Sardinia Day 6: Cala Goloritzè

Cala Goloritzè

It’s hard to wake up bad-tempered when you start your day by unzipping your tent and opening your eyes to a panoramic view of the sun-soaked Sardinian coastline. It was so tempting to get closer and go for a swim, but in order to do that, we had to go elsewhere.

About 20 minutes from Baunei (by car) is the beginning of a trail that leads to Cala Goloritzè. In high-season, there is a 6-euro fee to access the trail, but the advantage of low-season is that they don’t even bother to man the checkpoint. The well-marked 3,5-kilometre trail starts with a 500-meter climb over a sandy and rocky path. From the top of the hill we saw the sea and started the descent to the beach.

Gradually, as we entered the forest, the path became more overgrown with large roots. This is where we ran into an angry mother pig who was afraid we’d get too close to her baby piglets.

The last stretch was just rocks and bizarre rock formations. After about an hour we saw the high needled-shaped limestone rock that is so typical of the beach Cala Goloritzè: the 75-metre-high Aguglia.

In between the trees we saw we were getting closer to the water, but we still had no clear view of the beach itself. We were getting impatient to see this ‘prettiest beach of the Golfo di Orosei’. The fact that it has been recognized by UNESCO as a ‘Monumento Nazionale Italiano’ in 1995 sounded quite promising too.

Finally, a series of steps led down to a marvellous white beach, one of the most photogenic of its kind. I could keep on staring at this view, but first I had to concentrate on the steep steps carved in the rocks.

In Summer this is a popular bathing spot, but today the waves were so wild we didn’t dare getting too close. Instead, we installed high on a rock and enjoyed the astonishing view over the turquoise-blue water and the natural arch that opens on the right side of the bay.

Whereas coming down takes about an hour, expect taking the double amount of time to hike back up. Don’t underestimate the effort and make sure you wear decent hiking boots.

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