Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Santa Maria Navarrese
At the southern end of the Golfo di Orosei sits the unpretentious and attractive beach re-
sort of Santa Maria Navarrese. Shipwrecked Basque sailors built a small church here in
1052, dedicated to Santa Maria di Navarra on the orders of the Princess of Navarre, who
happened to be one of the survivors. The church was set in the shade of a grand olive tree
that is still standing - some say it's nearly 2000 years old.
Lofty pines and eucalyptus trees back the beach lapped by transparent water. Offshore
are several islets, including the
Isolotto di Ogliastra
, a giant hunk of pink porphyritic rock.
The leafy northern end of the beach is topped by a watchtower built to look for raiding
Saracens.
Down at the port, the
Consorzio Marittimo Ogliastra
( 0782 61 51 73;
www.mareogliastra.com
)
runs boat tours along the Golfo di Orosei for between €35 and €42
per person. Next door,
Nautica Centro Sub
(
0782 61 55 22)
organises dives (from €35) to
some wonderful underwater spots.
The
Ostello Bellavista
( 0782 61 40 39;
www.ostelloinogliastra.com
; Via Pedra Longa; s €35-65, d
€50-100; )
has light rooms with dreamy sea views. For drinks by the seafront, try the
charismatic
Bar L'Olivastro
(
8am-1am)
below
0782 61 55 13; Via Lungomare Montesanto 1;
the branches of the town's famous olive tree.
A handful of buses link Santa Maria Navarrese with Tortolì (€1.50, 15 minutes, 11
daily), Dorgali (€5, 1½ hours, two daily) and Nuoro (€7, 2½ hours, five daily).
Tortolì & Arbatax
POP 10,826
Tortolì
, Ogliastra's provincial capital, is unlikely to make a big impression with its large
roadside hotels and uninspiring shops. About 4km away,
Arbatax
is little more than a port
fronted by a few bars and restaurants. The only sight of any note is the
rocce rosse
(red
rocks), a series of bizarre, weather-beaten rocks rising from the sea in Arbatax.
Near the port, you'll find the terminus for the
Trenino Verde
, the summer tourist train to
Mandas.
There's no shortage of resort-style accommodation in these parts. Five minutes' stroll
from the beach is
La Vecchia Marina
(
0782 66 70 20;
www.hotellavecchiamarina.com
;
Via Praga
)
, a whitewashed hotel with an almost colonial feel, fringed
1, Arbatax; d €70-140;
