Orosei Bay: Dazzling blue, a feast on board and… a sudden cut

Sardinia is an island of extremes. It can wear you down with its rugged mountains, intrigue you with its gloomy ruins, and drain the last of your strength in the wilderness. That’s why there comes a time when you need to change your perspective and set sail for the open sea. We left the mainland behind and set off to explore the east coast – the legendary Gulf of Orosei.

If you think you’ve seen some lovely beaches in your life, this place will brutally challenge your view of the world.

A wall of white limestone and water that tricks the eye As soon as our boat pulled away from the shore, we felt as though we were stepping into a completely different fairy tale. Looking at these photos, it’s hard to shake the impression that someone has cranked the colour saturation sliders right up to the max. But the truth is, the island’s east coast looks exactly like this in real life.

As you sail through these waters, you’re faced with gigantic, vertical cliffs of pale limestone that rise straight out of the sea to a height of several hundred metres. It’s a mighty, natural wall separating the wild mountains from civilisation. And the water? Its hue is a pure, mesmerising emerald verging on deep navy blue. When you look down from the deck, the seabed is so clearly visible that you lose your sense of depth – it seems as though you could simply step down and stand there, whilst there are actually a dozen or so metres beneath the keel.

Hidden coves and isolation from the world The greatest magic of this coastline is that the most beautiful, paradise-like beaches are essentially inaccessible by car. You can only get there by tackling a gruelling, hours-long trek through the mountains, or – as we chose – by sea.

As the boat drew close to the shore of one of these secluded coves, the contrast between the fine white pebbles and the dazzling blue of the water was truly breathtaking. You kick off your shoes, step into those crystal-clear waves, and suddenly all your stress melts away.

A feast on the waves and… a personal drama However, the Italians wouldn’t be themselves if they’d let us simply gaze at the views on an empty stomach. At one point, a culinary ritual began on board the boat. The aroma of delicious, freshly prepared food mingled with the sea breeze, and local delicacies were brought to the tables. Excellent Sardinian wine began to flow. Pure idyll.

And this is where my personal drama begins.

Picture this: you’re surrounded by some of the most beautiful views in Europe. Everyone around you is laughing, tucking into these delicious dishes and raising toasts. And you? Your vestibular system has just declared a state of emergency.

Instead of happily enjoying the delights of a luxury cruise, my system has declared a hard reset known as ‘seasickness’. I didn’t try a single bite of all those culinary wonders. I didn’t drink a single drop of that much-praised wine. Instead, I treated the fish to a sudden twist – quite literally, straight from my stomach into the crystal-clear waters of the Gulf of Orosei.

Whilst the rest marvelled at the majestic cliffs and hidden caves, I was waging an uneven, silent battle for survival, dreaming of just one thing: to finally feel firm, stable, non-swaying land beneath my feet. Sometimes, paradise on earth can have a very brutal sense of humour!