What is Baunei known for?

National monument since 1995, the most photographed beach in Ogliastra, formed by a 1962 landslide beneath a 143-metre limestone arch. Forty-kilometer coast trek from Pedra Longa to Cala Sisine, designed in 1987 by Mario Verin and Peppino Cicalò, regularly called Italy's hardest. Limestone Altopiano del Golgo above the village with free-grazing goats, Su Sterru sinkhole, and the chapel of San Pietro.

When is the best time to visit Baunei?

Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov. April through June and September through November is the window for Baunei. The Selvaggio Blu opens in late April and effectively closes by mid-October; July and August are too hot for the cliffs, with no water along most of the route and temperatures above thirty-five degrees in the gorges. Cala Goloritzé and Mariolu run on a daily visitor cap from May through October, and the boat operators from Santa Maria Navarrese sell out by early morning in August. Spring is the trek season, autumn the swim-and-walk season. Winter is mild on the coast, cold on the Golgo plateau, with the village quiet and most boats out of the water.

Baunei is a comune in the province of Nuoro, Sardinia region of Italy, about 151 kilometers from Cagliari.

How do I get to Baunei?

From Cagliari, Baunei is roughly 151 km by road.

Sardinia · Nuoro

Baunei

A village on the Monte Santo limestone ridge above the Gulf of Orosei, with Selvaggio Blu and Cala Goloritzé in its territory.

Known for

CALA GOLORITZÉ
National monument since 1995, the most photographed beach in Ogliastra, formed by a 1962 landslide beneath a 143-metre limestone arch.
SELVAGGIO BLU
Forty-kilometer coast trek from Pedra Longa to Cala Sisine, designed in 1987 by Mario Verin and Peppino Cicalò, regularly called Italy's hardest.
GOATS AND GOLGO
Limestone Altopiano del Golgo above the village with free-grazing goats, Su Sterru sinkhole, and the chapel of San Pietro.

When to visit

Best · Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

The festa: Nicola di Bari, 6 December

Why come

Baunei sits on the southern flank of the Supramonte, perched on a limestone ridge above the Gulf of Orosei. Forty kilometers of wild coast belong to the commune, reachable only by boat or on foot. Cala Goloritzé, created by a 1962 landslide, has been a national monument since 1995 and the most photographed beach in Ogliastra.

Cala Mariolu sits a few coves north, white pebbles polished round by the sea. The Pedra Longa, a 128-meter limestone needle, marks the south end of the protected coast above Santa Maria Navarrese, the commune's only seaside frazione. In 1987 the photographer Mario Verin and the alpinist Peppino Cicalò sketched the Selvaggio Blu, a 40-kilometer trekking route through the cliffs and goat tracks between Pedra Longa and Cala Sisine, four to seven days walking with rappels and exposed scrambles, regularly described as the hardest trek in Italy. The territory is inside the Parco Nazionale del Golfo di Orosei e del Gennargentu.

The Sunday letter

We haven’t written Baunei’s letter yet.

One town every Sunday, with the photo, the food, the festa. Be there when this one comes up. Free, by Peter & Sophia from Pietrasanta.

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What to see

Cala Goloritzé
National monument since 1995, beach of white pebbles created by a 1962 landslide under a limestone arch, regularly ranked among Italy's top ten.
Cala Mariolu
Cove of small white pebbles and turquoise water north of Goloritzé, reached by boat from Santa Maria Navarrese or Cala Gonone.
Pedra Longa
128-metre limestone needle rising from the sea above Santa Maria Navarrese, the south marker of the Baunei coast.
Selvaggio Blu
Forty-kilometer multi-day trek from Pedra Longa to Cala Sisine through cliffs and goat tracks, regularly called Italy's hardest hiking route.
Santa Maria Navarrese
Coastal frazione of Baunei, small bay with a Romanesque church and the harbor for boat trips along the Gulf of Orosei.
Altopiano del Golgo
Limestone plateau above Baunei with the karst sinkhole Su Sterru, 270 metres deep, the deepest single drop on the island.

The slow-trip planner

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Plan your trip

Living here

Population 3,428
Very remotei
Pharmacy in town
Nearest high school over ~30 minutes away
Nearest airport Sardinia, 3 h 26 min drive
Regional capital Cagliari, 3 h 8 min drive

Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources

Recognised as

Parco Nazionale

The numbers

Elevation: 480 m
Population: 3,428
Surface area: 211.9 km²

On the map

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These figures were compiled from public directories — ISTAT, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata — and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.

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