Cala dei Gabbiani
In 2017, Cala dei Gabbiani was chosen by the experts of Skyscanner, the famous holiday web portal, as the second most beautiful beach in Italy. The ranking values less famous coves, ‘hidden pearls’, exactly like this corner of paradise in the southern part of the Gulf of Orosei, within the territory of Baunei. You can reach it by sea, like the other ‘pearls’ of the Ogliastra coast, by private boats or boats that leave from the tourist ports of Cala Gonone, Arbatax and Santa Maria Navarrese; or by an arduous and demanding trekking path (3-4 hours), recommended for the more experienced, accompanied by guides, that starts from the Golgo plateau and crosses the Ispuligidenie forest.
The flat, gently sloping spur of Punta Ispuligi separates the enchanting and uncontaminated Cala dei Gabbiani from the more famous Cala Mariolu, of which it represents the natural continuation towards the south and with which it shares the same scenic impact.
Until the end of the 20th century, the stretch of coastline was jointly referred to as Ispulige de nie, or ‘the snow fleas’, in reference to the pebbles smoothed by the waves that characterise them: they are flattened and round, cream-coloured, white and pink, resembling sugared almonds, and are mixed with white sand and a few larger pebbles. They are so-called ‘landslide’ beaches, originating from material that has collapsed from the rocks. It is no coincidence that the beach's name is recent: it derives from the hundreds of seagulls that find refuge there at dusk and then leave it free in the early hours of the day. In its waters of a thousand shades of blue created by the play of the sun's light, spectacular white and shiny rocks emerge. The seabed is necessarily worth a dive.
The cove is about 250 metres long, more than ten metres wide in places, and is closed to the north and south by the sheer mountain.
