Baunei hangs on a ledge of limestone above the Tyrrhenian sea, a town of two thousand people with the Supramonte of Baunei rising behind it and the coast far below. The SS125 comes through here on one of its most spectacular sections, climbing out of the valley from the south and then running along the face of the mountains with sea views opening on the left. The Gennargentu massif, Sardinia's highest ground, lies inland, and the whole district is one of the wildest corners of the island.
It is a place of shepherds, and a place of walkers. The Selvaggio Blu, a famous multi-day trek along the coast, starts near here and crosses terrain so steep and so remote that the walkers carry ropes. On the plateau above the town, the Golgo plateau holds a deep karst pit called Su Sterru and a small church amid the oaks, reached by a rough track, where the world feels very quiet. If you have a few hours, the road to the plateau is worth a look, though it is narrow and rough in places.
Down at the sea, Pedra Longa is a tall limestone needle that rises from the water beside a little harbour, and the road to it twists down from the main highway in a series of tight hairpins. Santa Maria Navarrese, a few kilometres south, has a pleasant beachfront with bars and restaurants, and a church said to have been founded by a shipwrecked Spanish princess from Navarre, with an ancient olive tree beside it. Beyond it lies Tortolì, the larger town of the Ogliastra district, with eight thousand inhabitants and everything a rider might need, including fuel, supermarkets and repair shops. Baunei has its own small stations, but it is sensible to treat Tortolì as the sure bet.
The riding on this stretch is of the kind that leaves a grin. Long bends follow short ones, the surface is mostly decent, and the views are dramatic. Be careful in summer, when the road is busy with cars and campervans, and look out for loose gravel on the outside of corners. Early morning is best, when the light is soft on the cliffs and the air smells of resin and wild herbs, and the sea is flat and silver.