Day trips from Cala Gonone

Cala Gonone is the main gateway to the Gulf of Orosei, Sardinia’s most dramatic stretch of coast — 40km of limestone cliffs with no road access at all, meaning every day trip along it starts at this town’s small harbour, not behind a steering wheel. What follows is organised by how you get there: by boat along the coast, or by car and on foot inland.

Closest boat day trip	Cala Luna (20-30 minutes by boat)
Furthest boat day trip	Cala Goloritzé and Cala Mariolu (1-1.5 hours each way)
Best inland day trip	Gola su Gorropu canyon (30 minutes drive plus a hike)
Best town day trip	Dorgali, with the Bue Marino cave close by (10-15 minutes)
Getting around	Boat for the gulf’s coves; hire car for Dorgali, the caves and the canyon

Cala Luna, the closest and most famous cove

Cala Luna is the Gulf of Orosei’s best-known beach and the shortest boat trip from Cala Gonone’s harbour — around 20-30 minutes each way, with several caves cut into the cliffs behind the sand worth a look before or after swimming.

Cala Gonone boat ride to Cala Luna beach

Round-trip tickets on the scheduled boats run more often in peak season than most visitors expect, making Cala Luna genuinely doable as a half-day rather than requiring a full day given how close it sits to the harbour.

Cala Gonone round-trip boat to Cala Luna

Cala luna guide covers the caves, the walking trail up from the beach toward Cala Sisine, and which of the several daily departures suits which kind of visit.

Cala Goloritzé and Cala Mariolu, further south and worth the extra time

South along the gulf, Cala Goloritzé and Cala Mariolu are both quota-controlled beaches reachable only by boat or a demanding hike — no road comes anywhere near either. From Cala Gonone, the boat trip runs 1 to 1.5 hours each way, making both a proper full-day commitment rather than a quick stop.

Cala Gonone dinghy excursion to Cala Mariolu and Cala Goloritzé

Larger boat tours cover the same route with multiple swim stops along the way rather than a single destination and back.

Cala Gonone Gulf of Orosei day trip by boat with swim stops

Cala Goloritzé guide and Cala Mariolu guide both cover the access quotas, best times to visit, and what each cove actually looks like once you’re there — pale pebbles at Mariolu, a dramatic limestone spire at Goloritzé.

Renting your own dinghy for a self-guided day

For anyone comfortable navigating without a boat licence — Sardinia allows dinghy rental below a set engine power without one — renting your own boat gives full control over which coves to stop at and for how long.

Cala Gonone 6-metre dinghy rental (without boat licence)

Renting a boat without a licence in Sardinia covers exactly what the rules allow and the real risks of navigating independently along an unsheltered coastline like this one.

Cala Sisine, the third cove worth knowing about

Between Cala Luna and the gulf’s southern coves, Cala Sisine gets a fraction of the attention of its more famous neighbours despite backing onto one of the longest valleys in the Supramonte, with a genuine hiking trail leading inland from the beach for anyone who wants to combine sea and mountains in one day.

Cala Gonone: Cala Luna and Cala Sisine boat tour

Combining it with Cala Luna on the same boat trip is the standard way most operators run this route, given how close the two coves sit to each other.

Dinghy and speedboat cruises with swim stops along the whole gulf

Rather than heading to one specific cove, several tours run as a loose cruise along the coast, stopping wherever the water and weather look best on the day — a good option for anyone who wants variety over a single destination.

Cala Gonone dinghy cruise with aperitivo

A calmer version of the same format focuses purely on swim stops without the aperitivo add-on.

Cala Gonone Gulf of Orosei dinghy cruise with swim stops

For a faster-paced day covering more distance in less time, speedboat tours combine a wider stretch of the gulf’s coastline with an aperitivo stop toward the end of the afternoon.

Gulf of Orosei speedboat trip and aperitif from Cala Gonone

For a fully private version of any of the above, an exclusive dinghy with its own skipper removes the group-tour schedule entirely, letting the itinerary flex around whichever coves look best that morning.

Cala Gonone exclusive dinghy with skipper

Arbatax, an alternative departure point further south

For visitors approaching the Gulf of Orosei from its southern end rather than from Cala Gonone itself, Arbatax offers a different departure point onto the same stretch of protected coastline, useful for anyone based further south around Tortolì rather than Dorgali.

Arbatax boat tour to Cala Goloritzé and Cala Mariolu

A shorter aperitif-focused cruise covers the closer stretch of coast around the small islet off Arbatax’s own harbour.

Arbatax aperitif boat tour to the Isola dell’Ogliastra

What each day trip costs, roughly

Scheduled boat tickets to Cala Luna run €15-25 per person return, among the cheapest ways to reach any of the gulf’s coves. Longer dinghy and speedboat tours covering Cala Goloritzé and Cala Mariolu cost €50-90 per person for a half-day, rising to €90-130 for a full-day version with multiple stops and lunch. Private dinghy rental without a skipper runs roughly €150-250 for the boat for the day, split between however many people are aboard, while a fully private skippered dinghy costs more but removes the licence and navigation concerns entirely. Gola su Gorropu’s entry fee is modest, around €5-10 per person, with the real cost being time rather than money.

Gola su Gorropu, one of Europe’s deepest canyons

Inland from Cala Gonone, roughly 30 minutes by car toward the Supramonte massif, Gola su Gorropu is one of the deepest canyons in Europe, its limestone walls rising up to 400 metres above a boulder-strewn riverbed. The walk in from the car park takes about an hour each way over rough terrain, and it’s a genuinely different day from anything on the water — shaded, cooler, and quiet even in August. Gola su Gorropu hike covers the trail conditions and what to bring.

