Tour of the Island of Sant'Antioco from San Giovanni Suergiu

Nice ride, beautiful landscapes, lots of ups and downs, some steep sections over 10%, one almost 20%.

Circumnavigation of the entire island of Sant'Antioco, which presented itself to us with its cliffs, its narrow streets and the total nothingness of the southern part. Narrow roads, not always perfect but practicable, in most of the island with the exception of the southern area. The main artery has been abandoned (where, in Komoot's defence, I was warned that *some sections* would be unsuitable for a road bike ) I first found myself on a pleasant dirt road, and then on a stony road where, partly out of pride and partly out of barrosity, I still found myself pedaling and pushing in order not to deviate from the tour and get back on the road with the cars. In the end it was worth it, and at least it added some vitality to a ride that otherwise risked being too short and monotonous (🫣).

If we thought we had seen the most beautiful landscape of the whole holiday yesterday, we were really wrong. Today we saw incredible views too. The coasts, high and jagged to the south with dark trachyte cliffs, sandier to the north, have waters of incredible colours. Portixeddu is the closest beach to the city, surrounded by light rocks and greenery of very rare Phoenician junipers, centuries-old dwarf palms and Mediterranean essences. It is made of pebbles, like the larger Turri. While Maladroxa is a stretch of grey and fine sand: from its seabed emerge thermal waters, already exploited by the Romans. We dedicated time to the beach and sea and made even challenging detours to admire spectacular rocks and also an archaeological site with the Tomb of the Giants

I've done this tour before, but it's always beautiful. In the morning, if you pass by the port, you can find fishermen returning from sea with the opportunity to buy fresh fish. 🐟🐠🦀🐙🦐 We continue towards Crussogia and at the Cirdu pond, you'll notice a fish farm. We pass through Calassetta, initially from the port and then through the middle of the very characteristic village. The beach is also very beautiful, but we'll encounter many other beautiful ones. 😍 We must also stop for a moment at the Mangiabarche lighthouse. Its name derives from the danger of the area, which caused shipwrecks, and from a legend that compares the outcropping rocks to the teeth of a sea monster. But a little further on, you come across a beautiful high cliff overlooking the sea, with an average height of over 20 meters. The shape of the rock face, masterfully shaped by the wind and sea, and the reddish colors make it a unique landscape, complemented by a sea of various shades of blue. The road is completely paved, a bit narrow, but traffic is nonexistent at this time of year. We pass Cala Lunga and Cala Sapone, and now the road continues inland, leading me to Maladroxia for a refreshing dip in its beautiful, crystal-clear waters. I return to Sant'Antioco, stopping at Calabrò's pastry shop for a cake and coffee. Like almost every day, I stop at the car wash to clean my beloved bike, and then I head back, wandering around the town.