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Baunei is a hill town in Ogliastra on Sardinia's east coast. Behind it lies the limestone Golgo plateau, and to the north runs the roadless sea-cliff coast of the Golfo di Orosei. The local climbing association Climbing Sardinia describes it on its Baunei area page as "Vertiginous crags overlooking the sea and solid limestone routes", and says that Cala Gonone to the north is tamed by comparison: "Baunei is WILD!"
This post covers the Baunei coast together with the big walls of the Supramonte inland, because both draw the same people: climbers who want multi-pitch. By the end you should be able to judge whether your level is enough, which months to go, what to do without a car, and how to book Cala Goloritzè. For a season-and-region comparison of Italian crags, see the series overview.
What kind of crag is it
Limestone, mostly bolted multi-pitch. UKClimbing's Sardinia multi-pitch article, by Peter Herold, who runs a climbers' guesthouse near Santa Maria Navarrese, says the main difference between Sardinia and Kalymnos is the multi-pitch: walk-ins, abseil descents and an "Alpine" feel. There's plenty of single-pitch sport too. theCrag lists 640 routes under Baunei and 86 under Santa Maria Navarrese (checked October 2026). This post focuses on the multi-pitch.
The main walls.
| Wall | Where | Style | Size (source) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aguglia di Goloritzè (local name Punta Caroddi) | Above the beach at Cala Goloritzè | Mostly bolted multi-pitch, a few trad lines | 143 m tall (Planetmountain); 11 routes on climbingitaly, 8 on theCrag |
| Punta Giradili | Visible from the Pedra Longa car park | Bolted multi-pitch, 150–550 m | UKC: "400 m upturned bottle-shaped pillar"; 19 routes on climbingitaly |
| Pedra Longa | End of the road down to the sea from Baunei | Sea-stack multi-pitch plus short single pitches | 20 routes on climbingitaly |
| Monte Oddeu | Supramonte, the mountains between Dorgali and Urzulei | Bolted multi-pitch, 200–300 m | 35 routes on climbingitaly |
| Punta Cusidore | Supramonte | Long, mostly trad multi-pitch, up to about 700 m | 31 routes on climbingitaly |
| Hotel Supramonte | North face of Punta Cucuttos in the Gola su Gorropu gorge | A single 400 m, 8b route | Planetmountain |
UKC groups Monte Oddeu, Punta Cusidore and Gola su Gorropu under "The mountains near Dorgali and Urzulei". The limestone of Punta Cusidore and Surtana takes nuts well, which makes them some of Sardinia's few trad multi-pitch venues.
Who it suits. You'll have the most choice if you have multi-pitch experience and can lead polished 6b–6c confidently. UKC says the Aguglia routes are short, easy to descend, there's nearly always someone on the beach and there's phone signal, so they're "a good introduction to multi-pitch climbing". In its piece on six alternatives to the Aguglia, Climbing Sardinia's advice to beginners is "be confident on polished 6c and be there at sunrise". If you only want single pitch, Baunei's sport crags have their own guidebook (see the end of this post).
How to read the protection info. UKC explains the S grade used by the Pietra di Luna guides: S1 means closely spaced bolts, S2 means the bolts can be well spaced with harder obligatory moves. Multi-pitch routes carry both a maximum and an obligatory (obbl.) grade. The obligatory grade is the part you can't pull through on the quickdraws.
When to go
| Wall | Source | Aspect and season |
|---|---|---|
| Aguglia di Goloritzè | climbingitaly; Planetmountain | Sun all day, exposed to all winds, climbable all year; Sole Incantatore has "Shade in the afternoon" |
| Punta Giradili | climbingitaly | Sun all day, sheltered from the Mistral (northwest wind), all year |
| Pedra Longa | climbingitaly | Morning sun, sheltered from the Mistral, all year |
| Monte Oddeu | climbingitaly | Morning sun, winter crag |
| Punta Cusidore | climbingitaly | Afternoon sun, summer crag, 90-minute approach |
| Baunei single-pitch | climbingitaly Baunei area page | Most crags get sun all day; shady summer options are Su Telargiu Oro, Monte Scoine and Uttolo |
Spring and autumn are best. UKC says you can climb in Sardinia all year, but for the multi-pitch routes by the sea, spring and autumn are best, with plenty of daylight and comfortable temperatures. It also warns that with a sea breeze, the yellow overhanging rock near the water can be slippery; conditions are best with a maestrale (northwest) wind. The rough limestone of Punta Giradili and Punta Argennas opposite always seems to have excellent friction.
