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A sense of freedom, a rhythmic and relaxing pace, silence broken only by the sound of the wheels. A ‘sweet’ journey to discover the enchanting scenery of an ancient land, partly unspoiled, sometimes harsh and wild. You can circumnavigate over one third of the western and southern coast of Sardinia, from Alghero to Cagliari, on your bike. The almost 400 kilometres take you through places rich in traditions, with a legacy of the past, places where you can combine your passion for cycling with a ‘thirst’ for cultural enrichment. Away from traffic and noise, you will cycle along safe roads, mostly provincial, municipal and urban secondary roads, as well as sections of state roads and cycle paths, rich in places of interest as well as natural and cultural attractions.

Magnificence, shared memory, authenticity and a sense of community: this is the most encompassing effort to safeguard, enhance and promote the cultural heritage of Sardinia. Over the next seven weekends, the 22^nd edition of Monumenti Aperti (Open Monuments) – a candidate for the 2018 Europa Nostra award, a European Union award for cultural legacy – will shine a special light on the island’s architectural, historical and natural heritage: some 800 places of extraordinary cultural value that include the museums and archaeological sites, churches and historical buildings, natural monuments and parks of 59 municipalities all over Sardinia, seven of which are new to the movement. Each town will tells its tale through literary itineraries, architecture routes in cities that have been marked by centuries of powerful rulers, and journeys into the dawn of time among the remains of ancient civilizations. As you follow the route, some 18,000 volunteers – many of whom are school children of a variety of ages - will narrate the stories that marked the history and culture of their town.

At the northern border of the Costa Verde, in the territory of Arbus, the very long beaches of fine golden sand make way for hidden coves, shaped by the wind and the sea, with breathtaking depths. Here, where the rocks merge with strips of sand creating natural pools, you’ll find the shining s’Enna ‘e s’Arca, a delightful rocky cove on the border of the military polygon of Capo Frasca to the north, while the sandy stretches begin to the south, starting from the splendid is Arenas s’Acqua ‘e s’Ollastu (the sands of the water and of the wild olive), commonly known as the Sabbie d’Oro (Golden Sands) of Pistis. At the bay, the basalt aiguille of punta s’Achivioni stands in the background and is evidence of volcanic activity millions of years ago. For about 60 years, s’Enna ‘e ‘s’Arca was closed to residents and visitors while today, in addition to the inlet, the so-called ‘Little beach of NATO’, a small stretch of sand that breaks the continuity of the cliff, is also accessible, along with a small port inside the military base.

The rocky, jagged coast is characterised by basalt and sandstone rocks modelled by the waves of the sea, salt and winds into fanciful and picturesque shapes. The waters are crystal clear, reflecting shades of emerald green, deep blue and cobalt blue. The depths of the sea, made even more beautiful by alternating rocks, are the habitat of numerous fish and a paradise for snorkelling and underwater fishing: you can easily come across enormous amberjacks, seabreams, gilthead breams, sea bass, snappers, weevers, the ornate wrasse and many others. An infinite number of delicious sea urchins populate the rocks. Out of the water, there is a lunar landscape, while the dark reddish and brown colours give the cove an unusual charm. The fragrant Mediterranean scrub dominates all around.

Local sandstone and basalt were once used as construction materials and they are now of interest to geologists and visitors. Sandstone, in particular, has been a resource since ancient times, as is evident in a Punic-Roman quarry that you will see at the entrance to Pistis, a tourist village built in the 1980s. The mining activities have made the landscape even more unique, with even incisions made by man, alternating with uneven ones made by nature. The area has been of strategic interest from prehistoric times to the contemporary period: nuraghi and watchtowers are located there. With the sandstone from the quarry, the Spanish built the Flumentorgiu tower, at the end of the 16th century, which stands out at Torre dei Corsari. Then there is a Navy lighthouse dominating Capo Frasca.

With the plain of Sant’Antonio di Santadi and the promontory of Capo Frasca, s’Ena e s’Arca form a peninsula that closes the Gulf of Oristano to the south and marks the beginning of the Costa Verde. The first beach is the Sabbie d’Oro (Golden Sands) of Pistis: almost two kilometres of imposing dunes of fine sand, ‘moved’ by the northwesterly wind, which slope down into the crystal clear sea on one side, while they enter the hinterland on the other side until they are covered by the Mediterranean scrub: rockroses, strawberry trees, wild olive trees and twisted junipers, one of which became the home of the poet Tziu Efisiu Sanna. The dunes stretch as far as Torre dei Corsari, where the expanse of sand is another magnificent ‘little Sahara’. The spectacular and wild landscape of the Arbus coast also carries on into Funtanazza, Portu Maga and Marina di Arbus, and in the two undisputed ‘pearls’ of the Costa Verde, the ‘desert’ of Piscinas and the ‘talking’ beach of Scivu.

