Jeff: Our last week travelling around Sardinia

We woke up fairly early and before the rain on Monday so we decided to head out for a quick run over the dunes and up across another beach and back a nicer route missing out the hills and scrambles up the dunes. We had breakfast and a shower before heading into Santa Teresa Gullura which is a large town further up the coast. This is a town I have been to many times and it was one of my parents favourite places to come when we visited Sardinia. We parked up near the town and had a quick walk around, checking out the ferry prices to Corsica with Jeff before walking fast back to the van as the rain started. We managed to get some admin like insurance for Jeff and banking done while it rained and before we headed up to a park up above the town for the night. It was a bit of a quiet one due to rain but it did mean we are a little more caught up on things we had been putting off. The park up we had chosen was probably not the best one for the evening as it was above the town and slightly exposed and the wind picked up that night so the van was rocking but its been worse before and we still got some sleep.

The next morning we got the bikes out from our park up and headed to Capo Testa for the morning. It was a short but hilly cycle there. Capo Testa is a small peninsular and the Northeastern point of northeastern Sardinia and very close to Corsica and covered in very interesting lunar looking rocks. We tied up the bikes at the lighthouse and headed out on foot around the area. I saw a Nuragic tomb atop one of the rock mounds and I (stupidly) suggested we climb up to it as it had stairs. We walked around and found the path down to the start and while the path started easy it was soon involved climbing over and through boulders. Finally we reached what appeared to be some stairs and started the very exposed climb to the top battling the still gusty wind. It was a little hairy at times, and totally would not have been allowed to be climbed in the UK, but we both made it to the top and got some great views over to Corsica and over the peninsular. After 5 minutes we had to try and climb back down, also a little hairy, and then we decided to try and make a loop of the path rather than head back the way we had come. It was an interesting walk and involved lots of climbing over large boulders and jumping between them which wasn’t easy at all and involved some hights, which I am not a fan of, but we finally made it to the light house and decided that was enough of that and that we should head back to the start of the peninsular where we had seen a load of walkers set off on a hike. We got there fairly quick as the route was all down hill and tied the bikes back off and tried a short hike, which wasn’t that interesting and mostly past through the shrubs next to the beach and back to the bikes along the road. Once back we headed back to the van and headed back into the town for some more exploring and headed to the beach and down to the cliff edge where we finally managed to spread the last of the ashes, near where we had done on our trip here with the extended family several years ago. After we headed for ice cream and then a cocktail before grabbing a pizza and heading to the van for the evening.

The next morning we got up and headed to the beach, as it is a really beautiful beach here, and spent an hour or so relaxing and had a swim. It was still a little overcast at times so after an hour we headed back and popped to the supermarket before heading to a stop for the rest of the day. At the supermarket we bumped into a Dutch couple who had also been parked at the town stop and got chatting to them for awhile about their month long trip in Sardinia. Once we got to the stop for the afternoon, guess who we saw – the Dutch couple again. We headed off to the beach for awhile which was about a 5-10 minute walk away and chilled before heading for a walk around the area and seeing all the different coves. Later when we were back at the van we got chatting to the Dutch couple and had a drink with them and discussed plans. Turns out they were headed to the same place as us next as well but we were all waiting a day, in the hope the weather would improve. We chatted for a good hour or so and learnt lots about them and their travels while watching the world go by.

The next morning we went for a run, which was hilly but shorter than normal for us, and got back to the van for a shower and breakfast before we headed to Palau to see about ferry tickets for the next day. Driving in Palau was a bit of a nightmare and we ended up down many small side streets and we were glad to get out with no bumps, this was not something we wanted to repeat but we knew that the following day we would have to head back to the port. We headed out to a nice beach afterwards on the Cape D’Orso where we swam and relaxed in the hot sun for a couple of hours before having a late lunch. We then jumped on the bikes and cycled up many hills to see if we could see the Roccia Dell’Orso which is a rock shaped like a bear. There is a path to it but apparently you cant really see the shape of it and can only stand underneath it so we cycled down an earlier path and managed to see it from below. Happy that we had seen it and exhausted from the ride we headed back to the van and headed to the fortress near the town for the night. However after a short time we decided that we preferred the beach side stop from the previous night so we headed back there and relaxed in the peace and quiet for the evening.