Cala Goloritzè in summer. The trail is in the sun the whole way, and Heart of Sardinia asks everyone to carry at least 2 litres of water. Climbing Sardinia also says Cromosomi Corsari at Pedra Longa is in the sun all day and best avoided in summer.
Getting there
| Public transport | Driving | |
|---|---|---|
| Start | Tortolì / Arbatax, or Nuoro | Olbia airport or port |
| Middle | ARST line 301 Tortolì–Santa Maria Navarrese–Baunei; line 303 Arbatax–Baunei–Dorgali–Nuoro | SS131 towards Nuoro, Lula exit, through Dorgali onto the SS125 "Orientale Sarda" to Baunei |
| Last leg | No bus to the Golgo plateau, Pedra Longa or any of the Supramonte walls | Golgo plateau: about 8 km from town towards San Pietro–Golgo, then about 1.5 km of dirt road to Su Porteddu |
Public transport
The regional bus company ARST runs line 301 between Tortolì, Santa Maria Navarrese and Baunei, with a fair number of runs; for example, the timetable shows a 06:30 from Tortolì Fra Locci arriving at Baunei Monte Argiolu at 07:00. Line 303 runs from Arbatax through Baunei and over Genna Silana to Dorgali and Nuoro, with very few runs. Both mark each run with operating conditions such as FER (weekdays), FEST (holidays) and SCO (school days), so pick your date on the timetable before you travel (checked October 2026).
The problem is the last leg: no ARST line goes to the Golgo plateau, Pedra Longa or the Gorropu gorge. In practice you need a hire car, or to stay in Santa Maria Navarrese or Baunei and get lifts with your host or a guide. There's also the sea: UKC says you can hire RHIBs (gommoni) from Cala Gonone or Santa Maria Navarrese to the foot of the Aguglia, but landing on the beach at Cala Goloritzè is no longer allowed (see the rules below).
Driving
SummitPost gives the route from Olbia: take the SS131 towards Nuoro and Siniscola, exit at Lula, follow the SP38 through Dorgali and join the SS125 "Orientale Sarda" south to Baunei. This stretch of the SS125 is spectacular, and it's a mountain road.
To the Golgo plateau, Turismo Baunei (the municipal tourist office site) says: coming from the south, turn right after the church of St Nicholas in Baunei and follow signs for San Pietro–Golgo up the hairpins; after about 8 km take the dirt road on the right (signed Cala Goloritzé), and the car park and Su Porteddu bar-restaurant are about 1.5 km further. For Pedra Longa, follow the signs from Baunei down to the car park at the end of the coast road (Climbing Sardinia).
Hotel Supramonte is in the Gola su Gorropu gorge. Planetmountain's route page only says "From Cala Gonone reach the Gole di Goroppu gorge". The gorge is run by an official concessionaire, Chìntula. Its official site says there's a ticket office at the downstream entrance and entry is allowed from 10:30 to 17:00. The rest of that page wouldn't load, so call them (+39 389 420 8595) before you go and ask how climbers get in and out.
Parking
Cala Goloritzè: park at Su Porteddu. Planetmountain says that in spring, summer and autumn the car park and path carry a toll, currently €7; this is the booked ticket described below. SummitPost says the car park is inside the campsite. For Crysalis by Grenke on Punta Giradili, climbingitaly says to park at the Us Piggius hut, walk down the ledge to the start, and walk back to the car from the top.
