Watch how the sea changes from pale blue to deep blue and turquoise in colour. Enjoy the rugged basalt coastline peppered with the nests of cormorants and shags. Immerse yourself in the strongly-perfumed Mediterranean vegetation: rosemary, lentisk, myrtle, helichrisum, cistus and thyme. See the small natural pools of water, the remains of the tenacious working of the seawaves, blown by the maelstrom breaking onto the lava coast: the green lagoons teeming with fish. Sunbathe on extra-fine sand scattered by the wind to form desert dunes or take refuge from the sun in green oasis dotted with dwarf palm trees. In the hinterland, a bit further off, see the marshes with wonderful waltzing flamingos and soaring marsh harriers. And maybe you will see the rarely-sighted purple gullinule. Or the Audouin's gull. You can visit antique ruins, which witnessed past civilizations. They, too, appreciated the natural landing places of this coast on the way to the Balearic Islands and Spain, an extraordinary evocation of the past. Admire immense expanses of harvested field and fisheries. Explore an incredible piece of history: the Judicate of Arborea, Eleanor, a female judge who is perhaps the most prominent character of the Sardinian Middle Ages. She was an extreme defendant of the island's national independence and provided the experience of government by a woman, probably the only one in the whole of Europe at that time.

This is our starting point and we believe it is no small thing. And it will be only the beginning!

1st day (30 km) Sunday: at 12 pm Beginning of the tour. Sinis flora and fauna I : the coast from Putzu Idu to Tharros. Visit (*) to the Pond of Is Bénas, Sale Porcus (LIPU bird sanctuary), retrodunal ponds of Mari Ermi, Is Aruttas, the Oasi di Seu (WWF sanctuary), S.Giovanni of Sinis, Tharros and the Lagoon of Mistras. Hotel accommodation - at 8.00 pm dinner at a local restaurant.

2nd day (30 km): Sinis flora and fauna II : from Cabras to Oristano. Visit (*) to the Pond of Cabras; visit (*) to the town of Oristano. Hotel accommodation - dinner at 8 pm.

3rd day (48 km): The Campidano: from Oristano to San Nicolò d’Arcidano along the Bonifica di Sassu (Arborea) and the fishery of Marceddì . Transfer to Villanovaforru - visit (*) to the fortifications and nuraghi village of Genna Maria and archaeological museum. Hotel accommodation - dinner at 8.00 pm.

4th day (54 km): The Giara and the Marmilla: from Villanovaforru to Sanluri. Downhill from Villanovaforru in the direction of the Giara; visit (*) to the fortified nuraghi of Su Nuraxi; walking tour from Setzu to the Giara, and cycling (*) across the Giara; downhill to Gesturi, visit to Barumini, through Villamar at Sanluri - visit to the mediaeval village and castle (XIII century) . Transfer to Sàrdara. Hotel accommodation - dinner at 8.00 pm.

5th day (57 km): From Campidano to Sùlcis e the Sulcis islands: from the spa of Sàrdara on S.Antioco; in the countryside of Campidano as far as Vallermosa . Transfer to Iglesias, visit (*); transfer to S.Antioco, visit (*) Hotel accommodation - dinner at 8.00 pm.

6th day (59 km) The South Coast and Nora: from S.Antioco to Torre di Chia along the South Coast; Pond of Santa Caterina . Transfer to Nora, visit (*); transfer to Cagliari. Hotel accommodation - at 8.00 pm dinner at a typical restaurant.

7th day: visit (*) of the city of Cagliari and the National Archaeological Museum (there is an excellent display of the archaeological features seen during the cycling tour). 1 pm End of tour.

NOTES: · (*) accompanied by a specialized guide. · "Transfer" means the party reaches a place with a means of transport other than the bicycle. For organizational reasons, the exacts places for each nights stopover are subject to change until final confirmation is received.

MEETING POINTS

	Meridiana	Ati	Alitalia	Lufthansa	Air -Dolomiti
	Ferrovie dello Stato	Ferrovie della Sardegna
	Tirrenia	Navarma	Moby Lines	Sardinia Ferries
	ARST (Azienda Regionale Sarda Trasporti)	Granturismo Pani

By italiainbici