Necropolis of Puttu Codinu and Necropolis of Mesu ‘e Montes
Plan this ride
Recorded distance
105 km
Riding-time estimate
2 h 16
Journey
Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
From Monteleone Rocca Doria it runs 105 km to Monteleone Rocca Doria; allow about 2 h 16 of riding. The stops in between: Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu, Necropolis of Mesu ‘e Montes and back through Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu.
Scenic road chapters
Sardinia Alghero to Bosa Coast Road
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For about 22 km this is Sardinia Alghero to Bosa Coast Road, a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Chapter facts
Length
22 km
Named road
Sardinia Alghero to Bosa Coast Road
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Necropolis of Puttu Codinu
Domus de janas means houses of the fairies, and that is what Sardinians called the small chambers cut into rock faces across the island, believing them to be the homes of tiny supernatural women. They are in fact tombs, carved out by the island's Neolithic and Copper Age people some five thousand years ago, often with rooms arranged like houses, carved doorways, false roof beams and symbols such as bulls' horns. The necropolis of Puttu Codinu, near Villanova Monteleone in north-west Sardinia, is a group of these tombs cut into a low limestone outcrop amid fields and scrub, one of thousands across the island.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Necropolis of Puttu Codinu is where the day begins. Next is Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu.
2. Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu
Sardinia is covered in small rock-cut tombs called domus de janas, the houses of the fairies, or of the witches depending on who tells the story. They were carved into soft rock by the island's Neolithic and Copper Age communities, more than five thousand years ago, and there are thousands of them, from single chambers to complex underground houses for the dead. The necropolis of Monte Siseri, near the village of Putifigari in the hills behind Alghero, includes the tomb known as S'Incantu, the enchantment, one of the most elaborate on the island. Its chambers imitate the interior of a house, with carved details such as roof beams, pillars and doorways, and traces of red and black paint that once decorated the walls. The domus de janas have recently joined the UNESCO World Heritage list, a long-overdue recognition of Sardinian prehistory.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu comes up about 22 km into the recorded legs. Next is Necropolis of Mesu ‘e Montes.
3. Necropolis of Mesu ‘e Montes
Inland from Sassari, the Logudoro is a country of limestone ridges, small towns of honey-coloured stone and fields enclosed by dry walls, and in its folds lies the necropolis of Mesu 'e Montes, near the villages of Ossi, Muros and Florinas. It is a group of domus de janas, the rock-cut tombs of Sardinia's prehistoric farmers, some of them richly decorated with carved pillars, false doors and the stylised bull horns that seem to have been a symbol of protection or power.
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Back at Necropolis of Puttu Codinu. That is the ride.
Leg by leg
Necropolis of Puttu Codinu to Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu
Necropolis of Puttu Codinu → Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu is 22 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu to Necropolis of Mesu ‘e Montes
Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu → Necropolis of Mesu ‘e Montes is 33 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
Necropolis of Mesu ‘e Montes to back through Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu
Necropolis of Mesu ‘e Montes → back through Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu is 28 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.
back through Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu to Necropolis of Puttu Codinu
back through Necropolis of Monte Siseri/S'Incantu → Necropolis of Puttu Codinu is 22 km of rhythm rather than effort. Let it flow and let the view breathe.