Bue Marino cave and Dorgali’s old town

Just south of Cala Gonone’s harbour, the Bue Marino sea cave system is reachable by a short boat trip and named for the monk seals that once lived there, now extinct in Sardinian waters but still giving the cave its name. Bue Marino cave Cala Gonone covers the guided tour through the accessible sections.

Inland, Dorgali itself, about 10 minutes up the hill from Cala Gonone, is a proper working town rather than a resort, with a Sunday market and a reputation for good local wine and cheese — a useful contrast to the beach-and-boat focus of the coast below it.

Baunei and the Golgo plateau, the southern end of the gulf by road

For anyone approaching the Gulf of Orosei’s southern reaches from a different angle, Baunei and the Golgo plateau above it give road access to hiking trails down to Cala Goloritzé that start from inland rather than from a boat — a full-day round trip on foot rather than by water, and the more physically demanding of the two ways to reach the same cove.

Orosei town and the wider gulf

North of Cala Gonone, Orosei itself has a well-preserved historic centre with a cluster of small stone churches, worth a stop for anyone who wants a change of pace from the coastal boat trips further south. Golfo di Orosei as a destination covers the wider gulf beyond Cala Gonone’s own departures.

Seasonal notes for these day trips

Boat services to Cala Luna, Cala Goloritzé and Cala Mariolu run roughly May through October, with the fullest daily schedule from June to September; outside that window, sailings become infrequent or stop entirely as the gulf’s tourist infrastructure winds down for winter. Gola su Gorropu is accessible year-round, though summer heat makes an early start worthwhile even though the canyon itself stays shaded and notably cooler than the coast. The gulf’s boat trips are also genuinely weather-dependent — this coastline has no natural shelter, so wind from the north or north-east can cancel departures with little notice, more so in spring and autumn than in the calmer core of summer.

Cala Luna, Cala Goloritzé and Cala Mariolu, compared

	Distance from Cala Gonone	Character	Access
Cala Luna	20-30 min by boat	Wide beach, caves behind the sand	Boat, or a coastal hike from Cala Fuili
Cala Sisine	Similar to Cala Luna	Backs onto a long inland valley	Boat only
Cala Mariolu	1-1.5 hours by boat	Pale, rounded pebbles, cliff backdrop	Boat, or a demanding hike
Cala Goloritzé	1-1.5 hours by boat	Distinctive limestone spire, quota-controlled	Boat, or a hike from the Golgo plateau

Day trips from Cala Gonone, compared

	Distance	Best for	Time needed
Cala Luna	20-30 min by boat	Closest, easiest cove	Half day
Cala Goloritzé / Mariolu	1-1.5 hours by boat	The gulf’s most dramatic coves	Full day
Gola su Gorropu	30 min drive + 1hr hike	Deep canyon, shaded walk	Full day
Bue Marino cave	Short boat trip	Sea caves, easy add-on	Half day
Dorgali	10 minutes	Local town, market, wine	Half day

Frequently asked questions about day trips from Cala Gonone

How do I get to Cala Luna from Cala Gonone?

By scheduled boat from the harbour, roughly 20-30 minutes each way, with several departures a day in peak season; it’s also reachable on foot from Cala Fuili via a coastal trail for confident hikers.

Do I need to book Cala Goloritzé and Cala Mariolu in advance?

Yes — both run daily visitor quotas that can sell out in July and August, so booking a few days ahead is worth doing regardless of whether you arrive by boat or on foot.

Is Gola su Gorropu suitable for children?

The walk in is long and over uneven, rocky terrain, so it suits older children comfortable with a demanding hike rather than young children.

Can I rent a boat without a licence to explore the gulf myself?

Yes, for dinghies under a set engine power, but reading wind and swell conditions along an exposed coastline is entirely your own responsibility once you leave the harbour.

Which cove is better, Cala Luna or Cala Goloritzé?

Cala Luna is closer and easier, with caves and a wider beach; Cala Goloritzé is more dramatic, with a distinctive limestone spire, but takes considerably longer to reach.

Is Dorgali worth visiting if I’m mainly interested in the beaches?

It’s a worthwhile change of pace rather than a must-see — a working town with a market and local food and wine, useful for a half-day when the sea is too rough for boat trips.

How many days should I set aside for day trips from Cala Gonone?

Three to four days covers Cala Luna, Cala Goloritzé or Mariolu, and one inland option like Gola su Gorropu without rushing any of them.

What does a boat trip to the Gulf of Orosei’s coves typically cost?

Scheduled tickets to Cala Luna run €15-25 return; longer dinghy or speedboat trips to Cala Goloritzé and Cala Mariolu cost €50-90 for a half-day, more for a full-day version with lunch.

Is Arbatax a good alternative starting point to Cala Gonone?

Yes, for anyone based further south around Tortolì — Arbatax gives access to the same protected coastline and its famous coves from the opposite end of the gulf.

Do boat trips run in the gulf outside summer?

Services are much reduced from November through April; May to October is the realistic window, with June through September offering the fullest daily schedule.

Is Cala Sisine worth adding to a Cala Luna boat trip?

Yes, for anyone wanting a quieter alternative in the same trip — it sees far fewer visitors than Cala Luna and offers a genuine inland hiking trail for those who want to combine sea and mountains.

What should I pack for a day on the Gulf of Orosei’s boats?

Reef-safe sunscreen, a hat that won’t blow off, water shoes for the rocky sections of several coves, and a dry bag for phones and valuables given the open boats used on most tours.