Sardinia – North of the Island

Sardinia is synonymous with Mediterranean flair, the exotic feeling of almost Caribbean beaches and the isolation of ancient mountain villages. And, as is already clear at the start of the round trip in Olbia, it is also the home of perhaps the most beautiful coast roads in Europe. The road towards the south heads directly for the Gennargentu Mountains and is separated from the coast by Sardinia's largest mountain range. The route reaches the remote coastal destinations only on detours along demanding country roads: first the fishing village Cala Gonone and then the hidden spectacular viewing point of Ispulgi de Nìe. The Mediterranean region expects only one thing from the driver: the composure to allow no distractions from the chosen speed, whether in the form of bends or gradients. In exchange, it offers all the more: at the latest in the pillar-supported open tunnels of this section, where the view blends together with the echo of the sports exhaust system. The Hotel Su Gologne outside Oliena waits at the end of the first stage. On the terraces above the high plain of Barbagia, the local cuisine shows what it has to offer, from Sardinian flatbread through to barbecued suckling pig. A circular tour cannot do this island justice if it only sticks to the coast. The next section through the middle of Sardinia is no short cut – it is the only way. Driving between the mountain villages, it is easy to forget that this is meant to be part of Italy. And the village inhabitants, insular and partly still dressed in the traditional black clothes, would immediately agree. Or at least nod imperceptibly. On the way to the eastern coast, the landscape changes imperceptibly. More open and rural countryside can be seen in the rear-view mirror when the route arrives at the coast in Bosa. Sardinia promises coastal roads and there are plenty of them on the journey back, with the route following what appear to be increasingly deserted country roads until these give way to the narrow streets of the port of Alghero with its medieval atmosphere. A short detour to Neptune's Grotto, flooded by the sea at the bottom of a cliff, and then the driver can look forward to a single, endless coastal road along the northern coast. Interruptions? None, except for the local inhabitant's favourite beaches between Castelsardo and Palau.