Cala Mariolu

Cala Mariolu is a small cove on the wild eastern coast of Sardinia, in the stretch of the Gulf of Orosei that belongs to the municipality of Baunei. No road reaches it. The shore is backed by a cliff that rises around 500 metres almost straight from the water, and the beach itself is not sand so much as a bed of tiny, rounded pebbles in white and pale pink, mixed with a little sand. Locals have an old name for the place that compares those stones to scattered snow, and on a bright morning the comparison is easy to understand.

The real show is the water. Over a pale pebble floor the sea moves through emerald, turquoise and deep blue within a few strokes from the shore, and the clarity is such that boats moored offshore seem to hover above their own shadows. A large rock known in Sardinian as sa perda 'e su saltatori stands at the water's edge and serves as a natural jetty, and a small cave opens near the beach. Further along the cliffs lies the Grotta del Fico, and the neighbouring coves of this coast, Cala dei Gabbiani, Cala Goloritzè, Cala Sisine and Cala Luna, can be strung together on the same day by sea. Peregrine falcons, Eleonora's falcons and shags patrol the rock face above.

The Italian name carries a fisherman's story. Local tradition holds that fishermen from Ponza, who used to keep their catch in a grotto nearby, kept finding it gone, stolen by a Mediterranean monk seal; mariolu means "thief". A low headland, Punta Ispùligi, separates Cala Mariolu from the neighbouring beach to the south, Cala dei Gabbiani.

Getting there

Cala Mariolu lies about 37 km in a straight line from Nuoro, but the practical bases are the small ports of the Ogliastra coast. Daily boat services and private boats run in season from Santa Maria Navarrese, Arbatax and, from the north, Cala Gonone. The nearest major airport is Olbia Costa Smeralda (OLB), about 87 km away. Experienced hikers can walk in from the Golgo plateau above Baunei: the trail starts at Piredda, is about 6 km long, takes around three hours and drops some 500 metres to the cove through rough Mediterranean scrub. It is a demanding route, not a casual stroll. Entry to the beach is free.