Cala Mariolu tour with Swim Stops

The small beach of Cala Birìala, set between high cliffs and dominated by Bìlaricòro, a forest of holm oaks and junipers, appears suddenly during navigation. Its arch of rock makes it unmistakable, and its first sandy and then immediately rocky bottoms make it the ideal place for snorkelling enthusiasts. Also reachable via a path for expert hikers, it is famous among the locals for having been the site of a great deforestation work carried out by the Tuscan charcoal workers between the early 1900s and the mid-1960s.

The beach of the Thief, so called by the first Ponzesi fishermen who found themselves facing the problem of "monk seal", "the Mariolo" in their dialect, who stole their catch directly from the nets, is perhaps the most coveted beach by tourists who land on our Island. In fact, it was elected the most beautiful beach in Italy in 2016, and its colored waters of various shades between blue and emerald green prove to deserve this primacy.

The beach of "Cala Sisine", has the beauty and geological history similar to those of Cala Luna. It is in fact the mouth of a river that runs along the “codula of Elune”, which marks the borders between Baunei, Urzulei and Dorgali. It ends, however, unlike Sisine, with a beach composed of fine white sand, the only one among the coves of the entire coast. A strip of sand eight hundred meters long, a white crescent moon with six huge caves that open onto the beach and in the background, crown, a forest of oleanders preceded by a freshwater pond. Here too there is a refreshment service. It is also famous for being the set of numerous films, including the famous film by Lina Wertmuller “Overwhelmed by an unusual fate in the blue sea of August” shot for the most part in Cala Luna in 1974.

A bath in the crystalline waters of Cala Goloritzè is what it takes to regenerate after a day full of summer heat. The view we will enjoy during this stop will leave you breathless. Hidden in the first corner of the coast after Capo Monte Santo, it is the most popular destination for hikers who reach Baunei. In fact, it can only be reached by land via a trek for hikers. The buoy field that protects it, however, allows us to take a dip in its crystalline waters which, according to visitors, are the clearest and blue of the entire coast. What makes it so precious and unique is its famous rock arch which is now an unmistakable logo of Baunei, and its Spire, Punta Caroddi, which with its 148 asl attracts climbers from all over the world.

The guided tour inside the Grotta del Fico lasts about 1 hour. The guides, professional and engaging, illustrate its geology, the history of caving and the first visits by local shepherds, the culture of this corner of Sardinia. Their training is continuous, by the AGTI, the Italian Tourist Caves Association. The path is easy, almost entirely on steel walkways and extends over several levels. We visit various rooms and galleries and it is even possible to look out over the sea, inside the Grotto. The environments are very varied, as well as the concretions and the colors that can be admired. The guided tour can be in Italian, English, French, German, Spanish and Russian. We are equipped with an audio guide system, to better manage the multilingual visit: in this way the visitor experience is not burdened and everyone receives the content in the right measure.