Along the east coast

Motorbike tour route info

• Level: challenging
• Km: 240 ca
• Track: on road

Starting point

A long descent that crosses a large part of the east coast of the island, along a road that for generations has linked one of the most inaccessible areas of Sardinia to its capital, Cagliari.

The route begins in the heart of Ogliastra and in just a few kilometers you pass from the plains to the hills. The changing views and the succession of bends make it all the more interesting to cross the curtain of mountains that nature has placed to protect Ogliastra.

Shortly after Cardedu, the gradient changes and the front wheel goes straight up as you reach the Genna e Cresia pass. From there, the pace of the route changes completely. From the low gears needed to negotiate the steep climbs, we shift to higher gears without ever exceeding the speed limit. This is because the stretch from Jerzu to the Quirra area is not without its demanding bends.

From San Priamo to the Settefratelli Park

Once past Tertenia, the road seems to be in the valley of a canyon. On the right, the mountains limit access to the interior. On the left, where the castle of Quirra stands, the hills separate the valley from the coast, as if to protect the gorge from the sea.

Ahead of us are the towns of Muravera and Villaputzu, and the tiny village of San Priamo, which, along with the Nuraghe Asoru, opens the way to the most challenging part of the route. Here we make our first stop for coffee and a croissant.

The next stretch takes you straight into the Sette Fratelli nature reserve. The old 125, literally clinging to the ridges of the hills, draws its contours and gives us emotions that are unlikely to be repeated. The road requires control and concentration, the bends are treacherous and the river flowing a few dozen metres below us reminds us that it is better to keep to a moderate pace.

The following descent marks the entrance to the Campidano di Cagliari and in a few minutes we reach the beach of Capitana, from where the road carved out of the side of the hill that borders the sea offers us a postcard view along several kilometres of asphalt.

The SP 17 road takes us first above the beach of Is Mortorius, then to the beach of Cala Regina and finally to the beach of Baccu Mandara, where we decide to stop for lunch. The area is full of small restaurants where you can try the local catch.

Arrival in Simius

After lunch we get back on our bikes and cycle along the sea towards Simius. You will come to the Notteri pond and the beach of Porto Giunco. We approach the beach of Punta Molentis and then continue along the coast towards Cala Sinzias and Sant'Elmo, before rejoining the new 125 and heading up towards Ogliastra.

The itineraries have been drawn up thanks to the collaboration of the Chena Cabu Motorcycle Club, which tested the routes and drew up the maps.