Sardinia’s Orientale Sarda

Route description

From Olbia, where most ferries from the mainland arrive, the SS125 heads south to San Teodoro, with the long white beach of La Cinta and a lagoon behind it. Beyond it, the road continues down the coast to Orosei, a small town with old churches at the edge of the Gulf of Orosei.

From Dorgali, a road through a tunnel drops to Cala Gonone, the harbour for the gulf. From here, boats run to Cala Luna, a crescent of sand under limestone caves, which you can also reach on a four-hour coastal path.

South of Dorgali, the SS125 climbs through the Supramonte mountains, one of the wildest stretches of road in Sardinia, with many bends and few villages. From the plateau above Baunei, a steep hike of about an hour and a half leads down to Cala Goloritzé, a white-pebble cove below a limestone spire; access is paid and limited in summer.

The road descends to Arbatax, known for its red porphyry rocks by the sea, and continues south to Cagliari, with its hilltop Castello quarter and the long Poetto beach. Book ferries well ahead for July and August, fill up before the mountain stretch, and stay at campsites rather than parking on the beaches overnight.