An enchanted landscape: the sound of the surf, Mediterranean scents wafting in on the breeze, the colours of the sea, a place of rare beauty that is almost never crowded. Wild and mellow, isolated but welcoming, with its jagged rocks and pinnacles that look like towers, the beach of su Sirboni suddenly appears, a little unexpected. It is a strip of fine white sand, nestled in a cove hidden in the red porphyry, dotted with the bungalows of an old resort, abandoned for decades and now incorporated into the nature of the place. Its name means ‘the boar’ but it is also known as Cala Francese: it shines on the southern coast of Ogliastra, in the territory of Gairo Sant’Elena. You can reach it by exiting the ‘old’ state road SS 125 at Cardedu and, from the village, proceeding for eight kilometres, first towards Marina di Cardedu, then towards Perd’e Pera.

Su Sirboni needs to be sought and desired. From the parking area in the road, you can walk about 300 metres along a path. The entrance door is an opening obtained in the thick vegetation. A few steps, then down to the rocks. A 15-minute walk awaits you - including some inevitable photos - among schists, strawberry trees, rough, jagged rocks and smooth, round boulders. The destination is a 200-metre-long arc of light sand, soft and fluffy like talcum powder, quite ‘unexpected’ in an almost entirely pebbly stretch of coast. Behind it, small sand dunes and Mediterranean greenery embellish the bay. The water is shallow for tens of metres, the crystal clear water is bright blue and turquoise in colour and is ideal for snorkelling and underwater fishing.

A pearl as bright as it is wild and it would probably be the most beautiful beach in any other Italian region, yet it is little known. It is never crowded, even in high season, perhaps because the effort linked to the itinerary that takes you there is a little daunting. There are no bathing establishments, no sun lounger rentals and no bars... just the ‘skeleton’ of the abandoned resort. So, it’s best to bring everything you need with you, to drink, eat and explore, including a mask, flippers and shoes for the rocks. It is also advisable to stay there until sunset, when the sunlight paints the surrounding rocks a thousand shades of red, a magical moment that will make your memories even more special, along with the desire to return as soon as possible.

Together with su Sirboni, the Marina di Gairo offers another different but equally captivating sight, that of Coccorrocci: four kilometres of smooth, round, shiny porphyritic pebbles, shaped over time. Sea snails live here, giving their name to the beach, which is the largest on the Island of those made entirely of pebbles. It is an evocative landscape: the dark pebbles contrast with the blue colours of the sea, while red porphyry rocks loom all around and junipers frame the beach with greenery, filling the air with their fragrance. The place is ideal for trekking: twenty minutes’ walk from the beach, you will find the natural pools that get their water from the spring of su Accu ‘e axina. In the marina, there is also the beach of Lispedda, known as ‘the little beach’, with shingle and pebbles and divided in two by rocks. From the sea, the territory of Gairo reaches as far as Gennargentu. Other landscapes not to be missed are the Taquisara cave, in Monte Ferru, and the impressive Perda ‘e Liana, the peak of the Ogliastra ‘tacchi’, or buttes, (1300 metres), a ‘protected’ natural monument, populated by mouflons and where the bearded vulture flies overhead.