A mystical, almost magical place, where history meets the crystal-clear sea of Ogliastra. We are talking about the Tower of Santa Maria Navarrese, a proud stone guardian nestled in the heart of the seaside village of Baunei, which dominates the village and the beach from above with a charm that has remained intact through the centuries.
Constructed in the late sixteenth century, rather than the late eighteenth century, as is sometimes mistakenly believed, as part of the coastal defensive system designed to protect the island, the tower had the crucial task of scanning the horizon and stopping corsair incursions in their tracks. Its solid truncated-cone structure, built with local stone, stands just a few steps from a small medieval church shrouded in the mystery and legend of the Princess of Navarre. Today, this ancient military outpost has completely changed its look. There are no longer lookouts on alert or fires to be lit at its summit; instead, the tower enjoys a new youth as a cultural space and exhibition center, surrounded by the refreshing shade of millennial olive trees.
Walking here at sunset, as the light paints the cliff pink and the marina lights up with golden reflections, is an experience that touches the heart, offering one of the most evocative and authentic postcard views of the entire Sardinian coast.
