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Cala Luna

The Gulf of Orosei's crescent cove, reached only by boat or a rocky coastal trail.

  • Cala Gonone
  • Nature
Plan your visit
Where
Cala Gonone
Best for
Crescent beach between cliffs
Allow
4 hours
Tickets
Free

A crescent of pale sand closes the mouth of an oleander-filled ravine on the Gulf of Orosei, backed by limestone cliffs riddled with caves that once sheltered shepherds and their flocks.

There is no road in: boats from Cala Gonone run in summer, a short crossing, while hikers take the coastal trail from Cala Fuili, about 5 kilometers each way over rocky, shadeless ground. Many combine the two, walking down at dawn before the heat builds and catching the boat back, sharing the bay with day-trippers by midmorning.

Four things worth finding

If you see nothing else, see these.

  1. The Codula di Luna ravineLimestone ravine

    The beach closes the mouth of a torrent bed lined with oleanders that cuts back into the mountains, which you can follow on foot.Behind the beach

  2. The sea-eroded cavesLimestone erosion

    Hollowed caves in the limestone once sheltered shepherds and their flocks and now offer shade to day-trippers.Along the back of the beach and the cliffs

  3. The coastal trail from Cala FuiliFootpath over cliffs

    The route climbs and drops over the cliffs, passing above the Bue Marino caves and through Cala Oddoana before reaching the bay.Between Cala Gonone and Cala Luna

  4. The film locationLina Wertmüller, 1974

    The beach was a backdrop for several Italian films, including Wertmüller's Swept Away, which makes it familiar to anyone who knows the movie.On the beach

Plan your visit

Everything you need before you go.

Tickets
Free
Booking
Book ahead
Time needed
4 hours
Best time
June or September, on the earliest boat, to avoid both the August crowds and midday heat
Getting there
Boats leave from Cala Gonone's small port, reached by road from Dorgali; hikers start instead from Cala Fuili beach, a short drive or walk from Cala Gonone.
Accessibility
Not wheelchair accessible; the boat has steps down to the tender and the beach itself is loose sand and pebble with no paved paths.

The beach itself is free; boat transfers from Cala Gonone typically cost €15-25 round trip depending on the operator and season, and should be booked a day ahead in August.

Bring your own water and shade: the beach has no facilities beyond a small seasonal kiosk, and the cliffs that make it beautiful also mean there's almost no natural shade after mid-morning.

Get directionsGoogle MapsApple Maps

Before you book

How long should you spend at Cala Luna?

Plan about four hours if you take the boat, enough for a swim, a look at the caves and a slow lunch. If you hike, allow much longer, since the trail is long and rocky.

Should you take the boat or hike to Cala Luna?

Boats run from Cala Gonone in summer and are the easy choice; book a seat ahead in high season. The hike is rocky and shadeless, so go early, carry lots of water and think about one-way by trail and one-way by boat.

Is Cala Luna good for kids?

With the boat, yes: the sand is gentle and there is shade in the caves. The hike is too long and exposed for small children, and there is no road to the beach.

More to see nearby

Same city first, then the nearest across the region.

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