Cala Gonone is a popular destination situated midway along the east coast of Sardinia.
Although the town is driven by tourism, it bears no resemblance to a more crowded Mediterranean resort.
The hotels which do exist are modest in size, and while there are couple of resort villages offering accommodation, they are away from the town’s centre.
It’s clear that Cala Gonone would have plenty of potential for growth in order to accommodate a much larger number of visitors, though whilst tourism is embraced, there appears a resistance to allowing it to spiral out of control.
Cala Gonone’s biggest asset is a strategic location that is only a short boat trip away from some of the Orosei coast’s most picturesque caves and beaches – set to a backdrop of the Supramonte mountain range.
But that doesn’t mean you need to be leaving town every day. Cala Gonone itself has beaches worthy of spending time at, and the town’s other attractions include an aquarium, a couple of small museums and parks. There’s also a number of fine gelatarios, and a handful of bars and restaurants throughout the town, mainly along the seafront.
A trip here won’t need to be all about sea and sand though, and you can quickly escape from the beaches by taking the high and winding road out of the town towards the one and only main road which connects with the rest of Sardinia. From here, sea views are substituted with the sight of mountains.
A drive north leads on to the town of Dorgali or, further along, the city of Nuoro, Sardinia’s fifth largest. Travelling south will take you into the Supramonte and towards the point from which excursions to archaeological village of Tiscali or the famous Gola Su Gorroppu can be undertaken.
Private transport is not essential, as there bus services operated by Deplano (www.deplanobus.it) and ARST (www.arst.sardegna.it) that can get you to Cala Gonone from other Sardinian cities. But hiring a car or motorbike is definite advantage for exploring the surrounding region.