The abundance of olive-trees, that characterizes this geographic region, gave rise in all probability to the name ” Ogliastra “.
(photo: guglia di Goloritzè, M.Vacca)
geographic position
The Ogliastra is placed on the oriental Sardinian coast and it is part of the province of Nuoro. It confines to the North with the Baronie, to the Nord-Ovest with the Nuorese, to the West with the Barbagia, to the South with the Sarrabus and to the East it is delimited from the Tyrrhenian Sea, on which it shows itself along a coastal band of 104 km.
It appears to the eyes of who lands at it from the sea, in the port of Arbatax, like a wide amphitheater that from mounts it comes down gradually towards the coast.
some numbers :
- the Ogliastra extends for a surface of 1,855 Kmq
- it is populated from little less than 60,000 inhabitants who are distributed in 21 lived centers
(23 if they add the centers of Seui and Ussassai which, also
pertaining to an other historical-geographic region, the Barbagia of Seulo, however they are contemplated to the inside of the Mountain Community of the Ogliastra)
- the countries: the most populated is Tortolì with more than 9,000 inhabitants, followed from Lanusei with nearly 6.500 inhabitants, from Baunei with little more than 4,000, Barisardo, Villagrande Strisaili and Jerzu with more than 3,500 inhabitants: a number that can not be achieved by the least inhabited countries: Perdasdefogu, Tertenia, Cardedu, Ulassai (photo: cascades), Osini, Gairo, Loceri, Ilbono, Elini, Arzana, Talana, Urzulei, Triei, Lotzorai and Girasole
territory
the physical and morphologic order of this geographic region introduces varied characteristics: from the hard relief to the sweeter height, from the woody ridges to the meager plain handkerchiefs, from the deep and tightened valley incisions to the opened Supramonte, from the red reefs to the white rocky coasts on the sea.
The relief is characterized for some morphologic aspects that are shaped with evidence in some particular areas: 
- the limestone complex of the Supramonte of Baunei and Urzulei (photo), whose Karst-phenomena extend until the rocky coasts
- the limestone-dolomitic “taccus” who dominate the lived centers of Jerzu, Ulassai, Osini and Gairo
- the porphyry and the granite of the mounts of Arzana, Villagrande and Talana that constitute the ogliastrino versant of the massif of the Gennargentu, which higher summit, P.ta the Marmora (1834 m.) is just in the ogliastrina part (in the territory of Arzana).
An orographic system such configurated has generated natural shapes of extreme interest: 
- the Throat of Gorropu (photo: P.Rinaldi), the deepest canyon of Italy and maybe of Europe, outlined from breathtaking cliff walls that are high until 500 meters
- the sandy holds wedged in the rocky coasts, natural outlets of ” codulas ” that leave from the inland crossing it: they are evocative, from South towards North, the holds Goloritzé, Mariolu, Biriola, Sisine and Ilune
- the spires who dominate the sea inserting themselves to the linearity of the rocky coasts: it is spectacular the pinnacle of P.ta Caroddi (m.148): a natural monument that shades the sands of Goloritzè hold
- Karst-phenomena who have given place to gorges and sinkings and more widths rubble who engrave the ground: it is also to signalize in the territory of Baunei the chasm of the Golgo, or ” Su Sterru “: a dolina dep 294 m
- above many and all interesting from the spalaeological point of view coves, like those of “Su Marmuri ” at Ulassai, there is the cove of ” Taquisara ” at Gairo and “Sa domo and s’ orcu “, in the territory of Urzulei, where they were founded nuragical bronzes
- the area of ” taccus “, to the inside of which it dominates Perda Liana (m.1.293), a kind of limestone tower really characteristic and interesting under the geo-morphological profile, rich of fossils
>codulas: tightened valleys furrowed by torrents in sand-bank : if you cover them, you can arrive at the sea from the Supramonte, instead of using the private boats and the expensive ferries.
>taccus: rocky limestone outcrops, more or less extensive; isolated spures who are characterized by deep escarpes surrounded by a cover driven in holm-oaks and strawberry-trees, hollies and junipers
To sleep (Italian)
Residence Mare Azzurro ; Residence Cardedu 2