Follow the path of the sun coast to coast, from the enchanting bays of the east coast to the unspoilt beaches of the Costa Verde in the Medio Campidano and the Sulcis-Iglesiente, passing through the charming green heart of Barbagia. At dawn, while the last stars are still shining, you can swim or canoe to meet the sun as it rises over the horizon of one of the endless jewels of the east coast, from Golfo Aranci to San Teodoro, from the Gulf of Orosei to Sarrabus.

Granite coves shaped over time by the weather, arches of sand resembling amphitheatres, halls set between the walls of white limestone rocks or red porphyry, squares in evocative villages, archaeological sites and even marine grottoes. Views of nature, often referring to ancestral times, become stages and come to life with the musical scores of famous performers from all over the world. From mid-July to mid-August, jazz, blues, soul, rock, pop and light music concerts take place: Jazz in Sardinia in Cagliari, the Dromos festival in the Oristano area, Abbabula with events in the Pre-Nuragic ziqqurat at the Mount of Accoddi (Sassari) and events in the Parco dei Suoni, in Riola Sardo, a unique setting surrounded by sandstone coves, a short distance from the site of the Giants of Mont'e Prama. Here, the acoustics and the natural 'stage' seem to have been especially designed for music. Then there are other events taking place in the Sinis Peninsula, at Cabras: exclusive locations like the amphitheatre of the ancient town of Tharros and the beach of Is Arutas with its grains of quartz.

Four festivals in the lesser islands of Sardinia, islands in the Island. Tavolara, a limestone mountain that emerges from the sea, in mid-July turns into an immense cinema with a starry vault of Una Notte in Italia. Established in 1991 to focus on filmmaking and creativity in Italian cinema, it is now a traditional event at national level. Meeting and interaction between the public, artists and experts already starts on board the boats that reach the island leaving from Porto San Paolo near San Teodoro and a little south of Olbia, that is, the three Municipalities involved in the 29th edition. In almost thirty years, the best Italian actors have walked on this unique red carpet surrounded by the waters of the spectacular marine reserve of Tavolara-Capo Coda Cavallo. Una Notte in Italia 2019 is a travelling edition: it start on Tuesday 16 July in the nature reserve of San Teodoro lagoon, then it move to Porto San Paolo on Thursday 18 and then from Friday 19 the screenings are held in the enchanting setting of the island of Tavolara.

The spirit of Sardinia is intertwined into the weaving of yarn, in the embroidery of a carpet and in the silhouette of an elegant traditional garment. Its spirit is ‘interlaced’ by skilled hands into a corbula of reed or rushes, it is woven into filigree, a Sardinian jewellery-making technique par excellence. The island’s light gleams in the blade of a arresoja, in the reflection of a glass product or in the deep red of a coral necklace. Its fire burns in the forging of wrought iron furnishings. The Sardinian soul lies in each stone sculpture, an archaic symbol of an ancient land. Exploring Sardinia means delving into its most profound and authentic identity through the techniques of adorning a scivedda (a ceramic vessel) and the wood carving of a cascia (a hope chest) and carnival masks, in tanning skins to create footwear or saddles. Traditional and designer arts and crafts form a vital spirit in Sardinia, an essential cultural component of a people that has proudly handed down knowledge and skills for centuries.

With few unnatural light sources and clean air, the sky above Sardinia is free from environmental and light pollution, free to offer its best and showcase, in the dark of night, the moon and constellations, planets and meteors. It will be a time of vast, open night skies, an immense planetarium where you can see the first stars appearing at dusk, solitary and full of energy, or in the company of the 'supermoons' , full at their maximum perigee, the closest point to Earth. You can see the most distant constellations and galaxies and in all seasons there will be swarms of shooting stars, the most beautiful in August, which create romantic nights to spend with your gaze turned upwards. One thing that never fails is the Milky Way, which you can admire from the island's solitary open-air observatories, a flood of astral light that fills the heart after a dark winter.

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Three of the 22 most beautiful beaches in Europe are in Sardinia. It is European travellers themselves who say so, according to a survey carried out by European Best Destinations, an organisation that, every year, studies the trends, tastes and requirements of European tourists seeking unforgettable locations. The ‘queen’ is Baunei, boasting two of the gems in the ranking. In fourth place outright, there is a symbol of the Island, where sea, mountains and woods embrace each other in harmony - it's Cala Goloritzé, a picture painted by nature, turquoise waters gushing from underwater karst springs, a carpet of white pebbles and an arch of cliffs - a destination for climbers – encircling the bay. You can get to it by sea, from Arbatax, Cala Gonone or Santa Maria Navarrese, or you can follow a trekking trail in the Supramonte area. So much wild beauty is not easy to conquer!