The surroundings of Sassari
Tours in the Sassari area develop mainly in five directions: east towards Osilo and Nulvi, north east towards Sorso and Sennori, north west towards Porto Torres and Stintino, south west towards Alghero and Porto Conte and south towards Tissi and Ittiri.
The shortness of these routes to be made by racing bike, gravel bike or MTB (most of them are under 50 km in length) should not suggest that they are just any tour in terms of both the landscape and the physical effort required.
Once you leave the outskirts of the capital, the landscape, dominated by the intense green color of an almost primordial Mediterranean vegetation, takes on the typical aspect of the Sassari sub-region characterized by continuous ups and downs (also present in the city): from a hill at 3-400 meters above sea level it rushes into a valley, and then climbs up a plateau, carved by narrow and deep ravines, which recalls the American mesas (not surprisingly in Sardinia they have shot several "western" movies) and then down again in a kind of canyon.
The small villages, interesting for their almost pre-industrial aspect and for the richness of local traditions, often differ from each other in customs, religious festivals, clothes, food and traditional products; Alghero besides, for its historic center and the beauty of its coastline up to Capo Caccia, is absolutely worth a visit.
In addition to the famous ones of Stintino, there is no shortage of beautiful sandy beaches and white limestone coves.
Finally, nuraghi, domus de janas, sacred wells and places of archaeological interest abound everywhere and among them the so-called ziqqurat of the Monte d'Accoddi complex stands out.
On the hillsides, the roads are mostly shaded below and ventilated above and have the advantage of not being busy, but the slopes are hard, especially if you are loaded with luggage.
In summer an evening outdoor is preferable, when the temperature is a little less hot.