Baunei (Sardegna)
Baunei is a small town in Ogliastra (the central-eastern region of Sardinia). It lies on the ridge of a limestone mountain, at an altitude of about 500 meters above the sea level, overlooking the plains below and the Gulf of Arbatax.
The town is located halfway between Cagliari and Olbia, at km 155 of the Highway “Orientale Sarda” (also known as the “State Highway 125). Baunei was once a mountain village with a purely agropastoral development, but today (along with its coastal hamlet of “Santa Maria Navarrese”) it is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the east coast of the island.
The recent socio-economic changes in the village are due to a combination of the ideal location of the sea village (developed all around a medieval country church, dedicated to “The Assumption of The Blessed Virgin Mary”) and the particular features of the surrounding territory.
In fact, there is no other village in Sardinia which can boast such a mix of mountain and sea landscapes: the beauty of its fabulous coast, famous for its coves set into the limestone cliffs (Cala Goloritzè, Cala Mariolu – Ispuligedenie, Cala Biriala, Cala Sisine and Cala Luna) is overtaken by the sensational mountain views of the hinterland, ideal for those who enjoy trekking in direct contact with wild nature.