Rules to know before you go
Cala Goloritzè has a visitor cap, and climbers need to book too. This is the one thing most likely to change your plans. A notice from the Comune di Baunei (updated August 2025) says: "Dal 2020 il Comune di Baunei ha introdotto nuove modalità per accedere a Cala Goloritzè, ha fissato l'accesso giornaliero massimo a 250 persone ed è NECESSARIA la prenotazione online" (since 2020, a daily maximum of 250 people, and online booking is required). The booking platform, Heart of Sardinia, gives the details (checked October 2026):
- The cap is "250 persone contemporanee" (250 people at any one time).
- Each date opens for booking at midnight three days before, only through the website or the Heart of Sardinia app; you pay up front, get a QR code, and tickets are non-refundable.
- The ticket costs €7. Children up to 5 and residents of Baunei go free but still have to be registered, since they take a place. Visitors staying in Baunei can ask their registered accommodation for a hospitality code that unlocks a fourth day (a pool of 150 places in total).
- Landing on the beach from a boat is not allowed. Turismo Baunei also says "Return by boat is not allowed", so if you walk down, you walk back up.
Time limits. The two first-hand sources don't agree, so plan for the strictest:
- Turismo Baunei: the trail opens at 7:30 and closes at 14:00, and you can stay on the beach until 17:00.
- Heart of Sardinia: a single slot of 7:30–16:00.
Turismo Baunei adds a line just for climbers: "the latest available time to start the ascent to Punta Caroddi is 3 p.m." (Punta Caroddi is the Aguglia). In practice: walk down early and be on the route before 3 pm.
The trail. Turismo Baunei gives 3.5 km and about 500 m of height difference, on average 1½ hours down and 2 hours back, with closed shoes and plenty of water compulsory. A theCrag user says climbers take about 45 minutes down and an hour back.
Queues and polish on the Aguglia. Climbing Sardinia says the easiest route, Easy Gymnopedie, "has hundreds of repetitions per year" and its hardest moves are "so polished it's like climbing on glass", with literal queues every morning. climbingitaly's route note also says the crux at the start of the second pitch is "nearly impossible to climb"; luckily the bolts are close, so you can pull through on the quickdraws.
Rockfall. Climbing Sardinia says a climber was injured by a big rockfall on Cromosomi Corsari at Pedra Longa in October 2017, and the rock at the top of the route may still be unstable. climbingitaly marks it and Spigolo dell'ospitalità as "Dangerous route!".
Sea-stack routes are hard to escape. Marinaio di Foresta at Pedra Longa spirals around the stack. Climbing Sardinia says the only way off mid-route is two abseils from the fourth belay to a sea-level ledge and a traverse back to the start, which is "unthinkable of in case of big waves".
Bolt material and age. Bolts by the sea corrode; the Cala Gonone post covers this in more detail. Most climbingitaly route entries give the bolting year and any rebolting. For example, Easy Gymnopedie and Sole Incantatore were rebolted in 2013, Sole Incantatore again in May 2020 by Oviglia and Enrico Barca (Planetmountain), and L'ombra della mia mano on Punta Cusidore in 2025 with 316 stainless. For older routes with no rebolt listed, check the newest guidebook before you go.
Hotel Supramonte is not a sport climb. Planetmountain says the upper section often has "important runouts" and the final 6b+ pitch "should not be underestimated". When Larcher and Oviglia rebolted it in 2012, they kept the original positions of the bolts placed ground-up on the first ascent rather than adding more.
Gear. UKC suggests two 60 m ropes for multi-pitch abseils and up to 20 quickdraws if you link pitches. The routes in its article don't need trad gear, but most routes on Punta Cusidore are pure trad and need a full set of cams and nuts (climbingitaly).
Rescue. CNSAS Sardegna (Sardinian mountain and cave rescue) says that in Sardinia you call 112 and ask for the Soccorso Alpino e Speleologico Sardegna. Give the municipality, GPS coordinates, how long the walk from the car was, and the weather and wind on site.
