In a nutshell
- Cala Gonone 6-metre dinghy rental, a private group booking of 8.5 hours on the water, from US$270.[1]
- No licence is needed to hire a dinghy for exploring the Gulf of Orosei, but the driver must be at least 18 years old.[2]
- In August the average sea water temperature in the Gulf of Orosei is 26.5 °C, with a maximum of 29 °C.[3]
- Access to Cala Goloritzé needs a mandatory reservation from April to October and is capped at 250 people at the same time.[4]
- From Arbatax, a catamaran boat trip with lunch runs 8 hours, from US$276.[5]
| Dinghy rental, Cala Gonone | RIB tour, Arbatax | Catamaran trip, Arbatax | |
|---|---|---|---|
| From | from US$270[1] | from US$69[6] | from US$276[5] |
| Duration | 8.5 hours[1] | 3 hours[6] | 8 hours[5] |
| Cancellation | Cancel free up to 24 hours before[1] | Cancel free up to 24 hours before[6] | Cancel free up to 24 hours before[5] |
| Payment | Reserve now, pay later[1] | Reserve now, pay later[6] | Reserve now, pay later[5] |
This activity is open to everyone. No licence is needed to hire a dinghy, but a minimum age of 18 is required for the driver .
Is the Cala Gonone dinghy rental worth it?
Things to check
- Reserve the Cala Gonone dinghy rental before you travel, especially for summer weekends.
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[1]
- The Cala Gonone 6-metre dinghy rental is listed as wheelchair accessible.[1]
- Prices appear as US dollar from-prices, with the final total depending on date and group.
Why the Gulf of Orosei suits a boat day
The Gulf of Orosei is the cliff-backed sweep of sea on Sardinia's central eastern coast, and much of it is invisible from land. Limestone walls fall straight into water that shifts from pale green over sand to deep blue over rock, and the coves in between have no road behind them. The Gulf of Orosei stretches 30 kilometres along the eastern coast of Sardinia, and it is protected within the Parco Nazionale del Golfo di Orosei e del Gennargentu, a protected area in Sardinia, Italy.[7][8] A boat turns that wall of rock into a doorway, and even a few hours on the water puts you in bays that walkers reach only after long, hot climbs.
Shape matters when you plan a route. The coast is folded rather than straight, so a short hop on a map can take a while on the water, and the breeze usually fills in through the afternoon. Cala Luna is in Sardinia on the central eastern coast and is reachable from Cala Gonone, a hamlet in the township of Dorgali in the province of Nuoro.[9] Where you start shapes what you see: boats from Cala Gonone tend to work south towards Cala Luna and Cala Sisine, while boats from Arbatax come up the coast past Pedra Longa and Cala Goloritzé. Either way, the coves stack up one after another, each with its own patch of bright shallow water.
A Gulf of Orosei dinghy rental without a licence
If you would rather set your own course, a Gulf of Orosei dinghy rental is the easy way in. No licence is needed to hire a dinghy for exploring the Gulf of Orosei, though the driver must be at least 18 years old.[2] The Cala Gonone 6-metre dinghy rental takes a private group out for 8.5 hours from US$270, and it is listed without a boat licence and as wheelchair accessible.[1] For a family or a group of friends, that means a whole day on the water with nobody else deciding when to move on.
A rental comes with a handover rather than a guide. Someone shows you the engine, the anchor and the chart, then leaves you to it, so ask about fuel, about where you may take the boat, and about the time you need to be back at the harbour. Take a phone in a dry bag, watch the horizon for the afternoon breeze, and plan a route with an easy turning point so a change in the weather does not spoil the day. The engine is small and the distances are short, but approach every cove slowly and keep both hands free near the rocks.
Turquoise water and limestone cliffs where the Supramonte meets the sea.
The coves you can reach by boat
The names on a Gulf of Orosei itinerary are the reason people book: Cala Luna, Cala Sisine, Cala Biriala, Cala dei Gabbiani, Cala Mariolu and Cala Goloritzé. Cala Mariolu is famous for its crystal-clear water, white pebbles, and dramatic limestone cliffs that plunge into the sea.[10] Pebbles rather than sand mean the water clears quickly after a swell, and the shore shelves steeply, so it pays to keep an eye on small children near the edge. Morning light on those cliffs is the reason photographers ask for an early departure.
Cala Goloritzé is the one cove with a hard limit on people. Access to Cala Goloritzé requires a mandatory reservation from April to October and is limited to a maximum of 250 people at the same time.[4] Above the beach a limestone pinnacle stands clear of the ridge, and the water beneath it is startlingly clear. Nearby, the Grotta del Bue Marino opens at sea level; adult tickets for the cave cost €10 in the ordinary season and €12 in June, July, August and September.[11] Even if you only look in from the boat, the scale of the entrance is worth the detour.
