Best map for Sardinia

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andymiller
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Re: Best map for Sardinia

Post by andymiller »

Therealsouthstander wrote:Hi Andy and thanks for this, if had a look at the PDF it it looks superb. I'll be sure to use this when I get round to planning our route. When head out 4 weeks on Saturday ,not that I'm counting :D Do you know where I can get the English road book version ?

Are you in Sardinia now ? If you have any tips for campsites or towns that you've visited let me know !!

Thanks again


I was looking around for a photo of the map and I couldn't even find it listed on the publisher's own website - even though it's a 2015 edition. I saw copies at the Nuraghe Palmavera (near Alghero) and the Casa Zapata in Burumini - which isn't much help, I know. The same company does maps and books about Sardegna so museums etc might have it. You could try emailing the publisher carlodelfinoeditore.it

Anyway - a couple of photos, might help.

P1400276.jpg

P1400274.jpg


(the dotted lines are MTB routes).

Bigger version of the map on my Dropbox public folder.

I've also uploaded to my Dropbox public folder a gpx file of campsites I've stayed at and would recommend (that's all of them). Note that there are a number that weren't open when I was in the area but are now open. Also there seem to be a lot more campsites in the south and east than in the north-west and west.

I wouldn't so much recommend towns so so much as places. In particular the dunes at Piscinas, the Sinis Peninsula, the Capo di Caccia (near Alghero) and the Capo di Testa near Santa Teresa Gallura. Towns? Alghero, Bosa, Castelsardo, and Stintino.

Piscinas dunes this afternoon:

P1400270.jpg


Mountainbikers taking the whole coast-to-coast thing a bit literally:

P1400264.jpg
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Sweep
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Re: Best map for Sardinia

Post by Sweep »

If you want to know a special tree in that area, let me know. Great spot for lunch with cantina wine, and a breather.
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Therealsouthstander
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Re: Best map for Sardinia

Post by Therealsouthstander »

Thanks Andy - I have sent an email so hopefully someone gets back to me..

Your photographs look great and I can't wait to get going.

Excuse my ignorance but how do I read the GPX file of campsites ?

Sweep


I'd love to know where the special tree is ?
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Sweep
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Re: Best map for Sardinia

Post by Sweep »

Are you still planning to go down the west coast OP?

If so will post slightly complex details.
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Therealsouthstander
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Re: Best map for Sardinia

Post by Therealsouthstander »

Hi Sweep


The plan so far is


Day 1 Olbia - Santa Teresa Gallura via Porto Cervo


Day 2 STG - Caselsardo


Day 3 castelsardo - Alghero via Sassari

Can't make up our mind whether to go to Sintino ??


Day 4 Alghero - Bosa via the interior?


Day 5 Bosa - Somewhere in or near Oristano ? Any recommendations?


Undecided after that but the next 2 days we want to end up in Pula or Cagliari for our train the next lunch time back to Olbia for our flight ?

Our train arrives in Olbia at 3:45pm for our flight at 18:20pm


In the North and West we are finding it quite difficult to find campsites in or near the towns we plan to stay in. But we have discovered that B&B are around £30. -£45 for a twin room so not much more expensive than a campsite with breakfast.


After a long day cycling we always like to end up in a nice town or village so we can enjoy a nice meal and a bottle of wine ..



Many thanks
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Sweep
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Re: Best map for Sardinia

Post by Sweep »

Hi therealsouth

Thanks for the detail (I was wary of putting any effort into a response that might be to vague plans).

Leave it with me.

Will try to post a proper reply in the next couple of days.

Can't really help too much with accommodation/campsites - and haven't camped in Sardinia for a fair while (just as well - have relatively poor impression of the campsites).

Are you planning to stay the night in Cagliari?
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Therealsouthstander
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Re: Best map for Sardinia

Post by Therealsouthstander »

The plan is to end in either Pula or Cagliari as our train leaves at lunchtime from Cagliari so plenty time to cycle from Pula if need be..


Does our itinerary sound good? Any places you would add or leave out?

If anyone else wants to add to this thread that would be great..
andymiller
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Re: Best map for Sardinia

Post by andymiller »

To read the .gpx file the easiest thing it to do is download Garmin Basecamp and then open the file (either just double click or import)

https://www8.garmin.com/support/downloa ... sp?id=4435

You could also download the maps from openfietsmap.nl and then you'd really be rolling.

The campsites I've stayed at either had a perfectly good restaurant - or were close to a very good one. So I wouldn't rule out campsites just because they don't seem to be convenient for a town.

The coast road from Alghero to Bosa is glorious. But then, probably the road via Villanova Monteleone is as well (my Lonely Planet recommends doing the two as a two-day circular ride from Alghero).