Protected areas and bans. None of the sources I found list a climbing ban or a bird-nesting closure. The only restriction is the Cala Goloritzè booking above.
Routes by level
YDS and V-grade conversions follow the Mountain Project international grade comparison chart and are approximate; "approx." marks grades the sources give without a/b/c (such as 4 or 5+). The original grade is the one that counts.
Nearly everything here is multi-pitch. The "Grade" column gives the hardest pitch, with the obligatory grade in brackets; climbingitaly, SummitPost and UKC often differ by half a grade, and the notes give both. Route data comes mainly from Climbing Sardinia's climbingitaly.com route tables (checked October 2026).
Beginner: up to 6a (YDS 5.10a and below)
Among the bolted sea-cliff multi-pitch, very few have a hardest pitch of 6a or less. Pedra Longa has a few short single pitches and one four-pitch route. The easy long routes on Punta Cusidore are trad and sit in the trad table below.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Signorina fantasia | hardest 5c (obl. 5c) | 5.9 | 90 m, 4 pitches (5a, 5c, 5b, 4) | Pedra Longa | climbingitaly; bolted by Oviglia and Erriu in 2017 |
| Pueblo | 4c | 5.6 | 20 m, single pitch | Pedra Longa | climbingitaly; one of Oviglia's 2018 single pitches |
| Nostalgie | 5a | 5.7 | 25 m, single pitch | Pedra Longa | climbingitaly |
| Erthole | 5b | 5.8 | 20 m, single pitch | Pedra Longa | climbingitaly |
Intermediate: 6a+ to 6c+ (YDS 5.10b–5.11c)
This is where the choice is: the three popular Aguglia routes, Pedra Longa, the more approachable long lines on Punta Giradili, and the bolted multi-pitch on Monte Oddeu and Punta Cusidore.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy Gymnopedie | hardest 6b (obl. 6a) | 5.10c | 140 m, 5 pitches (6a, 6b, 6b, 6a, 5c) | Aguglia di Goloritzè | climbingitaly; SummitPost gives obl. 5c, NW-facing; Climbing Sardinia says "6c max"; the most popular and most polished |
| Sole Incantatore | hardest 6c (obl. 6a+) | 5.11a/b | 140 m, 5 pitches (5c, 6b, 6b+, 6b+, 6c) | Aguglia di Goloritzè | Planetmountain: "without a doubt the most repeated multipitch sport climb in Sardinia"; rebolted 2020; the best abseil line |
| Dolce stil novo | hardest 6c (obl. 6a) | 5.11a/b | 140 m, 4 pitches | Aguglia di Goloritzè | climbingitaly; 1987 |
| Marinaio di Foresta | hardest 6a+ (obl. 5c) | 5.10b | 190 m, 7 pitches | Pedra Longa | Climbing Sardinia: "probably the best multipitch in the area", 5 minutes from the car; hard to escape |
| Gai amus a obiare | hardest 6b (obl. 6a+) | 5.10c | 155 m, 6 pitches | Pedra Longa | climbingitaly; new in 2024; after 4 pitches you can traverse to an abseil and bail |
| Parthenia | hardest 6b+ | 5.10d | 220 m, 6 pitches | Punta Giradili | climbingitaly; UKC: about the same difficulty as the Aguglia routes |
| The old days (ai tempi andati) | hardest 6b | 5.10c | 240 m, 8 pitches | Punta Giradili | climbingitaly; 2010 |
| Wolfang Gullich | hardest 6c+ | 5.11c | 390 m, 13 pitches | Punta Giradili | UKC: the most popular, close bolting (S1+); the guide says max 7a, the author thinks 6c+ is more accurate |
| Tre tazze di tè | hardest 6b (obl. 6a) | 5.10c | 210 m, 5 pitches | Monte Oddeu | climbingitaly: lots of bolts on the hard sections, take 15 quickdraws and 2×60 m, walk-off under an hour |
| La nostra svizzera | hardest 6c (obl. 6a+) | 5.11a/b | 240 m, 8 pitches | Monte Oddeu | climbingitaly: 10 quickdraws, abseil possible on a single 70 m rope |
| L'ombra della mia mano | hardest 6b+ (obl. 6b+) | 5.10d | 300 m, 9 pitches | Punta Cusidore | climbingitaly: rebolted 2025, "Well bolted route, no run-outs" |
| Diamanti e Ruggine | hardest 6c (obl. 6a+) | 5.11a/b | 290 m, 8 pitches | Punta Cusidore | climbingitaly; bolted 2017 |
Advanced: 7a to 7c+ (YDS 5.11d–5.13a)
The east and west faces of the Aguglia and the mid-grade lines on Punta Giradili sit here.
