In a nutshell
- The gulf stretches 30 kilometres along Sardinia's eastern coast and lies inside the Parco Nazionale del Golfo di Orosei e del Gennargentu.[1][2]
- Access to Cala Goloritzè needs a mandatory reservation from April to October and is limited to a maximum of 250 people at the same time.[3]
- The Selvaggio Blu starts in Pedra Longa and ends in Cala Luna, on unspoiled paths that hang between sea and mountain.[4]
- Cala Luna is reachable from Cala Gonone, and a dinghy can be hired without a boat licence, provided the driver is at least 18.[5][6]
- The catamaran trip from Arbatax runs 8 hours with a live guide in English, French, Italian and Spanish, from US$276.[7]
- Top choice Gulf Orosei catamaran trip from US$276 Duration8 hours[7]Rated4.91 from 268 reviews[7]GuideEnglish, French, Italian, Spanish[7]StyleCatamaran cruise Check availability
- RIB tour to Mariolu from US$69 Duration3 hours[8]Rated4.84 from 705 reviews[8]GuideEnglish, Italian driver[8]StyleRIB tour See this tour
- Baunei Coast day by boat from US$86 Duration9 hours[9]Rated4.87 from 1,036 reviews[9]GuideEnglish, Italian guide[9]StyleDay boat tour See this tour
The Selvaggio Blu trekking starts in Pedra Longa and ends in Cala Luna, winding through unspoiled paths, hanging within sea and mountain.
Is the Gulf of Orosei worth hiking?
Trip prep
- Book Cala Goloritzè access before you travel, not on the day
- Base yourself in Baunei, Santa Maria Navarrese, Dorgali or Arbatax
- Carry cash for cave tickets, boat shuttles and small kiosks
- Tell someone your route, as signal fades below the cliffs
On the trail
- Start at first light and be off exposed rock by midday
- Wear closed shoes with grip for loose stone and polished rock
- Expect steep descents and climbs on the way down to the water
- A local guide makes the Selvaggio Blu and the long descents simpler
A coastline that only walking or boats can reach
The Gulf of Orosei stretches 30 kilometres along the eastern coast of Sardinia, a long curve of limestone that falls into the sea between the Supramonte plateau and the water.[1] The coast lies inside a protected area, the Parco Nazionale del Golfo di Orosei e del Gennargentu, with bare mountains dropping towards the cliffs.[2] Roads stay high on the plateau, and the shoreline below keeps its old shape.
Walking here is about rock and height rather than distance. Paths follow old mule tracks and shepherds' routes, drop through holm oak and lentisk, and spill out onto white pebbles. The stone is limestone, smooth in places and sharp in others, and the water below moves from pale green over sand to deep blue over rock.
You do not need to be a mountaineer for the shorter coastal walks, but grip, water and patience with heat all help. Many people pair a walking day or two with boat days and let the water carry them to coves that no path can reach in a morning. That mix is what makes the gulf work: hard rock underfoot one day, an easy swim and a long lunch the next.
The Cala Goloritzè hike and its booking rule
The Cala Goloritzè hike is the walk most people come for. It begins on the Golgo plateau above Baunei, crosses bare and stony ground, then drops through a wooded valley to a beach of white pebbles beneath a tall limestone pinnacle. The descent is short enough to feel like an adventure and steep enough to remind you that you have to come back up.
Access to Cala Goloritzè requires a mandatory reservation from April to October and is limited to a maximum of 250 people at the same time.[3] It is a rule to plan around well before your trip, so choose your day, book it, and keep the confirmation on your phone.
The path is not technical, but it is steep, and the sun hits hard once the trees end. Take more water than feels necessary, wear closed shoes with real grip, and leave time for a swim before the climb back up to the plateau in the afternoon heat.
White pebbles, limestone and water so clear the boats seem to float on nothing
The Selvaggio Blu, the gulf's long route
The Selvaggio Blu starts in Pedra Longa and ends in Cala Luna, winding through unspoiled paths that hang between sea and mountain.[4] It is a serious route rather than a day walk, mixing scrambles, old tracks and sections where a rope helps. The line follows the coast the whole way, so the sea is always on one side of you.
Planning matters on the Selvaggio Blu. Water is scarce along the cliffs, the going is slow, the ways off the coast are few, and many walkers go with a local guide or with boat support. The same boats are how most people get away from the rocks at the end, which is worth sorting out before you start.
If you want the flavour of the route without the full traverse, the stretches around Pedra Longa and above Cala Goloritzè give you the same rock and the same long views in a single morning. They also combine easily with a lift or a boat later in the day.
