Route character, roads and landscapes
Route 116 is an 841 km / 522 mi paved motorcycle loop that starts in Olbia and immediately heads for the northeastern coast. The opening kilometres mix flowing coastal roads with short, narrower links between Golfo Aranci, Porto Rotondo and the granite hills behind the Costa Smeralda. Around San Pantaleo, Cala di Volpe, Porto Cervo and Baja Sardinia, the riding is less about speed than a succession of sea views, sculpted granite, macchia and polished resort bays. North of Cannigione the road opens towards Palau, with the Maddalena archipelago offshore and the Roccia dell’Orso as a natural viewpoint, before turning inland onto quieter Gallura roads through cork woodland, wind-shaped rock and stone villages towards Aggius.
From Aggius the route becomes more rural and faster-flowing, crossing the interior past Lago del Coghinas and Ozieri before bending back towards the sea through Anglona. The approach to Castelsardo combines rolling secondary roads with one of northern Sardinia’s strongest visual arrivals: the medieval citadel rising above the coast, with Roccia dell’Elefante close by. The north shore then runs through Sorso and Porto Torres to Stintino. From here the road character tightens again around the peninsula and the La Pelosa shoreline, then turns wild south of Stintino: sparse traffic, exposed coastal terrain and mining landscapes lead to Argentiera and Porto Ferro.
The western section is the most dramatic part of the loop. Narrower scenic roads enter the Porto Conte area and climb to Capo Caccia, where limestone cliffs drop into deep blue water and the Grotta di Nettuno sits below the headland. The run into Alghero passes close to Nuraghe Palmavera. South of the city comes one of Sardinia’s classic motorcycle roads, the coastal Alghero–Bosa road: a succession of bends carved high above the sea, with open sightlines alternating with tighter cliff sections and almost continuous views towards the western horizon. Bosa adds the Temo river, pastel houses and Castello di Serravalle before the route leaves the coast and works inland through Santu Lussurgiu, the Lago Omodeo area and quieter provincial roads towards Atzara in Mandrolisai wine country.
The final third moves into the island’s mountainous heart. Roads through Ovodda and Fonni rise into the Gennargentu hinterland, where the landscape becomes more austere and pastoral and the road rhythm alternates between broad upland sweepers and tighter village approaches. Mamoiada brings the Mamuthones mask tradition, Orgosolo its famous mural-lined streets, and the run via Nuoro and Oliena brings the limestone walls of the Supramonte into view. From Dorgali, the route descends towards Orosei and then deliberately returns inland through the Monte Albo country before rejoining the Tyrrhenian side around Siniscola. The last kilometres through Budoni, San Teodoro and Porto San Paolo are more relaxed coastal riding, with the granite mass of Tavolara providing the final landmark before the loop closes in Olbia.
Route at a glance
Olbia → Costa Smeralda → Aggius → Castelsardo → Stintino → Capo Caccia → Alghero → Bosa → Atzara → Mamoiada → Orgosolo → Dorgali → Orosei → San Teodoro → Olbia