This 'Blue Zone' Island in Italy Is Also a Culinary Hot Spot — and Now You Can Bike the Island With a Famous Chef
Tour company Tourissimo is offering a seven-day culinary cycling tour of Sardinia, Italy, led by chef Gabrielle Hamilton.
Courtesy of Tourissimo
Lovers of food and cycling, this new bike tour of Sardinia, Italy, is the 2023 trip for you.
Toward the end of May 2023, tour company Tourissimo will offer a special seven-day cycling tour across the island of Sardinia — hosted by an award-winning chef.
Gabrielle Hamilton, chef and owner of acclaimed (though currently closed) eatery Prune in New York's East Village, will guide guests through the culinary culture of Sardinia. The tour will include a closer look at the wine tradition of the village of Oliena and samples of rare treats like pane carasau, one of the world's oldest breads that hails from the island's mountainous interior. Guests will traverse the island by bike (or by e-bike if travelers prefer).
"Many travelers describe Sardinia as being a continent unto itself, with each area and town having diverse landscapes and local traditions," Tourissimo co-founder Beppe Salerno said in a statement provided to Travel + Leisure. "Most of the recipes and dishes are surprisingly different from other areas of Italy, such as filindeu, the 'thread of god,' a special pasta considered the rarest in the world."
Courtesy of Tourissimo
What's more, Sardinia is one of the world's five "Blue Zones" — a place where people supposedly live the longest. The Italian island was the first Blue Zone identified by researcher Dan Buettner, who coined the term back in 2004.
"We will learn the secrets of longevity on this culinary cycling adventure," said Heather Dowd, the other half of Tourrissimo's founding team. "In Blue Zones, a large number of inhabitants live to be 100 or older, and their way of life, including the food and wine, is a big part of this longevity."
The itinerary includes a wine tasting in Oliena, a hands-on cooking class under Hamilton's guidance, and even lunch in a shepherd's hut in the eastern Sardinian province of Ogliastra.
Courtesy of Tourissimo
Beyond culinary stops, guests on this adventurous tour will visit some of Sardinia's historic landmarks and natural wonders, including the water temple at the archeological site of Santa Cristina, the painted village of Orgosolo, and the Selvaggio Blu coastline.
The tour takes place from May 26 to Jun. 1, 2023, and starts at $5,995 per person. The rates cover bikes, hotel accommodations, three meals a day (including wine, of course), and stops for coffee and gelato. Those ready to book this culinary cycling tour of a lifetime can head to tourissimo.travel.
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