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Itu damagoni | hardest 7a (obl. 6c) | 5.11d | 140 m, 5 pitches | Aguglia di Goloritzè | climbingitaly; SummitPost gives 7a+; one of the popular routes |
| L'orsetto lavatore e il suo compare | hardest 7b+ | 5.12c | 120 m, 4 pitches | Aguglia di Goloritzè | climbingitaly; 1995 |
| Mediterraneo | hardest 7a+ | 5.12a | 240 m, 7 pitches | Punta Giradili | climbingitaly; UKC: the 7a+ pitch can be done at 6b/A0; S2, more spaced bolts |
| Crysalis by Grenke | hardest 7a+ (obl. 6a+) | 5.12a | 550 m, 16 pitches | Punta Giradili | climbingitaly: the one hard move can be aided, 2×60 m, 15 quickdraws, cams recommended; no abseil needed |
| Buena vista social club | hardest 7a+ (obl. 6c) | 5.12a | 200 m, 6 pitches | Monte Oddeu | climbingitaly: 8 quickdraws, single 70 m rope, walk off north into the Surtana valley |
| Nati con la camicia | hardest 7b | 5.12b | 480 m, 11 pitches | Punta Cusidore | climbingitaly; bolted 2010 |
Expert: 8a and up (YDS 5.13b and up)
This grade band is why Baunei and the Supramonte are known internationally. UKC: "For years, Hotel Supramonte … was Italy's hardest multi-pitch route".
| Route | Grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Sector | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel Supramonte | hardest 8b (obl. 7c) | 5.13d | 400 m, 11 pitches | Gola su Gorropu (north face of Punta Cucuttos) | Planetmountain: put up ground-up by Larcher and Vigiani in 1998, first free ascent Dal Prà 2000, first onsight Ondra 2008; the niche after pitch 7 serves as a bivouac |
| Mezzogiorno di fuoco | hardest 8b (obl. 7c) | 5.13d | 270 m, 7 pitches | Punta Giradili | climbingitaly; obligatory grade from UKC; 2006 |
| Nikè | hardest 8b+ (obl. 7b+) | 5.14a | 170 m, 8 pitches | Punta Giradili | climbingitaly: 120 m of overhanging tufas; the 8b+ pitch needs 18 quickdraws |
| La Bavarese | hardest 8b+ (obl. 8b+) | 5.14a | 150 m, 6 pitches | Punta Giradili | climbingitaly; A. Huber 2021, shares the first 3 pitches with Nikè |
| Umbras | hardest 8a | 5.13b | 300 m, 6 pitches | Punta Cusidore | climbingitaly; bolted by Larcher and Oviglia in 2008 |
Trad multi-pitch
The classic long routes on Punta Cusidore and the first route on the Aguglia are trad, with few or no fixed anchors; bring a full set of cams and nuts. Original grades are as climbingitaly gives them, in both UIAA and French.
