Barbagia & Mountainous Region

The Gennargentu Massif is the highest mountain range in Sardinia and the wild heart of the island. The Punta La Marmora (1,834 m) towers over a landscape of granite peaks, dense holm oak forests, fragrant maquis, and deep gorges. Up here, you don't feel like you're on a Mediterranean island but in another world — cool, quiet, and far from the coastal hustle and bustle.

The hiking opportunities are diverse: The ascent to Punta La Marmora from Desulo or Fonni (about 4–5 hours round trip) rewards with a 360-degree panorama over all of Sardinia — on clear days, you can see both coasts and Corsica on the horizon. The path leads through alpine grasslands and past springs, in spring peonies and endemics bloom that are found only here. In winter, snow sometimes covers the peaks — a surreal contrast to the beaches 90 minutes away by car.

The Supramonte Plateau east of the Gennargentu is a wild karst plateau with underground rivers, caves, and the famous Gola Su Gorropu — the deepest canyon in Europe (up to 500 meters deep rock walls, only 4 meters wide at the narrowest point). The hike to Gorropu from Ponte Sa Barva (about 3 hours round trip, moderate difficulty) is one of Sardinia's most impressive natural experiences. Inside the gorge, you climb over boulders, the light narrows, and the silence is overwhelming.

For adventurers: The Grotta Su Palu near Urzulei is one of the longest caves in Europe, and the Tiscali Nuraghe — hidden inside a collapsed grotto in the Supramonte — is one of Sardinia's most mysterious archaeological sites: a Nuragic village completely hidden in a sinkhole, rediscovered only in 1910. The hike there (from Dorgali, about 5 hours round trip) leads through breathtaking wilderness.

The Cala Goloritzé is not just a beach — it is a natural monument, under national protection since 1995 and regularly listed among the Top 10 most beautiful beaches worldwide. The bay is located at the southern end of the Golfo di Orosei and is only accessible on foot or by boat — which protects it from mass tourism and preserves its charm.

What makes Cala Goloritzé unique: The Aguglia, a 143-meter-high, needle-sharp rock pillar, rises directly next to the beach from the rock — a natural sculpture that attracts climbers from all over the world. The water is so clear that boats seem to float. The beach consists of small white pebbles, and a freshwater spring bubbles directly from the rock at the shore — a geological wonder.

Arrival on foot: The hike begins on the Golgo plateau near Baunei (parking at the agriturismo, €3) and follows a marked path 3.5 km downhill (about 1–1.5 hours, 470 meters elevation). The return uphill is strenuous — take enough water! Arrival by boat: Day tours from Cala Gonone (€35–50) or Santa Maria Navarrese (€30–45) visit several bays of the Golfo di Orosei and also stop at Goloritzé — the fastest and most convenient option.

The Golfo di Orosei is a 40-kilometer-long coastal section of wild beauty: limestone cliffs rising up to 500 meters above the sea, interspersed with hidden bays accessible only by boat. The most famous: Cala Luna (crescent-shaped, with caves in the background, the "moon beach"), Cala Sisine (deeply indented bay with ancient stone forest), Cala Mariolu (white pebbles, unreal blue water, snorkeling paradise), and Cala Biriola (holm oak forest down to the water). A boat tour along the entire Golfo is one of the absolute highlights of a Sardinia trip.

Orgosolo has a mixed reputation: Once notorious as the bandit stronghold of the Barbagia (kidnappings, cattle theft, family feuds), the mountain village is now an open-air museum with over 150 murales (wall paintings) covering the village's house walls. What began in the 1960s as political protest — a teacher from Siena painted the first images against a planned military base — developed into a unique art form that brings history, politics, and Sardinian identity to the streets.

The murales tell of Sardinian resistance against foreign rule, of peasant struggles and land reform, of banditry as social rebellion, of international politics (Che Guevara, Mandela, Palestine), and of Sardinian everyday life. A walk through Orgosolo is like a lesson in counterculture and Sardinian pride. The village is located at 620 meters altitude in the Supramonte, surrounded by holm oak forests and sheep pastures — a world that seems worlds away from the Costa Smeralda, just 100 kilometers further north.

Mamoiada, 15 kilometers west, is home to one of the oldest and most fascinating carnival traditions in Europe: the Mamuthones and Issohadores. The Mamuthones wear black wooden masks with distorted features and up to 30 kilograms of cowbells (Campanacci) on their backs, with which they stomp through the streets in a hypnotic rhythm. The Issohadores in red jackets swing lassos (Soha) and "catch" spectators. The origin of the custom is lost in the darkness of prehistory — the masks could represent Dionysian rites, animal deities, or fertility cults.

The Museo delle Maschere Mediterranee in Mamoiada showcases the mask traditions of Sardinia and the entire Mediterranean region — a fascinating museum that makes the island's archaic soul tangible. The carnival takes place on January 17 (Sant'Antonio Abate) and on Carnival Sunday and Tuesday — those who catch these dates will experience a Sardinia that no travel guide can adequately describe.

Cala Gonone is the gateway to the Golfo di Orosei and the perfect seaside resort for those who want to combine nature and comfort. The small harbor is nestled between limestone cliffs on the east coast and is the starting point for boat tours to the dream beaches of the Golfo. Once a remote fishing village (the road to Dorgali was only built in 1949), Cala Gonone is now a relaxed seaside resort with hotels, restaurants, and diving schools — but without the hustle and bustle of the Costa Smeralda.

The local beach of Cala Gonone is small and pebbly, but the surroundings make up for it: The Grotta del Bue Marino (accessible by boat, 5 km south) was the last refuge of the Mediterranean monk seal (Bue Marino = sea ox) in Sardinia. The cave extends 15 kilometers into the cliff's interior and fascinates with stalactites, an underground lake, and Neolithic dance engravings on the walls. North of Cala Gonone lies Cala Fuili — an intimate bay with white pebbles and turquoise water, accessible by car or a short walk.

Dorgali, the mountain village 5 km above Cala Gonone (200 m above sea level), is the cultural center of the region: Known for leatherwork, ceramics, and Cannonau wine (some of the island's best producers are based here), Dorgali has a well-preserved old town with workshops and wineries. The Serra Orrios, a Nuragic settlement with over 70 round huts and two temple districts, is located 10 km west and shows how the Bronze Age Sardinians lived — one of the best-preserved Nuragic villages on the island.

For outdoor enthusiasts, the region is a paradise: Climbing on the limestone walls of Codula di Luna, canyoning in Codula di Fuili, cave trekking in Grotta Su Palu, mountain biking on the shepherds' paths of the Supramonte, and diving on the cliffs of the Golfo — Cala Gonone is Sardinia's outdoor capital.