The Spinnaker campsite at Torregrande would be my recommendation near Oristano. There's a really good restaurant nearby (Molo 21 in Torregrande). There's also a hostel just outside Oristano.

I met a couple of Swiss cyclists who had gone from the Marina di Sorso to Alghero via Sassari and seemed to have enjoyed it. I think they said they had ridden the SS127bis.

A couple of general points:

- don't underestimate the distances involved, or the amount of climbing. If you only have a week I think you might be best off aiming for Oristano and then getting the train to Cagliari. Looking at the trenitalia website, there's a train about every hour, the journey takes about an hour and costs €6.70 (plus €3.50 for the bike unless Sardegna is one of the regions where bikes travel free).

- don't underestimate the heat. We've just had a couple of days when the temperatures have spiked going from unseasonally cool to [rude word removed] hot (ie 30+ degrees in the shade lunchtime yesterday) - and doing a couple of 400-metre climbs in the full-on heat really wasn't fun. At the end of June it definitely will be [rude word removed] hot. Make sure you have lots of water-carrying capacity (eg two big water bottles at least);

- as well as water, always make sure to carry something to eat - on some stretches you really can be quite a long way between bars or anywhere to eat;

- if you're looking at the map and thinking 'Oh that SS131 looks like it might be handy, maybe we could use it as a short cut', forget it - for much of its length it's off-limits to bikes.

Good luck.

Sweep wrote:... haven't camped in Sardinia for a fair while (just as well - have relatively poor impression of the campsites)


All the campsites I've stayed at so far have been absolutely fine. Costs generally in the 10 to 13 euro range (cost for two people probably under 20€). End of June prices may be more as some places have a mid-season tariff.
Last edited by andymiller on 28 May 2016, 8:55am, edited 4 times in total.
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ConRAD
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Re: Best map for Sardinia

Post by ConRAD »

Therealsouthstander wrote:... the plan so far is ... after a long day cycling we always like to end up in a nice town or village so we can enjoy a nice meal and a bottle of wine ...

hi Therealsouthstander, maybe I've already mentioned it above, however you can have a look to my trip HERE, more in the detail from Santa Teresa di Gallura to Cagliari, days 30-SEP to 08-OCT-2015

30SEP2015: Santa Teresa-Castelsardo, 75km/H883m+/839m-
01OCT2015: Castelsardo-Sassari-Alghero, 74km/H694m+/748m-
02OCT2015: Alghero-Bosa, 56km/H885m+/940m-
03OCT2015: Bosa-San Salvatore-Cabras, 74km/H740m+/751m-
04OCT2015: Cabras-Oristano-Torre dei Corsari-Arbus, 83km/H957m+/671m-
05OCT2015: Arbus-Buggerru-Portoscuso, 74km/H1041m+/1352m-
06OCT2015: Portoscuso-Teulada, 53km/H262m+/230m-
07OCT2015: Teulada-Chia-Pula, 54km/H524m+/565m-
08OCT2015: Pula-Cagliari, 38km/153m+/154m-

Highlights
- you’ll find B&B’s everywhere but at the end of June prices might be a little bit higher than your estimated ones
- in Italy drivers are nowadays commonly much more respectful and conscious of cyclists than in the past, please don’t do as two Canadians that I met just past Alghero that were literally covered by a ridiculous amount of multicoloured blinking leds spread all over their bicycles and bodies
- stray dogs are not generally an issue but a couple of times, especially approaching Sassari, I remember I had some unpleasant experience
- getting close to Castelsardo I came across an awesome female donkey (Clementina), not a big problem indeed … except she came after me galloping for at least a couple of kms
- maps: I’ve never been using maps, free downloadable osm/ofm/velomap showed to be impeccable under all possible circumstances, if you need gpx just let me know
- watch out for temperatures and climbing

here below Clementina ... and of course enjoy your trip !!

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Sweep
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Re: Best map for Sardinia

Post by Sweep »

Two quick pointsc(wil return later), raisee by andy.

Last time i checked bikes DO NOT go free on sardinian trains. Apart from one day a year. Absolutely barmy when you look at train usage and the economics of the train system.

+1 to avoiding the 131 where possible. I have ridden bits of it but it can be a dangerous road, though probably far safer on it on a bike in daylight than in a car at night. Then, some of the drivers are complete tosspots.

Also take care on the road between iglesias and cagliari, particularly the stretch between cagliari and poggio dei pini.
Last edited by Sweep on 28 May 2016, 1:20pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Sweep
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Re: Best map for Sardinia

Post by Sweep »

andymiller wrote:
All the campsites I've stayed at so far have been absolutely fine. Costs generally in the 10 to 13 euro range (cost for two people probably under 20€). End of June prices may be more as some places have a mid-season tariff.

