Strada Foresta Girgini
The Strada Foresta Girgini is a very challenging drive in the Province of Nuoro in Italian island of Sardinia. The route demands 100% concentration. This road has humbled many egos. Open to all motorized vehicles, however, strongly recommended for high clearance, 4-wheel drive vehicles. The road is very rough--only try driving it in a 2wd car, if you're planning to buy a new car.
It’s not for the sissies and shouldn’t be attempted by novice drivers. The road is 30.3 km long. It still remains an adrenaline-pumping journey and is definitely not for the faint of lungs, heart, or legs. Avoid driving in this area if unpaved mountain roads aren't your strong point. Stay away if you're scared of heights. It is recommended that beginner riders avoid this road.
Located within the Parco Nazionale del Golfo di Orosei e del Gennargentu, the road is in dreadful condition and requires strong nerves to negotiate it. It’s certainly breathtaking and it has a fearsome reputation. Expect more than 40 hairpin turns.
Located in the central-southern part of the island, it shouldn’t be attempted by those who don't know how to reverse. It’s incredibly disorienting to look over the edge, or even just to see the valleys a couple thousand feet below you. The road leads to an archaeological site called Nuraghe Ruinas. It’s an abandoned old town that was abandoned in 1400 due to a tremendous plague.
The surface of the road is asphalted, but there are 10km on a very dangerous gravel surface, extremely narrow. In many places the road is bordered by a drop of hundreds of meters (many hundreds of feet) unprotected by guardrails. The gravel section is 4x4 only.
This road tests the skill, and courage, of any driver. It’s definitely not for anyone suffering from vertigo or a fear of landslides. The road includes some sections very steep. It climbs up to Monti del Gennargentu, a mountain pass at an elevation of 1.178m above the sea level.