40.28° N · 9.63° E
Limestone cliffs of the Supramonte plunging into the sea, sea caves and coves with no road. Explored by boat or gommone from Cala Gonone and on foot through canyons such as Gorropu.
What to do
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
Boat from Cala Gonone to the Grotta del Bue Marino and Cala Luna, a beach with no road; €42 plus the cave entry, March to October.
Walk · 5–6 h · Entry €6 · Every day from 10:00 to 15:30
A 40 hp inflatable boat needing no boating licence, to explore the gulf's coves at your own pace, from Cala Luna to Cala Mariolu, all day.
Plan the trip
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
May, June, September and early October: calm sea, boats running and fewer people than in August. The boats run from 27 March to 31 October.
How you travel
The ways of travelling that suit Gulf of Orosei. We are writing a guide to each one: where to stay, how to get around and which services you will need.
By carBy campervanCampingOn footBy motorbike
Who you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
With children, the gulf is a boat-and-beach plan. The scheduled boats have a reduced fare for ages 3 to 8 and under-3s do not pay; leave the long walks for when they are older.
Here a teenager has everything: canyons, caves, coves to jump into and one of the best-known climbing areas in the Mediterranean.
Nearby
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
40.20° N · 9.35° E
By planeBy car
41.10° N · 9.53° E
By planeBy car
40.30° N · 8.50° E
By planeBy car
41.21° N · 9.41° E
By planeBy car
Tips
With a strong mistral or levante the boats change route or don't sail.
The coves fill up by mid-morning with hired boats.
The entry to Gorropu is paid only in cash.
It's the hour of peak boat traffic. Go on the first boat or in September.
Fly to Olbia or Cagliari, or take the ferry from Barcelona. Cala Gonone, the gulf's port, is on the east coast: from Olbia you reach it by car along the coast road in a couple of hours. Without a car it's complicated: hire one at the airport.
By car to reach Cala Gonone, Dorgali, Baunei and the access points to Gorropu. Once there, the gulf is explored by boat: almost no cove has a road. The scheduled boats, mini-cruises and licence-free gommoni leave from the Cala Gonone quay.
In August, the next day's boat and the entry to the Grotta del Bue Marino, which runs in turns of 120 people. The gommone too. Gorropu can't be booked: you pay at the entrance.
Questions
Three at the very least: one for the boat, one for Gorropu and one for Cala Goloritzé on foot or by mini-cruise.
Yes, in Cala Gonone there are 40 HP gommoni that don't require a boating licence.
€35 return per adult and €20 for ages 3 to 8.
From 27 March to 31 October, with the Grotta del Bue Marino open from Easter to 1 November.
€6 adults and €4 for ages 6 to 17, in cash and at the entrance.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/sardinia/gulf-of-orosei