Coves worth the walk: Mariolu and Luna
Cala Mariolu is famous for its crystal-clear water, white pebbles and dramatic limestone cliffs that plunge into the sea.[10] From the path above, the whole bay shows at once: pale stone, a band of brilliant water, then deeper blue further out. Boats anchor a little way offshore, so swimmers have clear water between the pebbles and the hulls.
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.[5] Sea caves open at the back of the beach, the sand is pale, and the walk down from the plateau takes a long morning. Many people arrive by boat and walk out, or do the whole thing the other way round.
Between the two coves the coast is a run of smaller bays and inlets, some pebbly, some with flat rock ledges that make easy swimming platforms. Few carry names on the map, and half the pleasure is finding the bay that suits the wind on the day.
from US$276
The catamaran boat trip from Arbatax runs 8 hours with a live guide in English, French, Italian and Spanish.[7]
Trailheads, roads and boats
Most hiking in the Gulf of Orosei starts from the villages on the plateau: Baunei, Santa Maria Navarrese, Lotzorai and Tortolì. At Arbatax, on the coast by Tortolì, the Rocce Rosse are a view named after the porphyry cliffs that rise from the sea in the Red Rocks Bay east of the port, a tourist neighbourhood of Tortolì, with white rocks and tall red granite boulders nearby.[11]
Where there is no road, the sea is the road. Cala Luna is reachable from Cala Gonone, and boats link the harbours along the gulf.[5] You can also hire a dinghy and drive it yourself: no licence is needed to hire a dinghy for exploring the Gulf of Orosei, though the driver must be at least 18 years old.[6]
The plateau villages make useful bases, with guesthouses, small shops and buses that connect them to the coast. Buy water and food before you set off, as the kiosks near the beaches keep short hours and the nearest shop can be a long way above you. If you are walking the Selvaggio Blu, arrange food drops or boat pickups in advance instead of hoping to find them on the day.
When to walk, and how to cope with the heat
Summer here is beautiful and brutal at the same time. In August the average sea water temperature in the Gulf of Orosei is 26.5 °C, with a minimum of 24.4 °C and a maximum of 29 °C over the last decade.[12] On the cliffs above, the rock holds the heat and shade is rare.
Spring and autumn suit walkers who prefer cooler conditions, and the water stays inviting outside the hottest weeks. Days are shorter but gentler, and the evening light on the cliffs is at its best away from high summer. Whatever the season, the coast is exposed and the wind can change the feel of a day quickly.
Whichever month you choose, start early, carry plenty of water, wear a hat and closed shoes, and turn back if the path looks beyond you. Mobile coverage comes and goes beneath the cliffs, so leave word of your route with someone before you set off, and check the forecast the night before.
Days off your feet: boats, caves and the catamaran trip
To see the cliffs from the water, the catamaran boat trip from Arbatax runs 8 hours with a live tour guide in English, French, Italian and Spanish, from US$276.[7] It is rated 4.91 from 268 reviews, you can reserve now and pay later, and free cancellation is available up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[7]
Shorter days on the water cost less, such as the RIB tour from Arbatax to Cala Mariolu and Cala Goloritzè, which takes 3 hours and starts from US$69.[8] For something entirely different, adult tickets for the Grotta del Bue Marino cost €10 in the ordinary season and €12 in June, July, August and September.[13]
A boat day between two walking days rests your knees and shows you which coves you want to come back to on foot. In a gulf where so many paths finish at the water, that is the most useful map you can carry in your head. You also get to see which way the wind is blowing, which helps when you pick the next walk.
August sea water temperature in the Gulf of Orosei
Gulf of Orosei, August, over the last decade.[12]
Boat days from Arbatax: from-prices per person
US dollar from-prices taken from these listings:[7][8][9]
When to book, and what changes with the season
Planning a gulf hike
Pick your walking days
Decide between short coastal walks, the Cala Goloritzè descent, or a section of the Selvaggio Blu.[4]
Book Goloritzè access
Reservation is mandatory from April to October and limited to a maximum of 250 people at the same time.[3]
Sort out transport
Boats reach coves that no road serves, and a hired dinghy needs no licence, though the driver must be at least 18.[6]
Pack for rock and heat
Grip, water and sun cover matter more than distance. Shade is rare above the water and the rock stays warm into the evening.
Leave a plan behind
Signal is patchy below the cliffs, so tell someone your route and your expected return time before you set off.
See the gulf from the water between your hikes
from US$277Reserve now & pay later
