Cala Goloritzé is a cove of white pebbles tucked into the southern end of the Gulf of Orosei, within the municipality of Baunei, in the Ogliastra province on Sardinia's eastern coast. The bay was formed by a landslide in 1962 and is now protected as a Natural Monument — there's no access road, no restaurant, no car park by the water. You reach it on foot or by boat, and that difficulty is a large part of what makes it worth the trip.
The most recognisable feature is a limestone pinnacle known locally as the Aguglia (also referred to as Punta or Monte Caroddi), rising roughly 143 metres straight out of the water next to the cliff. A natural rock arch opens on the right-hand side of the bay, and freshwater springs surface beneath the sand and mix with the sea — one of the reasons cited for the strikingly turquoise colour of the water. The pinnacle's wall is also a known sport-climbing destination: the route "Sinfonia dei Mulini a Vento," first established in the late 1970s by Manolo and Alessandro Gogna, remains a benchmark climb for visitors to the wall.
The most common way in is on foot, starting from the Golgo plateau. The trail begins at the Su Porteddu car park, covers roughly 3.5 km and drops about 470 metres in elevation down to the beach — around an hour walking downhill, and closer to ninety minutes on the climb back up. It's generally described as manageable for reasonably fit walkers, but it's still a mountain trail with almost no shade and no facilities along the way, so carry enough water. From the plateau, the path descends through an exposed limestone valley with views over cliffs that reach up to 500 metres elsewhere along this stretch of coast, part of the karst landscape typical of the Gulf of Orosei. For those who'd rather walk with a guide, there's a guided hike to Cala Goloritzé from the Golgo plateau run in the area.
For the sea route, boat and rubber-dinghy rentals are available from Arbatax, Cala Gonone and Santa Maria Navarrese; since 2007, motorised boats have been barred from coming within roughly 200 to 300 metres of shore, to protect the cove from pollution and tourist pressure. The bay is also a waypoint on the Selvaggio Blu, Sardinia's best-known long-distance trekking route.
The bay was designated a Natural Monument by the Sardinia Region in 1993, and an Italian national monument in 1995. In recent years, Baunei has capped the number of daily visitors — around 300, with advance online registration — and introduced a small entrance fee (roughly €7 per person as of 2024), with revenue — which can reportedly reach around €1,800 a day at peak times — going toward protecting and cleaning the area. These rules change from season to season, so it's worth confirming current conditions before planning a visit.
There's no bar, restaurant, toilet or car park at the beach itself — all of that is back up on the Golgo plateau or in the coastal towns, over an hour's walk away. For a base in the Ogliastra area, Hotel Ogliastra in Lotzorai sits a short drive from Santa Maria Navarrese, one of the departure points for the boat route. Cala Goloritzé is just one of several notable coves in the Sardinia region covered on the site — worth browsing the rest before you plan the trip.
Baunei caps the number of daily visitors (around 300) and charges a small entrance fee, with advance online registration — roughly €7 per person as of 2024. Rules change season to season, so check current conditions before you go.
On foot from the Golgo plateau, the trail is about 3.5 km and drops roughly 470 metres in elevation — around an hour downhill, and closer to ninety minutes back up.
No. There's no infrastructure by the water at all — no road, no bar, no toilets. All of that is back on the Golgo plateau or in the coastal towns.
Real historical monthly sea temperature averages.