MTB Itinerary in Sardinia: Giant's Tombs

Route Features

Duration: 
5 hours
Difficulty: 
Easy
Terrain: 
70% asphalt 30% dirt
Area: 
Orgosolo, Barbagia, Sardinia

This is one of the most evocative routes of our area. A ring-road path that will make you discover the archaeological treasures of our territory.

Description

Our starting point is the main square of the village of Orgosolo (620 m.a.s.l.). After pedalling along the main road of the village, full of the well-known murals and little shops of crafts, we can start the climb towards Montes (6 kilometres, 980 m.a.s.l.).

Panoramic view of Orgosolo
Panoramic view of Orgosolo

At some point, we will reach a majestic specimen of downy-oak (Quercus pubescens). We turn to the right towards a plateau rich in ancient oak trees (Quercus ilex) with an absolute peculiar feature: the crowns of these trees are perfectly levelled on their bottom part thanks to the animals that freely graze in the countryside, eating from every leafy branch that they can reach.

On the right side of the road, slightly hidden among vegetation and enclosed in a property delimited by dry stone walls, we can spot the nuraghe Duvilinò, outstanding evidence of the nuragic era. It is made by blocks of granite, mostly covered by mosses and colourful lichens.

The nuraghe Duvilinò
The nuraghe Duvilinò

After going past the old little village of Pratobello (this is the area where the people of Orgosolo fought against the occupation of military forces, in 1969), our trip continues through mountainous pastures until we reach the area of Madau. Madau is an archaeological site of the utmost importance thanks to its giant's tombs, megalithic buildings belonging to the nuragic era.

Interior of a giant’s tomb in Madau
Interior of a giant’s tomb in Madau

After a brief stretch of asphalt, we start pedalling in a dirt road while the altitude increases (about 1100m.a.s.l.) and we get to the water reservoir of Olai (also a panoramic viewpoint). We can now take another dirt road: a downhill path blessed with the scent of wild-herbs and the presence of animals that live freely in the countryside. We are now in Sirilò, the third archaeological site of this itinerary.

In addition to the remains of numerous nuragic huts, here we can admire the "Domus de janas", literally "the houses of the fairies". They are collective chamber-tombs carved into the rock that date back to the pre-nuragic age.

Sirilò also represents a unique panoramic viewpoint of the beautiful surrounding area.

Panoramic top-view in Sirilò
Panoramic top-view in Sirilò

You can experience this itinerary by renting our E-bikes. You can also choose to rent a GPS Garmin Navigator with pre-loaded map-data or you can choose to be accompanied by an expert local guide.

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Cost of the tour

How much is this Route MTB - E-Bike?

The only cost is to hire E-Bikes and possibly the GPS Navigator. To fully enjoy this experience suggest the presence of our guide. It will take you to the discovery of our territory and its history.

To know the E-Bike rental prices go to: Ebike Rental Price List.

Equipment needed

To address this journey with our E-Bike in Sardinia is just show up with appropriate sportswear and everything you need to shelter from the cold during the winter.

Included in the rental E-Bike we will provide the following equipment: helmet, backpack, first aid kit, security chain, inflate & repair cartridge, pump inflation and windproof jacket. On request you can rent a GPS system Garmin. For more information view the equipment and Protections Section.

Equipment supplied with E-Bike rental Sardinia

Sleeping & Eating

Where to stay during your trip in Sardinia Ebike

In addition to the E-Bike rental service we can advise or arrange for you even overnight at Orgosolo (especially for extended rental for several days) and suggest the best restaurants to eat during your stay.

Some of our E-bike routes

Our E-Bikes

E-Bike Rental Haibike Sduro in Sardinia
Typology: E-Bike - advanced offroad