The next morning we headed to the supermarket in Palau for the last couple of things, and had to drive through the bloody town again, before we boarded the ferry to Isola Maddalena. The ferry was only 30 minutes and we soon got off the other side only to discover the road we needed to travel down (and that was direct to the campsite) was closed so we ended up driving down lots of side streets. At first we were not sure we would fit down one of the streets due to an Italian persons parking, or abandonment which is what their parking is like most of the time, but a larger truck made it so off we went. The streets did widen a little after that first street and finally we made it to the campsite and parked up, after saying hello to our Dutch friends. We are in our first campsite on this trip and we are only using it as wild camping comes with large fines on this island as it is all national park. We have planned to stay for 2 nights but may stay longer if we like it here. Once we were all settled we headed out on the bikes to another island which is connected by a bridge called Caprera. We headed to the south of the island and to a beach with an old ship wreak and relaxed for awhile before we headed to a place called Punta Rossa where there was an old abandoned military fortress right on the edge of the island. We walked around and climbed through many of the different areas admiring the views and the different areas before starting the cycle back with a stop at a couple of beaches for a swim and a final sunbathe. Before we headed back we decided to check out the amin town on Maddalena on bikes rather than in the van. We parked the bikes up and walked on foot down the many tiny streets and ended up at a wine bar for a cheeky glass of wine and beer before deciding to head back. Once back at the campsite we had a long hot shower before cooking dinner and relaxing for the night.

The next morning we woke up to thunderstorms which sounded ferocious and nearby so we stayed hidden in the van and did a little bit of admin to let them pass. They didn’t take long to pass and then we got up and got ready for our next cycle around this island. First we headed off north up the island and stopped at a very nice beach called Spiaggia Monti D’A Rena where we had a relax and have a quick swim. We spotted a nice looking yacht in the sea just off the beach with multiple jet skis, a small rib and even a slide into the sea and a quick google told me it was rentable by the week for the small sum of £300,000! We decided this might be out of our price range and got back on the bikes to continue the cycle down the east coast and this time stopped at Spiaggia Bassa Trinita which is a range of beaches backed by sand dunes and again we stopped for a rest, some food and a quick swim as its really hot today. Once cooled off we got back on the bikes for the hard bit of the cycle which is all up hill which was followed by a great downhill section where I got up to a speed of 60km for a very short time. We then headed to another beach area but somehow ended up in a group of cyclists and followed them rather than reading out maps and got to the coast where there was a alter called Alter Della Modonnetta that looked out onto the sea and the cliff edge had great views. We then followed the path away from the large group to a fjord section where there was a small beach but this time we didn’t stay, instead we continued on down to the south coast and followed this along past the main town and back to the campsite. It was only a 25km route but in the heat and with the hills it did feel long and we had managed to be out most of the day with all of our stops. We settled in for the late afternoon and shared a bottle of fizz with our Dutch friends while putting the world to rights before retiring in for the night before any mosquitos come out.

The next morning we checked out of the campsite in the morning and headed back to the beach we went to yesterday Spiaggia Monti D’A Rena where there was parking for the van and headed to the beach with the paddleboard. It was a little windy but that didn’t stop us from getting on the board and sailing around the coves and somewhat closer to the very nice yacht which had not yet moved. After a couple of hours we decided to head back to the mainland so made our way to the ferry port only to find some roads were again closed so we had kept getting sent down little streets. We cut out losses quickly and made our way to the main road north of the town and tried to enter the town from another angle and made it this time and got straight onto the ship and were soon zooming across back to Sardinia.

When we arrived we hastily exited the town as we really don’t enjoy driving around Palau and made our way to Arzachena which is a pretty inland town. We only planned a short stop and so we popped out the van and walked to the church in the town. As it was a Sunday everything was closed but we did get to see their interesting stairs to the church which are regularly painted to give different pictures. They were really pretty and we met a little cat friend at the bottom who enjoyed some belly rubs. There was also a rock in the shape of a mushroom but it was really hot and a fair walk away so we deicided to give this rock a miss (having already seen a mushroom shaped rock) and headed to the nearby Lu Postu town and to a camperstop for the night. This stop was on a beach area where the water comes into a wetlands area and makes different saltwater lake areas some of which you can swim in while others are only shin deep. We walked around a little and saw lots of very happy dogs playing in the water before chilling in the van for the evening.

