This week, we explored the beautiful beaches of Golfo di Orosei. Many of the beaches are only accessible by boat or by hiking, while others are by boat only. We purchased tickets for a full-day hop-on, hop-off boat tour that took us to several caves and beaches along the coast. The tour took us to, but not inside, the Caves of the Bue Marino. The caves, which were once the habitat of the monk seal, have become a place visited by millions of people from all over the world. We decided that we would revisit the caves on our next visit since this tour did not take us inside.
Grotta del Bue Marino
Our next stop was the longest beach on the tour, Cala Luna. This time we hopped off for a couple of hours where we were able to get some sun or relax in the shade of one of the caves that were backdrops to the beach. This beach was beautiful, but it was not my favorite of the beaches due to the mixture of hard rocks and pebbles that were difficult to walk on. It seems, too, that with larger beaches you have more people.
Next, we stopped at Cala Biriola. This much smaller beach is one of the most popular beaches. It is absolutely breathtaking. I would have been content staying at this one all day, but the boat tour only stopped here for about an hour and a half. The rocks were easier to navigate barefoot, and I marked this beach down as one I wanted to return to when we did our private excursion in a few days.
When the boat picked us up from Cala Biriola, we traveled past Cala dei Gabbiani and Cala Sisine, both gorgeous beaches. Our tour did not stop at these two, but we planned to make our own stops when we returned in the small boat we were renting for a day. We also passed Piscine di Venere. These natural pools are stunning! You can dive directly from the boat into the crystal-clear water that is so clear it makes the boats appear to float in the air above the water! They are called the Pools of Venus (the Goddess of Beauty) for a good reason! I made a note to come back to swim in the crystal blue water during my next trip!
Our final stop was at Cala Mariolu, a beach covered with tiny white pebbles mixed with bright white sand that looks almost like snow. This is a small beach, divided into two small coves and surrounded by huge high cliffs on both sides. The beach is protected from the wind and is a safe place to swim and snorkel. The northernmost cove is where boats carrying visitors dock –we stopped to disembark near a large rock known as “sa perda ‘e su saltatori” – the rock of the person that jumps. In fact, that gigantic rock is the perfect spot (for someone other than me) to jump directly into the crystal clear waters below. We saw lots of visitors doing just that!
Our return trip to Cala Gonone was at least 45 minutes, and it was a perfect time to enjoy aperitivo after a long day and before going out for dinner. Luckily, aperitivo was part of our tour. In case you are wondering, aperitivo in Italy is that perfect moment between the end of the workday and dinner. It is a time to enjoy a cocktail, reflect on the day, and make future plans. Hopping on and hopping off the tour boat was my work for the day. It was time to enjoy aperitivo while anticipating what tomorrow would bring!
Living in the Zone 