Santa Maria Navarrese is a hamlet of Baunei. Now an important tourist resort in central eastern Sardinia, Santa Maria stands out for the beauty of its sea and the liveliness of the area.Santa Maria Navarrese has a delightful and well-equipped tourist port from which it is possible to embark on fascinating boat trips in the Gulf of Orosei.Among the various coves that can be visited by sea, the famous Cala Luna, Cala Sisine and Cala Goloritzè are certainly noteworthy, just to name a few of the best known.Santa Maria was founded, according to legend, by Princess Isabella, daughter of the King of Navarre (Spain) following a shipwreck that luckily ended up in the sheltered bay of Santa Maria and which gave rise to the origin of the village.The Church of Santa Maria di Navarra, the oldest monument in Baunese, is well worth a visit.

Perhaps nowhere else in our country is there such a wide and unknown arc of coastline: 40 kilometres of limestone ramparts and cliffs, interrupted here and there by a few coves, probably the most beautiful stretch of Italian coastline and without a shadow of a doubt the most rugged and wild.The gulf from Santa Maria Navarrese to Cala Luna is made up of high limestone cliffs forming a coastline overhanging deep waters, furrowed by grottos, chasms and canyons that reach the sea, forming stupendous coves of white sand.Exploring some of the renowned localities of the area, we find, in addition to the various less famous coves: Pedra Longa, Cala Goloritzè, Spiaggia dei Gabbiani, Ispuligidenie or Cala Mariolu, Grotta del Fico, Cala Biriala, Cala Sisine and Cala Luna.

From the village of Baunei, after a series of hairpin bends, the road enters a forest of centuries-old holm oaks. After about 7 km you arrive at the Golgo Plateau: a valley, some 22,000 hectares in size, of basaltic origin and very rich in Mediterranean scrub. The Golgo plateau is a place rich in historical and archaeological remains, with nuraghi positioned to defend the valley and the evocative Church of San Pietro dating from the 17th century, but it is best known for the chasm of “Su Sterru”, (280 m. and one of the deepest in Europe) and ‘As Piscinas’, natural basins for collecting rainwater, where the many animals that graze freely on the plateau drink.

Hidden among the imposing limestone cliffs of central Sardinia, the Su Marmuri Caves are a natural masterpiece not to be missed. Situated near the municipality of Ulassai, these underground caves offer a unique adventure through a labyrinth of stalactites and stalagmites, rich in fascination and millenary mysteries. Inside, visitors can admire incredible limestone formations as they follow an illuminated path through the magnificent underground chambers. The Su Marmuri Cave is a must-see for anyone wishing to explore the beauty and majesty of Sardinian nature in all its splendour.