Olbia is the gateway to Sardinia for most people arriving by sea. Ferries from Genoa, Livorno and Civitavecchia dock in the long gulf, and an airport serves the Costa Smeralda, the glamorous strip of coast to the north, which the Aga Khan developed in the 1960s. The town itself is older than it looks. The Greeks called it Olbia, meaning happy, and the Romans used it as a major port; in the 1990s, when workers dug a tunnel under the harbour, they found the remains of more than twenty ancient ships. The Romanesque church of San Simplicio, in grey granite, is one of the oldest in Sardinia.
The area is Gallura, a land of granite, cork oak and low, scented scrub called macchia, with rounded boulders balanced on the hills like sculptures. Offshore, the limestone block of Tavolara island rises sheer from the sea, an eerie silhouette, and local food reflects the mix of land and sea, with seadas, fried pastries filled with cheese and drizzled with honey, and a glass of the local Vermentino white wine. Mirto, a liqueur made from myrtle berries, ends the meal.
The ride begins on the SS125, the Orientale Sarda, which runs south along the east coast through Orosei, Dorgali, Baunei and Tortolì toward Cagliari, with mountains on one side and a series of wild gulfs on the other. It is one of the great roads of the island, with some tight and rough sections, including the high pass of Genna 'e Silana at about a thousand metres, where fog can hide the road. The surface can be patchy, and goats and cows take their time. Weather is generally sunny, but a strong mistral can arrive and blow hard, particularly on exposed stretches.
With nearly forty-three thousand people, Olbia has fuel stations, supermarkets and repair shops, so top up fully before you leave. Fuel stations on the Orientale are fewer, and many close in the afternoon, so do not run it low. Summer traffic is heavy in July and August, when the road is full of holidaymakers, and spring and autumn are better. Leave early, and stop for a coffee in the first village.