Orosei Coves Boat Trip from Santa Maria Navarrese Sardinia

Santa Maria Navarrese and the Ogliastra coast

Santa Maria Navarrese is a small seaside village in the Ogliastra region of eastern Sardinia, known for its marina, its pine-shaded beach and a little country church that local tradition links to a shipwrecked princess from Navarre. A coastal watchtower and ancient olive trees stand near the water, and the red porphyry rocks of Arbatax lie just to the south. The boat collects guests at three points along this coast: the port of Santa Maria Navarrese, the port of Arbatax and the seafront at Lotzorai beach.

From here the coastline changes dramatically as you head north. Within twenty minutes the gentle beaches give way to vertical limestone walls, the start of the most spectacular stretch of the Orosei coast. Travellers searching for a Santa Maria Navarrese boat trip choose it precisely because it is the closest port to Cala Goloritzè and Cala Mariolu, which keeps the time on the water short and the time on the beaches long.

Cala Goloritzè

Cala Goloritzè is the icon of this coast: a tiny beach of white pebbles at the foot of sheer cliffs, guarded by a slender limestone pinnacle well over one hundred metres high and a natural arch on the rocks to the side. It has been a protected natural monument since the 1990s, and boats are not allowed to land, which keeps the water astonishingly clear. Its colours shift from milky white over the pebbles to deep blue just offshore.

On this trip you stop off the cove and swim directly from the boat, the way most visitors see it without the long hike down from the plateau above. Allow about thirty minutes in the water. If you have wondered how to get to Cala Goloritzè without walking, a boat trip from Santa Maria Navarrese is the simplest answer, and the light is at its best in the late morning.

The Pools of Venus

The Pools of Venus, called Piscine di Venere in Italian, are a series of shallow natural basins along the cliffs between Cala Mariolu and Cala Sisine. The seabed here is pale limestone and fine white sand, so the water looks almost luminous and takes on shades of turquoise that seem unreal in photographs. The pools are protected from the open sea by rocks, which makes swimming calm and pleasant.

The boat stops a short way from the shore and you swim or snorkel straight from the deck. Bring your own mask and snorkel, as they are not included. Next to the pools you also pass the entrance to the Grotta del Fico, a sea cave with stalactites; its visit is optional and paid separately on the day, for those who wish to go inside.

Cala Mariolu

Cala Mariolu is often listed among the most beautiful beaches in Sardinia. Its shore is made of smooth white and pink pebbles that local fishermen once compared to snow, and the sea is so clear that boats seem to float in the air. Low cliffs and junipers frame the cove, and small rocks just offshore are perfect for snorkelling among fish.

The boat lands here for about an hour and a quarter. There is a small café on the beach where you can buy snacks and drinks, the only one on the route, so it is a good place to top up on water. Many travellers ask whether Cala Mariolu is worth visiting by boat: with no road access and a difficult footpath, a boat trip is the practical way to reach it.

Cala Biriala, Cala Gabbiani and Cala Sisine

Depending on sea conditions and the number of boats, the second beach stop is either Cala Biriala, a quiet cove of white pebbles between Goloritzè and Mariolu, or Cala Gabbiani, a sheltered bay with bright stones and a natural rock arch. Both are reachable only from the sea or by long mountain paths, and both give you time to swim, rest and explore the rocks.

The last beach is Cala Sisine, at the mouth of a deep limestone canyon that runs inland from the coast. It is larger than the other coves, with a mix of sand and pebbles and a backdrop of green holm oaks, so there is space to spread out and some shade. Each beach stop lasts about an hour and a quarter before the boat heads back south, reaching the harbour at about five in the afternoon.