| Route | Original grade | YDS | Length / pitches | Wall | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sinfonia dei mulini a vento | 6c (climbingitaly) / 6b+ (SummitPost), obl. 5c | hardest 5.11a/b | 160–165 m, 5–7 pitches | Aguglia di Goloritzè | First ascent by Manolo and Alessandro Gogna in 1981, the first route on the Aguglia; SummitPost: equipped belays, but you need cams and nuts on the pitches |
| Spigolo Nord-Ovest | V | 5.6 | 630 m, 15 pitches | Punta Cusidore | climbingitaly: 1973, pure trad, no abseil, walk off from the summit |
| Incerto mattino | VI+ | 5.10a | 640 m, 14 pitches | Punta Cusidore | climbingitaly: 1981 (Gogna and others); climbingitaly's overall grade is 5c |
| Via dell'amicizia | 6b | 5.10c | 690 m, 15 pitches | Punta Cusidore | climbingitaly: pure trad, pegs at the belays, 60 m double ropes, cams and nuts |
| Via del carasau | 6a+ | 5.10b | 350 m, 11 pitches | Punta Giradili | climbingitaly: 1980, follows the big chimney on the left |
Where to look things up
- climbingitaly.com: Baunei: Climbing Sardinia's online crag guide, with each sector's aspect, season and approach time, and pitch grades, bolting and rebolting years for the multi-pitch.
- climbingitaly.com: Punta Cusidore, Monte Oddeu: route tables for the two Supramonte big walls.
- Planetmountain: Sole Incantatore, Hotel Supramonte: pitch-by-pitch grades, gear and descents.
- theCrag: Ogliastra: route counts and ascents by town.
- Heart of Sardinia: Cala Goloritzé: the current booking, ticket and time-slot rules; book here three days ahead.
- Turismo Baunei: the municipal tourist site, with trail and opening times and tourist-office phone numbers.
- ARST line 301, line 303: bus times between Tortolì, Santa Maria Navarrese and Baunei.
- Guidebooks: Grades and route counts here come mainly from online databases; the guidebook is the authority.
- Baunei Sportclimbing 2025 (Maurizio Oviglia, Pietra di Luna Edizioni, 3rd edition, published November 2024, separate Italian and English editions, 168 pages): all of Baunei's single-pitch crags plus the multi-pitch on Pedra Longa, Punta Giradili, Punta Su Mulone and the Aguglia, with bolting and rebolting years; the other big walls such as Argennas, Ginnircu and Oronnoro are not included.
- Sardinia – The 100 Finest Multipitch Sport Climbs (Maurizio Oviglia, translated by Nicholas Hobley, Pietra di Luna Edizioni, February 2026, English, also in German): 100 selected bolted multi-pitch routes across the island, including the Supramonte.
- Sardegna Est Falesie (Richard Felderer, Versante Sud, 2024, separate Italian, English and German editions): single-pitch sport in eastern Sardinia including Baunei, Jerzu and Ulassai, about 80 crags; single pitch only.
References
- Comune di Baunei: Ufficio turistico - recapiti utili (Cala Goloritzè booking notice)
- Turismo Baunei: Excursion to Cala Goloritze
- Turismo Baunei: It's now possible to book for Cala Goloritze
- Heart of Sardinia: Cala Goloritzé
- Planetmountain: Sole Incantatore, Aguglia di Goloritzé
- Planetmountain: Hotel Supramonte, Punta Cucuttos - Gola di Gorropu
- Planetmountain: Baunei Sportclimbing 2025
- theCrag: Cala Goloritze (Aguglia)
- theCrag: Ogliastra
- climbingitaly.com: Baunei
- climbingitaly.com: Cala Goloritzè
- climbingitaly.com: Punta Giradili
- climbingitaly.com: Pedra Longa
- climbingitaly.com: Punta Cusidore
- climbingitaly.com: Monte Oddeu
- Climbing Sardinia: 6 Best Alternatives to the Aguglia in Cala Goloritze
- SummitPost: Aguglia di Goloritzé
- UKClimbing: Sardinia - Multi-pitch Sport Climbing
- Gorropu official site: Regulations and FAQs
- ARST: line 301 timetable
- ARST: line 303 timetable
- CNSAS Sardegna: La Richiesta di Soccorso
- Oliunìd: Sardinia – The 100 Finest Multipitch Sport Climbs
- Versante Sud: Sardegna Est Falesie
- Mountain Project: International Climbing Grades