport, where our trip ends.

NOTE: This itinerary is provided as an example only – prevailing conditions and local arrangements may cause variation.