I am back from a week in Sardinia, where I combined two short stays. First, I spent 4 days on the central-eastern coast, then another 4 back south.
Choosing a place to stay in Sardinia is not easy. On paper - and in photos - everywhere looks incredibly beautiful. If, like me, you are indecisive by nature, it does not help, In the end, I chose Santa Maria Navarrese and could not have been happier.
The Sardinian area of Ogliastra is famous for its dramatic mountain landscapes, with the cliffs of Supramonte dropping almost vertically into the sea. It is also one of the world's 6 'blue zones' - areas with the highest percentage of healthy centenaries.
Santa Maria Navarrese is Ogliastra's seaside pearl, and a great base for boat trips, hikes, and visits to the interior too.
A view of the coast just outside Santa Maria © Alps2Coast
Why go to Santa Maria Navarrese and Baunei?
I chose Santa Maria Navarrese as my base because I wanted to go on one of Sardinia's most famous boat trips, the coastal journey along the Golfo di Orosei, whose isolated coves cannot be reached by car.
Santa Maria Navarrese is located in Baunei, a part of Ogliastra that remains wild and unspoiled and offers incredible hiking opportunities.
When visiting Ogliastra, many active tourists choose to base themselves in or around Baunei, to make the most of the dramatic and out-of-time beauty of the Golgo plateau.
Baunei is also the departure point for the hike to Cala Goloritze, one of Sardinia's most famous postcard-perfect beaches.
But I love sleeping by the sea, so I chose Santa Maria - although I admit I was a bit nervous. when I read that the beach was a mix of sand and pebble.
This compact little town with a pretty Marina offers incredible coastal hikes. From Santa Maria you can also begin the demanding multi-day trek known as Selvaggio Blu.
I loved Santa Maria so much that I featured it in my post on Italy's best seaside towns.
Cala Goloritze © Leon Rohrwild/Unsplash
It helped that I went at the start of the season. Although Sardinia is a large island and you can find remote spots even in July and August, the roads become very busy in those months. Go out of these times, and you'll have the roads to yourself - and only a few bodies on the beaches.
Getting There
Sardinia is connected by ferry to both Italy and France.
From Italy, you have plenty of routes to choose from:
Livorno to Golfo Aranci & Olbia, Piombino to Golfo Aranci & Olbia,
Savona to Golfo Aranci,
Genoa to Olbia, Golfo Aranci & Porto Torres,
Civitavecchia to Olbia, Arbatax, Cagliari & Porto Torres
Naples to Cagliari.
The fastest route is Piombino to Olbia, but a longer route may enable you to spend a night on the ferry, which can be quite magical, or to enjoy the beauty of the Tyrrhenia, turning the journey into a part of your holiday.. Check Direct Ferries, or individual operators for details.
From France, there are 4 routes:
Toulon to Porto Torres,
Nice to Golfo Aranci,
Toulon to Golfo Aranci,
Nice to Porto Torres.
All routes are offered by Corsica Ferries. The routes into Porto Torres are significantly faster.
Arbatax is the closest ferry terminal but unless you are already in central Italy it is not particularly convenient, as the ferries for Arbatax only depart from Civitavecchia.
If you bring your own car on the ferry, you will reach Santa Maria in just over a couple of hours although frankly, you may want to do a couple of stops en route, especially if you are driving on the coastal road.
I have done Sardinia by public transport before, and it can be done, but you will need to factor in longer travel times. The rail network is limited and long-distance buses are designed around the needs of locals rather than tourists, so for example if you go to Santa Maria from Olbia you will need to change in the inland provincial capital of Nuoro.
My 4 days in Santa Maria Navarrese
Whichever means of transport you choose, by the time you get to Santa Maria Navarrese, you will have been enchanted by the blue glittering through the trees and the dramatic landscapes of the Gennargentu, or both.
Ogliastra magic © Alps2Coast
Santa Maria owes its name to an 11th-century church in its centre. Legend has it that it was built by a princess of Navarra (a medieval Spanish kingdom in today's Basque region) who wanted to thank the Virgin Mary for saving her from a shipwreck. Disobeying her father the princess chose to live in the village rather than return home, and the aura of this strongwilled medieval lady seems to contribute to the magic of the place. It is hard to establish the facts, but a later Spanish connection is clear. There is a seventeenth-century Spanish tower guarding the coast,
The village opens onto a dual pebble beach (Spiaggia Centrale and Spiaggia di San Giovanni) and is flanked by a pretty marina, from where the boat trips to the Golfo of Orosei depart..
Overlooking the sea © Alps2Coast
Another attraction in the centre are its ancient wild olive trees. The name 'Ogliastra' comes from them, and the ones in Santa Maria Navarrese are particularly old, and protected as 'natural monuments.'
Four days give you enough time to become acquainted with Santa Maria while exploring a bit of the surroundings.
Day 1: Exploring Santa Maria
You can easily visit Santa Maria in half a day, and if you are coming off the ferry and then driving there you are likely to only have half a day or less on day one, so use it to find our bearings.
A view from above Santa Maria Navarrese © Alps2Coast
The centre is very compact, and it won't take you longer than 5 minutes to identify the main square, with the church of Santa Maria Navarrese. Despite the legend, the origins of the church are shrouded in mystery. Based on the unique shape of its pillars, archaeologists suspect a 9th-century Visigothic origin, although this is not a settled matter. The possibility that a wealthy person is behind its foundation is reinforced by the finding of a heart-shaped silver reliquary, with writing in Arabic, under the altar, The church is only open during Mass (times are given on the door).
Right outside the church, a metal fence protects the guardian angel of Santa Maria Navarrese, the most majestic of its ancient wild olive trees, believed to be over a thousand years old. He probably watched the princess of Navarra reach the shore! You can read more about the magnificent olive trees here.
