On our last full day in Sardinia, Italy we decided to take a small boat tour along the eastern coastline, specially the Gulf of Orosei. All of Sardinia was amazing, but this day-trip was icing on the cake. The coastline is amazing – towering cliffs and some of the prettiest beaches and water anywhere on the planet.
This maps show the general regions we visited in Sardinia. The Gulf of Orosei is on the central east coast.
We stayed two nights in the small town of Santa Maria Navarrese, a perfect spot from which to take the boat tour and a lovely place to visit in itself. Our visit was in late September and early October, after the summer crowds were gone but yet still warm enough for boating and swimming.
A view of Santa Maria Navarrese’s own beach, right next to the small town.
Below are a few of the images captured during our full-day boat trip. Our boat held about 10 people, which was perfect. We visited a few secluded sea caves and coves before visiting some of the more popular beach and swim stops.
One of the postcard images of Sardinia, Cala Goloritzè. You can take a pretty steep and long hike down to the beach, but we opted for the boat tour to get this view. The boats do not land on the beach (I believe they are forbidden to do so), but do allow time to swim in the area.
We stopped by Cala Goloritzè again in the afternoon for a swim, on our way back to Santa Maria Navarrese. I cannot adequately describe the beauty of the turquoise water.
A view of Cala Marilou, one of my favorite stops along the Gulf of Orosei. What made it a favorite is that there are several beaches and coves to explore, such as shown below.
Another part of Cala Marilou, a small cove of stunning cliffs and beautiful water.
A view of Cala Luna, we stopped here over lunch time. There is a small bar and cafe behind the beach area.
A large cave on the beach at Cala Luna – a great place to get out of the sunshine if needed!
Above – another swim stop along the coastline of the Gulf of Orosei.One of our last stops of the day, Cala Biriola.
The Independent Tourist 