What is Dorgali known for?

Nuragic village hidden inside a sinkhole on Monte Tiscali, dwellings built between the 15th and 8th centuries BC, water harvested from the cave walls. 400-metre limestone canyon of the Rio Flumineddu, one of Europe's highest, habitat for the endemic Aquilegia nuragica. Wild coast of caves, calette, and limestone cliffs reached by boat from Cala Gonone, the most filmed stretch of Sardinian coastline.

Dorgali is a comune in the province of Nuoro, Sardinia region of Italy, about 146 kilometers from Sassari.

Sardinia · Nuoro

Dorgali

A Supramonte townwith the coastal frazione Cala Gonone, the Tiscali Nuragic village, and the 400-meter walls of Su Gorropu.

146 km / 91 mi

Nearest hub (Sassari)

8,333

Population

Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov

Best time to visit

Recognised as

Why come

Dorgali sitson the seaward side of the Supramonte, ten kilometers from the coast and 225 square kilometers of municipal territory, one of the largest in the province of Nuoro. The frazione of Cala Gonone, a thousand winter residents and fifteen thousand in August, faces the Gulf of Orosei from a small bay reached by a tunnel through the limestone. North of the town, inside a sinkhole on Monte Tiscali, the Nuragic village of Tiscali holds dwellings built and inhabited between the 15th and 8th centuries BC, water gathered from the cave walls. Two hours of climbing get you there. South of the town, Gola di Su Gorropu cuts vertical walls 400 meters high through the Rio Flumineddu, one of the highest canyons in Europe, home to the endangered Aquilegia nuragica. The Cantina Sociale di Dorgali, founded in 1953, vinifies 90 percent of its production from Cannonau across 550 hectares of vineyards in the surrounding communes. Inside the Parco Nazionale del Golfo di Orosei e del Gennargentu.

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Gallery

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Known for

Villaggio nuragico di Tiscali
Bronze Age village hidden inside a sinkhole on Monte Tiscali at 518 metres, reached by two hours of hiking through Supramonte limestone.
Gola di Su Gorropu
Canyon of the Rio Flumineddu with limestone walls up to 400 metres high, one of the deepest gorges in Europe, home to Aquilegia nuragica.
Cala Gonone
Coastal frazione of Dorgali on the Gulf of Orosei, ten kilometers from the town, the harbor for boat access to the wild beaches south.
Cala Luna
Beach of fine sand backed by limestone caves at the mouth of the Codula di Luna, reached on foot from Cala Fuili or by boat from Cala Gonone.
Cantina Sociale di Dorgali
Cooperative cellar founded in 1953, 550 hectares of vineyards across surrounding communes, 90 percent Cannonau, the wine anchor of the Baronie.
Nuraghe Mannu
Late Bronze Age nuraghe on a coastal terrace above Cala Gonone, with a partially preserved village around its base.

When to visit

Best months · Apr–Jun, Sep–Nov

Best
Hot or crowded
Quiet
Mostly closed

April through June and September through November are the months for Dorgali. The Tiscali hike and Su Gorropu canyon need cool air; mid-July to mid-August on the Supramonte routinely passes thirty-five degrees and the trails close to organized groups. Cala Gonone is the inverse: May through October is the boat season for the Gulf of Orosei coves, and the Cala Luna ferries run on a fixed schedule. The Cannonau harvest falls in late September, and the Cantina Sociale opens its cellars. Winter is mild on the coast and cold at altitude, with rare snow on the Supramonte peaks. The village itself is quieter from November through March, when most coastal operations close down.