If you cross the main road into town, by the steps leading to the beach you will find some neolithic Pietra votiva (Votive stone), proof that the area was inhabited long before the church was built.
As you are by the beach, take a look, and if you have time relax or go for a swim. The beach is pebbly, which makes walking on it a bit uncomfortable, but because of it the water is crystal clear. You can snorkel and see all sorts of multi-coloured fish very close to the shore. Facing you across the sea is the small porphyry islet of Ogliastra, a couple of kilometres away.
On day one, also make sure you visit the marina (Porto Turistico), as it is the best place to book the boat trips to the Golfo di Orosei. Many tourist boat offices sell their trips, and you can shop around for the one that suits your needs. En route, you will find some traditional buildings, the lush vegetation with a primeval feel so typical of Sardinia, and some lovely restaurants with ancient trees rising through their courtyards.
We fell in love with the beach-facing bar and restaurant L'Olivastro, that serves aperitivi and delicious Sardinian-sty;e potato pizza. We loved all our meals, quality in this part of Sardinia is excellent, and food is all locally grown and often unique, but dining by the sea is something special!
Day 2: Discovering the Baunei Coast - Pedra Longa
As I mentioned, Santa Maria is the starting point for wonderful hikes in the Baunei interior and along the coast. On the second day, I embarked on the spectacular cliffside trail to the massif of Pedra Longa.
This hike is part of the challenging multi-day trek called Selvaggio Blu, and it is its easiest part. It is still quite demanding, but the rewards are incredible. You'll look down on the bluest sea from the edge of the Supramonte mountains, with the scent of the macchia Mediterranea all around you.
My host recommended the instructions on the Turismo Baunei website and they were really useful because there are a couple of situations where it is not obvious which direction you should be taking. But with the instructions it was all good!
To join the trail head to the top of Via Plammas, turn on Via Pedralonga after the restaurant Il Pozzo, and keep going until you reach the Ostello Bellavista (certainly an appropriate name). From the terrace in front of the hostel, you can admire the marina, the village of Santa Maria, and the coast to Arbatax - an incredible view. Keep going, find the wooden gates that mark the entrance to the trail, and you will be blown away.
Red rocks and wild blue © Alps2Coast
You'll walk along the coast, on a generally well-maintained trail, taking in the bluest sea, the redness of the Sardinian rocks, with the scents of pine and juniper in your nostrils. I was alone, and I must have met maybe 10 other people - two of whom had hired donkeys for the walk! If you are a sea lover, and looking for a way to reconnect with nature, I think it is difficult to beat this walk.
The walk there and back takes about 3 hours, but I would factor in at least 4 if you want to pause and soak in the views like I did. There are a couple of places where you can head down to the rocky shore and go for a swim too.
The way to Pedra Longa © Alps2Coas
I loved arriving at Pedra Longa, and became emotionally attached to it for the rest of my holiday, but this hike is one of those experiences where the journey is the destination, and I have to say I loved every minute of it.
After a well-earned lunch, I rested a bit and headed in the opposite direction for the afternoon, the beach of Tancau. Although technically part of another comune, it is just a 15 minute-walk in the direction of Arbatax, and it is a lovely mixed sand and pebble beach sheltered by pine trees. A lovely way to round up my day.
Day 3: The Gulf of Orosei boat trip
I have already mentioned that Santa Maria Navarrese is the departure point for boat day trips to the Golfo of Orosei, Taking this trip was one of my main reasons for coming and saying I was not disappointed is an understatement. Although it is a long day, you will not feel it, because the nature around you is so beautiful it keeps you constantly entertained.
The Baunei coast between Santa Maria Navarrese and Cala Luna is the longest uninhabited stretch of coastline in Europe. The rugged cliffs are interrupted by tiny coves, regularly featured in articles about the most beautiful beaches on earth!
I don't know what I liked the most, because you spend the day going from gem to gem.
The UNESCO-protected Cala Goloritze (above), framed by a natural arch, the stunning and dramatic Cala Mariolu, with its incredibly blue water, the erie Cala Luna, flanked by a series of caves and partly made of shiny white rock - hence the name...There are so many coves. cliffs, and caves, and when I left each one of them I kept telling myself I had to come back. In travel, I think it is the most meaningful compliment!
You can see some of my photos below or find more inspiration in the Baunei Turismo gallery.
Cala Goloritze © Alps2Coast
Coastal caves © Alps2Coast
Cala Mariolu © Alps2Coast
Cala Mariolu © Alps2Coast
White rock and cava background at Cala Luna © Alps2Coast
The surreal landscape of Cala Luna © Alps2Coast
Day 4: A final hike
There was more earth and more sea on my final day. I considered the hike from Golgo to Cala Goloritze, which seems incredible, but in the end decided to walk on the beach to Arbatax, in the opposite direction. Did I make the right choice? I will only know when I come back to the area and compare. All I can say is that I did enjoy my hike.
Past Tancau the beach is still coasted by umbrella pine forests, so I mixed walking by the water with walking in the shade of the trees, which was great, and went for a few dips to cool off.
A coastal pond © Alps2Coast
What I particularly loved is how wild even this more touristic part of Ogliastra feels, with streams ending in bonds by the side of the shore, reeds and birdlife, and a beautiful sense of being suspended and out of time.
A wonderful base to discover one of earth's most beautiful coastlines
As a sea lover, this was a fantastic stay. I am well aware that I have only scratched the surface of Ogliastra and I want to see more of it. I don't know if I will ever walk the whole Selvaggio Blu, but there are so many coastal and mountain hikes I could do in the Baunei area while sampling delicious food, and discovering more about the local traditions. I could easily spend a couple of weeks in such a wonderful place!
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