Sa Barza

Baunei · Gulf of Orosei

Cala Goloritzé

White pebbles, shallow water and a limestone spire rising straight up behind the beach: the most photographed place on the east coast, and one of the most regulated.

Cala Goloritzé: white pebbles, shallow water and the limestone spire of the Aguglia

Cala Goloritzé: white pebbles, shallow water and the limestone spire of the Aguglia — Photo: Unukorno · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Cala Goloritzé is recent. The beach formed in the twentieth century after a landslide brought limestone debris down to the sea: hence the pale pebbles and the luminous water. It is one of the few Sardinian beaches whose approximate birth date is known.

Its fame has produced rules. Boats may not land, daily visitor numbers are capped and entry requires booking and a contribution. These are protective measures, not obstacles: arrive informed and you find a place still intact.

The trail is not technically difficult, but it is stony and uphill on the way back. Proper shoes, water and an early start are the three things that matter.

The essential answers

What is it?
A small white-pebble cove created by a landslide on the slope, closed to the south by the Aguglia, a limestone pinnacle. It is a designated natural monument.
Where is it?
Municipality of Baunei, southern sector of the Gulf of Orosei, central-east Sardinia.
Why visit?
For the combination of geology and water: the landslide made the beach, limestone gives it its colour, the Aguglia gives it scale. It is not a serviced beach and never will be.
How do you get there?
Two ways: on foot down the trail from the Golgo plateau (Baunei), or by boat from Santa Maria Navarrese, Arbatax or Cala Gonone. Boats may not land. Access is capped.
When to go?
May, June and September: the water is already swimmable and the trail walkable without the July–August heat. In deep winter access may be closed.
How long does it take?
The descent and climb back takes about half a day including stops. By boat, half a day on an organised excursion.
What is nearby?
Golgo plateau, Baunei, Pedra Longa, Cala Mariolu, Santa Maria Navarrese.
What can you combine it with?
With a day on the Golgo plateau, or with a boat trip continuing north to Cala Mariolu and Cala Biriala.
Where to stay?
There is nothing to stay in at the cove or at the trailhead. Sleeping nearby inland — at Triei, at I Mandorli — lets you start early, which is the only sensible way to tackle the descent in season.
Cala Goloritzé: white pebbles, shallow water and the limestone spire of the Aguglia

Where to stay

A base for exploring east Sardinia

There is nothing to stay in at the cove or at the trailhead. Sleeping nearby inland — at Triei, at I Mandorli — lets you start early, which is the only sensible way to tackle the descent in season.

I Mandorli, a base for Cala GoloritzéWhere to stay