Rent a boat yourself or join a guided trip
Not everyone wants the wheel. A catamaran trip from Arbatax runs 8 hours with lunch and a live guide in English, French, Italian and Spanish, from US$276.[5] A faster alternative is the RIB tour from Arbatax to Cala Mariolu and Cala Goloritzè, 3 hours from US$69 and rated 4.84 from 705 reviews.[6] Both leave the driving, the route and the timing to someone who knows the coast. Catamaran days suit mixed groups, while the RIB suits anyone short of time.
The trade is freedom against ease. A guided boat covers more ground in the time available and comes with local knowledge built in. A rental lets you choose where to stop, how long to swim and whether to spend an extra hour in a bay the tour boats have already left. Distances in the gulf are short, so you never feel far from a harbour, which makes the choice less final than it sounds. If you want to rent a boat in the Gulf of Orosei and keep the day loose, the dinghy gives you that room.
from US$270
The Cala Gonone 6-metre dinghy rental runs as a private group for 8.5 hours, from US$270, and is listed as wheelchair accessible.[1]
When to go and how warm the water is
High summer is warm on land and in the sea. The average sea water temperature in the Gulf of Orosei in August is 26.5 °C, with a minimum of 24.4 °C and a maximum of 29 °C over the last decade.[3] That is comfortable for long swims and for snorkelling without a wetsuit, and it makes the swim stops the highlight of the day. Out of season the water is fresher, so pack a thin neoprene top if you feel the cold.
Wind decides more than temperature. Mornings are usually calmest, with a breeze building after lunch that can make the exposed crossings bumpy, so plan the longest leg early and keep the afternoon for a sheltered bay. Cliffs cut the breeze in some coves and funnel it through others, and the swell is always bigger at the mouth of a cave or a narrow inlet. Sea conditions change faster than forecasts, so keep a second bay in mind. If the weather turns, the harbours at Cala Gonone and Arbatax are close enough to run for.
What to bring and how to behave on the water
A boat day is mostly about sun and water. Bring more drinking water than you think you need, high-factor cream, a hat that will stay on in the wind, and a long-sleeved top for the run home. Water shoes earn their space because the beaches here are pebbles and rock rather than sand, and a dry bag keeps phones and keys safe when the spray comes over the bow. Sardinian sun is strong even under a light haze, and reflection off the water doubles the dose on your face and shoulders.
Take the same care you would anywhere on a busy coast. Give swimmers a wide berth, drop the anchor on sand or rock rather than over seagrass, and keep clear of cave mouths where the swell surges. Carry all rubbish back to the harbour, because the coves have no collection and are kept clean by hand. From the water you can also pick out the line of the Selvaggio Blu, a trekking route that starts in Pedra Longa and ends in Cala Luna, winding through unspoiled paths hanging within sea and mountain.[12]
Boat hire in the Gulf of Orosei: how to book
Boat hire in the Gulf of Orosei works best booked ahead, and the self-drive dinghy gives you the day on your own terms. The Cala Gonone 6-metre dinghy rental can be reserved now and paid for later, with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[1] Choose your date before you travel, and check the starting time when you reserve, because times are shown on availability rather than on a fixed clock. If you plan to land at Cala Goloritzé as well, a reservation is mandatory from April to October.[4]
If you are setting off from Arbatax, the Rocce Rosse are worth a look before you leave the quay: porphyry cliffs rise from the sea in the Red Rocks Bay east of the Arbatax port, a tourist neighbourhood of Tortolì, backed by white rocks and tall red granite boulders.[13] From the water the same rocks look different again, and the run south towards Santa Maria Navarrese passes beneath cliffs that drivers on the coast road never see. Whichever harbour you choose, the day works best with an early start, a loose plan and a long swim in the middle of it.
August sea water temperature, Gulf of Orosei
August sea water temperatures for the Gulf of Orosei over the last decade.[3]
What a day on the water costs
US dollar from-prices of these GetYourGuide listings.[1][5][6]
When to book and when to go
Plan your day on the water
Pick your harbour
Boats leave from Cala Gonone, Arbatax, Orosei and Santa Maria Navarrese. Where you start decides how much coast you can cover.
Choose your boat
A dinghy rental suits a group that wants to swim and potter at its own pace. Guided RIB and catamaran trips suit anyone happy to leave the route to a driver.
Book before you go
Reserve now and pay later, with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund on the Cala Gonone dinghy rental.[1]
Pack for a swim
Bring water, sun protection, water shoes for the pebble beaches and a dry bag. In August the sea averages 26.5 °C.[3]
Check the return time
Ask about fuel, anchoring and the time the boat must be back, and read the forecast before you head south along the cliffs.
Book the Cala Gonone dinghy rental for a day in the Gulf of Orosei
from US$270