The next morning we got up early and headed to the next town called Cannigione where we parked up and did a short run around the coast. It was a very posh town and there were lots of people out running, cycling or walking. We did change our route slightly while running as we found an outdoor gym which is always Rich’ favourite thing to do after a run. So once we had both finished we had a quick stretch on the grass with the ants before having a work out on the gym. The only issue was we didn’t have any water and it was really hot already so it was a bit of a struggle but after a good 30 mins we headed back at a jog to the van where we showered and had breakfast. We then walked around the port before we headed in the van to a supermarket for some food and then onto Spiaggia Del Grande Pevero which is a lovely beach cove in front of a lake. We sat, swam and generally chilled for several hours on the beach which was really needed after the run. Once we were fully relaxed (and getting hungry again) we headed to the van and had some lunch before heading to Porto Cervo where we parked up above the town and walked in. This is the town a lot of the celebrities come to when they come to Sardinia and it is evident by the range of shops, like Gucci, prada and YSL rather than the generic swimwear shops you get in other towns. We walked around the two ports and enjoyed looking at the very expensive boats before heading back to the van for dinner. We decided to stay where we were for the evening as it was quiet and had great views over the coast. The next morning we got up and headed not far down the coast to an area near the Spiaggia Del Romazzino but we didn’t plan on going to the beach as there was a hiking trail to do. The trail was up to 13km depending on which tracks you took and went around some coast line and through some dune areas and as it was a health trail it also had some small exercise machines, like the ones you get it old school outdoor gyms. We walked the trail around the coast first seeing the blue sea which always looks so inviting and then through some of the marsh/dune areas and came across a beach which looked very familiar as we were walking towards it. I soon realised it was the beach we had been on yesterday and the walking path literally crosses behind the beach and further into the dunes. We continued on and finished the track in a couple of hours without any beach stops. As we hadn’t yet been on a beach we headed to another supposedly nice area called Golfo Aranci and headed onto the town beach for a couple of hours. It wasn’t the best beach we have been on by any means but it was hot and the sea was nice and cool so we spent a few hours there before continuing on down south towards Olbia which is were we need to be in two days. We stopped at a beach called Cala Banana where we planned to spend the evening, being careful with where we parked as there were reviews from many people who got stuck in the sand/mud if it rained, and ended up spending a bit of time on the beach as it was finally a bit cooler before making dinner in the van.

The next morning we continued the route to Olbia and made it there mid morning which is early but there is still lots to sort before we get the ferry on tomorrow. We needed food from the supermarket, we needed to pop to Decathlon to pick up some bits and then we headed south to the port we had previously parked at when we had arrived to see if we could still park there, but the parking was now closed so we had to find alternative parking nearby. We got the paddleboard out and headed to the beach as Rich still wanted to paddle to Travolara. It was a little windy, but a lot less windy than when we were last here, so off we went with lots of trepidation from me. We paddled out against the current and paddled some more and fought against the wakes from the various boats passing us. We made it out to 2.7km from the coast and we then had to made the decision to go the final 1-1.5km where there was no land around until we got to the coast or turn around now but being us (or Rich being Rich) we decided to do it and off we went into the open sea. We paddled well and soon the land was getting closer and we docked as soon as we could on the beach relieved and tired with the knowledge that we would have to do that all again for the 4km back. We chilled for awhile and had some water before paddling around the inlet, taking photos of the stunning island and then we headed back to the mainland through the open sea and then into the slightly more protected inlet. It took around 2 hours to paddle there and back with an additional 30 minutes rest on the island which I don’t think is too bad to do the 9.25km route. We chilled on the beach on the mainland for a bit to rest before we could think about deflating the board and carrying it back to the van. After we showered and had some food we headed to our final stop in Sardinia which is where we parked up for the day in Olbia, and where the geek Rich can watch planes from. We of course had to climb to the top of the tower again and watch a plane or two come in and then walked to the tombs that we didn’t see before. Then we got back to the van and packed our bags ready for an eight hour ferry tomorrow morning. Being us we wanted to ensure we packed enough entertainment, food and drinks so we were prepared as we don’t have a cabin this time.

We are both looking forward to starting the house sit and having the luxuries of a house again (especially since we really need to do a couple of loads of laundry) but we will miss the beaches and views of Sardina so it is really bittersweet to be leaving here.