Baunei's seaside hamlet, Santa Maria Navarrese is Ogliastra's living room by the sea: strolls beneath thousand-year olives, aperitifs at the marina and departures for all the wonders of the Gulf of Orosei.
History by the sea
Legend says the 11th-century church was founded by a shipwrecked princess of Navarre — hence the village's name. Beside it, monumental wild olives estimated at up to two thousand years old, and the coastal tower that once guarded against Saracen raids.
The harbour of the coves
Boats leave every morning for Goloritzé, Mariolu, Sisine and Luna: it is Ogliastra's most convenient embarkation point. Back on land, the seafront fills with gelaterie, pizzerias and seafood restaurants with tables on the sand.
Why it works from I Mandorli
Ten minutes by car: close enough for everything — shops, pharmacy, dinners — far enough to sleep in the total silence of the countryside. The best of both worlds.