Sardinia by Motorcycle: The SS125 Orientale Sarda from Dorgali to Arbatax

Sardinia is a motorcycle island. It has mountains right up to the coast, a road network built long before mass tourism, and outside the high summer weeks very little traffic. The jewel is the SS125, the Orientale Sarda, which runs the length of the east coast. Its finest section crosses the wild mountain country between Dorgali and Baunei, climbing to the Genna Silana pass at about 1,017 metres with the limestone of the Supramonte on one side and the Gulf of Orosei on the other. Riders who know the island rank it among the best roads in Italy.

This guide turns that section into a two-day trip of around 220 kilometres from a base on the coast, with the best side roads on the way.

Getting to Sardinia

Ferries run to Olbia, Golfo Aranci and Porto Torres in the north from Genoa, Livorno, Civitavecchia and other ports, with some crossings overnight in a cabin; there are also routes from France and from Corsica. Arbatax on the east coast has a smaller port with fewer sailings. Book ahead for July and August and for Italian holiday weekends. From Olbia, the fast SS131 dcn and the coast road take you south toward Orosei and Dorgali in a couple of hours.

Day one: Orosei, Dorgali and Cala Gonone (about 80km)

Orosei to Dorgali (about 20km). Ride inland from Orosei, a small town of stone churches near the mouth of the Cedrino, on the SS125 toward Dorgali. The road starts to climb in long bends with the mountains growing ahead.

Dorgali to Cala Gonone and back (about 20km). From Dorgali, a side road climbs to a tunnel through the ridge and then drops to Cala Gonone on the sea in a string of hairpins with the whole gulf below you. Cala Gonone is the base for boat trips to the coves and sea caves of the Gulf of Orosei, which cannot be reached by road. Ride down for lunch and back up for the view.

Inland to Oliena and the Supramonte (about 40km). In the afternoon, head west toward Oliena under the cliffs of the Supramonte, with the spring of Su Gologone near the road and quiet lanes through olive groves and cork oaks. Return to Dorgali for the night or stay in Oliena.

Day two: Genna Silana, Baunei and Arbatax (about 140km)

Dorgali to Genna Silana (about 30km). This is the section riders cross the sea for. South of Dorgali the SS125 climbs steadily through a landscape of rock, scrub and holm oak, with almost no buildings. The bends come one after another, open enough to see through, on a surface that is generally good. Below the road to the east lies the gorge of Gorropu, one of the deepest in Europe, which you can only reach on foot from a trailhead near the pass. Genna Silana itself has a bar and a car park where riders gather.

Genna Silana to Baunei (about 30km). South of the pass the road runs along the mountainside high above the sea, through a wild plateau and then down a sequence of bends to Urzulei and on to Baunei. This is the most remote part of the route: no fuel, little traffic and herds of goats and the odd cow on the road. Baunei clings to the hillside; from the village, a steep side road climbs to the Golgo plateau, a high limestone shelf with a deep sinkhole and a small country church, well worth the detour.

Baunei to Arbatax and back north (about 80km). From Baunei the road drops in tight bends to Santa Maria Navarrese on the coast and on to Tortolì and Arbatax, known for its red porphyry rocks at the harbour. Then turn around: the SS125 north from Baunei to Dorgali is a different road in the other direction, with the sea views on your right and the evening light behind you.

The roads

The SS125 between Dorgali and Baunei is a well-engineered main road, not a goat track, but it is a long way from help. Fill up in Dorgali or Baunei and carry water in summer. Livestock wanders onto the road, especially at dawn and dusk; take bends at a pace where you can stop for a goat. The surface can be dusty and slippery after the first autumn rain. Side roads to villages and beaches are narrower and more broken.

Speed limits are enforced with cameras around towns. Italian rules apply: dipped headlights at all times, helmets for rider and pillion, and a low drink-driving limit. Rules change, so check the official Italian sources before you travel.

When to go

April to June and September to October are ideal: warm, dry and quiet. July and August are very hot inland, ferries and hotels are full and prices rise. Winter is mild on the coast but can be cold and wet on the Genna Silana. The wind is part of Sardinian life; strong gusts can make the exposed sections hard work.

More of Sardinia

With a week, combine the east coast with the mountain roads of the Gennargentu around Fonni and Desulo in the centre of the island, the coast road along the north-west from Alghero to Bosa, and the roads of the south-west around Iglesias. Riders who like this kind of island riding will also like Corsica, a short ferry crossing to the north, and the Serra de Tramuntana on Mallorca.

A day-by-day plan

With a ferry into Olbia in the morning, ride south the same day and sleep in Orosei or Dorgali. Spend the next morning on the Cala Gonone road and the afternoon around Oliena, then give the Genna Silana a full day with stops at the pass, Baunei and the Golgo plateau. If you can, stay one night at the southern end in Santa Maria Navarrese or Arbatax and ride the SS125 north the next morning, when the low sun lights the mountains and the road is at its emptiest. Allow at least four nights on the island to make the crossing worthwhile; a week lets you add the centre and the west coast.

Where to stay

Dorgali, Cala Gonone and Orosei suit the northern end of the route; Baunei, Santa Maria Navarrese, Tortolì and Arbatax the southern end. Many agriturismi inland have room in a courtyard for a bike. Ask about parking when you book, as some coastal hotels have only street parking. See our places to stay in Italy.