Monte Nieddu and San Teodoro - Gravel Tour

If you’re looking for a big day out on the bike, don’t mind a bit of hike-a-bike and love finding opportunities for a mid-ride dip, this is the Tour for you.

From the city of Olbia you head south on wide gravel doubletracks through farmland, past a granite tomb that dates back over 4,000 years, and up into the mountains via Padru.

A dead-end, empty tarmac road takes you most of the way up climb, before turning onto a 25-minute technical hike up and over the pass on a steep and narrow hiking trail.

With views of the sea ahead, you hike down the steepest part of the track for another 30-60 minutes, before taking the more rideable singletrack to the waterfalls on Rio Pitrisconi in the Monte Nieddu conservation area.

Take a dip in the mountain pools before the mega gravel descent leads you down off the mountains to the sea at San Teodoro. There are plenty of places here for a decent meal or snack, and you can visit the golden sands of Spiaggia La Cinta for a saltier swim if you prefer. Keep an eye out as you pass the lagoon next, as flamingoes can often be seen here in summer.

The return leg takes you on tarmac back up past Monte Utara Pisana and north towards Olbia, finishing with some great gravel farm tracks near the airport, passing by fields of ginger Sardo cattle.