Cala Grande - Valle della Luna

Cala Grande and Valle della Luna occupy a granite landscape on the western side of Capo Testa. Weathered rock towers, hollowed surfaces and small coves give this part of Santa Teresa Gallura’s coast its distinctive appearance.

Why it matters

The valley illustrates the forms produced by weathering in Gallura’s granite. It also carries a modern cultural association: a countercultural community settled here from the late 1960s, helping establish the name Valle della Luna.

What to notice

Tafoni form hollows in the rock, while larger boulders create walls and sculptural profiles. Juniper, lentisk and other Mediterranean vegetation grow among the stone. Cala de l’ea, Cala di mezzu and Cala Grande belong to the sequence of inlets at the valley’s seaward end. Pale granite and turquoise water give the coastline a marked contrast of colour.

Context and history

Capo Testa preserves traces of ancient granite quarrying associated with Roman trade. The valley’s later name evokes the light reflected by its rocks under the moon. Its twentieth-century countercultural history added another layer to a landscape already shaped by quarrying, weathering and the sea.