That sounds fine andy but as you say you have very wisely chosen a relatively low season to visit which will affect prices and campsite facilities loading. August i think would be very different.
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andymiller
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Re: Best map for Sardinia

Post by andymiller »

I know this isn't much help to therealsoutstander, but another option from Portoscuso is to take the Delcomar ferry (from Portovesme) to Carloforte and from there to Calasetta and then take the road via Sant'Antioco and back to the mainland.

Ferries are frequent and take about an hour - cost for me and my bike for the single to Carloforte was 6.50€

I'm posting from Carloforte and it's one of the nicest towns in Sardegna with a unique history. It's well worth a stop.

Sweep wrote:August i think would be very different.


Certainly, but what a campsite may be like in August isn't very relevant to anyone planning a cycle tour in May/June/September.

Sorry, I don't want to be argumentative, but there's already enough misinformation out there (eg no decent maps) so I thought it important to give the alternative view. No doubt at some point someone will post 'I've read that the campsites in Sardegna aren't any good' - but, heck, you have to try.
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Sweep
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Re: Best map for Sardinia

Post by Sweep »

Not disinformation about maps Andy.

As several have agreed.

Including at least one Italian.

And someone (not me) who has very detailed knowledge of (and superhuman memory of) Sardinian roads

You disagree for reasons of your own.

I have several times asked if you have Italian connections but you have always avoided answering.

Reason I asked is that I detect a certain odd touchiness/chip and this comment above made me smile:


>>>So far I've worked my way down most of the west coast and I'm enjoying it so much (despite not having a German map)

A tone you come across in Italy sometimes - we don't need no @@@@@,. we're Italian.

You can of course have a perfectly wonderful trip with the TCI maps - Sardinia is beautiful.

Will get back with more info OP when I have more time.
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Therealsouthstander
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Re: Best map for Sardinia

Post by Therealsouthstander »

Nearly there with the route planning and we've decided not to take our tents. Not sure if I'm going to regret this as I kinda like camping..

Also hope we're not going to regret missing out Stintino..

Was also hoping to book a decent Agriturismo near Arbus so any recommendations welcome


How does this look to the guys that have toured Sardinia ?


Would Cagliari or Pula be best for our last night, our train leaves Cagliari at noon next day ??


Day 1 65 Miles


Olbia - Porto Cervo - Palau - Santa Teresa Gallura


Day 2 50 Miles

STG - Castelsardo


Day 3 40 miles

Castelsardo- Sassari - Alghero


Day 4 42 Miles


Alghero - Bosa then a loop of Suni - Tinnura - Magomadas -Porto Alabe - Sa Lumenera then back to Bosa



Day 5 61 Miles


Bosa - Putzu Idu - San Giovanni di Sinis - Cabras


Day 6 51 miles



CabrasCabras - Torre dei Corsari - Portu Maga - Ingurtosu - Arbus


Day 7 Arbus - ???


Many thanks
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Sweep
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Re: Best map for Sardinia

Post by Sweep »

Hi realsouth

I will I promise suggest one or two things when I have a mo and your general route is more firmed up.

First, am a bit confused.

I thought you said that you only had eight days?

But on day 7 you are still in Arbus?

And heading south from there, although there is some fine scenery there are some killer climbs.

I appreciate that you are trying to cram in as much glorious coast as you can (and there's lots of it) I think heading for Pula before then turning for Cagliari might be rather ambitious. In truth, as you are maybe beginning to see, Sardinia is well worth several two week trips.

In any case I wouldn't have stayed in Pula that last night - though attractive in many ways I find the town rather over commercialised. And I wouldn't want to do the last bit of that road into Cagliari from there if I ended up being in a rush.

Cagliari is also a fine (much improved) city and it would be a pity not to spend at least a few hours there chilling. It also has in the Poetto what must be one of the finest city beaches in Europe if not the world.

Cagliari has also very recently acquired some good cycling infrastructure, partly due to the pressure from a local cycling group, Cagliari Citta Ciclabile

http://www.cagliariciclabile.it/bici/wp/

I can recommend one or two nice places to sit with a bike while enjoying a cornetto/beer or whatever.

You could maybe find somewhere to stay in Quartu - effectively linked to Cagliari (and in any sensible place rather than somewhere hanging on to old rivalries it would be the same admin) and then rather than take the traffic nightmare of Via Marconi to Cagliari (though I have often done it) pop down to the beach at Quartu and then ride to Cagliari railway station along the Poetto - much of that route is traffic free. That would also give you a good view of Cagliari's pride and joy, the Flamingoes. There's also a good bike shop in Quartu on that route.
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