Gavoi MTB trails: riding in the heart of Sardinia

Browsing Trailforks in 2025, I noticed a cluster of tracks around the small Barbagia town of Gavoi, one of the few places on the island where I could see such a concentration. I had been following the local riders on social media and knew they were active. A Christmas ride they posted caught my attention, and I saved it for a future visit.

The prospect of fishing for carp and perch in Lake Gusana gave Mauro and me another reason to include Gavoi in our spring tour of Sardinia. It became our first stop.

Barbagia by mountain bike

We arrived at Porto Torres on a spring morning, had breakfast in the old town and drove towards Gavoi. It was lovely to watch plains and plateaus gradually give way to the mountains of Barbagia. Around Macomer, the massifs appeared on the horizon beneath fast-moving dark clouds.

Gavoi

The town is small, compact and welcoming, but above all lively, with people going about their day. After fishing in the rain, we spent the evening in a lovely wine bar, Cantina Garau. I recommend it: we ate well and enjoyed an excellent Mamoiada wine from Cantina Gungui.

The MTB trails around Gavoi

The next day the weather was kinder and we set off towards Ollolai on tarmac. At the top of the village we left the road and began the adventurous part. The trails wound through Mediterranean scrub and beautiful woodland. We descended on firm ground that I found fast, enjoyable and never particularly difficult on this ride, with some small, fun jumps.

Large red rocks emerged from the scrub. Ahead of me, Mauro kept appearing and disappearing around the bends. Short climbs regained height before we dropped into more attractive, well-marked trails. Here is the GPS route (route page in Italian).

By the time we reached the lake we were already satisfied. The track then suggested another climb on the other side of Gavoi. You can leave this extension out: when we rode it, it led onto a mountain with poorly marked trails, apparently still under development, followed by a tarmac return to town. Unless you want to explore that section, you can head straight back to Gavoi and finish the ride.

I was very pleased to discover this place, which on our trip was roughly an hour from well-known coastal destinations such as Orosei, Siniscola and Cala Gonone.