Few seafronts have thousand-year-old natural umbrellas: the monumental wild olives of Santa Maria Navarrese reach almost to the shoreline, facing the red Isolotto d'Ogliastra on the horizon.
The town beach
This is the "everyday" beach for I Mandorli guests: ten minutes by car, easy parking, a swim in front of the 16th-century tower, ice cream on the promenade to finish. Sand mixed with polished pebbles, water that gets deep and crystal-clear quickly, and real olive-tree shade for the hot hours.
The village behind
Santa Maria Navarrese deserves a stroll: the 11th-century church founded — legend says — by the shipwrecked daughter of the King of Navarre, the little harbour where boats leave for the coves, seafood restaurants by the water. Lively in summer, but never chaotic.
Our tips
- Perfect for your first and last day, or after a trek.
- Sunrise behind the Isolotto d'Ogliastra is worth the early alarm.
- The Pedra Longa trail starts here: sea and hike in the same day.