Scogliera di Biddiriscottai (Cala Gonone) · Sardinia · Italy
Easy to bailBolting confidence: high
Five steep, sustained pitches at 6b to 6b+ straight out of the sea on new titanium bolts, on abrasive, pocketed limestone. Bulges, a smooth roof, a corner and a thin finishing crack, with a cave belay after pitch 1.
The route
Oceano Mare is one of five long routes on the Biddiriscottai sea cliff north of Cala Gonone that were made safe again in 2022 with glued titanium anchors. First equipped by Lecis in 1996, it had been left alone because of corroded hardware. It is now a very homogeneous route: every pitch is 6a+ to 6b+ and steep, on rock that recent parties describe as like new. You can reach it either by abseiling the line from the track above or, more pleasantly, by walking down the Millennium cave path and along the shore.
The climbing
| Pitch | Grade | Length | Bolts | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P1 | 6b+ | 40 m | 13 bolts | White, rounded, overhanging rock to start (6a), then a hard wall with a bouldery 6b+ move and a slab to a comfortable belay in the mouth of a cave. The first bolt is about 5 m up. |
| P2 | 6b+ | 30 m | 9 bolts | Easily to another hollow (6a), an awkward clip leaving it, then over a bulge and up a sustained vertical wall on good holds to an uncomfortable belay on a sloping slab. Some sources give 6b. |
| P3 | 6b | 20 m | 6 bolts | A wall full of small pockets, then a smooth roof with one stubborn move to a belay on a small step a little higher. |
| P4 | 6a+ | 30 m | 9 bolts | Left into a corner and up it (6a+), then slant right up a magnificent sculpted slab (5b) to a belay on a good step. One party thought it worth 6b. |
| P5 | 6b+ | 40 m | 13 bolts | A wall on good holds (6a), then a smooth slab with an obligatory 6b+ move to gain a thin crack on the left. Layback it on superb rock (6a) and finish up a sculpted wall to the top belay. |
Getting there
Base is Cala Gonone (Dorgali). From the village follow the road up towards Cartoe and Osalla, which turns into a dirt track along the top of the cliffs. For the abseil approach stop after about 1.5 km of track at a left-hand bend (a cairn marks the way down on the right; there is a rock with four bolts on the left of the track). For the walk-in continue to the start of the Millennium cave descent.
Two options. On foot (recommended by camptocamp): continue along the track and take the descent to the Millennium cave on the right; the path starts between two cairns, with 'Millenium' written on a rock. Follow the path and its fixed-rope via ferrata section to the level of the cave, then take the path down right to the sea and follow the foot of the walls south to the last route before the shore becomes impassable. A 2024 party took about an hour. By abseil: from the bend, an obvious path leads down to the abseil station of Black Cimigniones; a few metres further right, facing the sea, is belay 5 of Oceano Mare. Four abseils: R5 to R4, R4 to R2, R2 to R1 (traversing right with your back to the sea), R1 to the ground. A 2024 party could not find the cairn from the track and walked down.
Loading map
The point marks the crag, not the exact start of the route.
Point from camptocamp waypoint 131888
Contains the route point. Opens in most mapping apps and GPS watches.
Points are compiled from published sources, with the precision stated above. They were not surveyed on the ground: check them against a current topo.
Coordinates: 40.31321, 9.65522 (crag)
Getting down
From the top belay go right to the belay of Black Cimigniones, then follow the cairns and the path up to the track, which is only about 100 m away.
Retreat
Easy to bail
Every belay is equipped for abseiling and the abseil line down the route is a documented approach. Camptocamp states that if you cannot get up, you abseil off and walk back up by the Millennium via ferrata.
Safety
Sun and weather
South-east facing sea cliff. Reports are from March to May and September to November. Rain showers pass quickly and the cave at the first belay gives shelter. In a strong maestrale the wind funnels up this stretch of coast and the routes are exposed to it. The rock is very abrasive.
Sun on the wall · SE-facing
Working out the sunlit hours for this month.
Sun on the wallDaylight, wall in shade● Usual season
Estimated from the wall's aspect only. Ignores surrounding terrain, gullies and the wall's exact shape. Clock times are local to the wall (Central European time), for the 15th of each month.
Climate figures for Sardinia are not available yet
What to carry
14 quickdraws. A 50 m abseil rope (two strands) if you approach by abseil; a single rope is enough if you walk in. PlanetMountain's crag page lists two 60 m ropes for the long routes here. Cams are not needed. Helmet.
Derived from the route data; check it against a current topo
From climbers
Reader reports are not being collected yet. Until they are, check a current topo and the local club or guidebook publisher for recent changes to Oceano Mare.
Worth knowing
Open questions
Provenance
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Committing
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Spain · Mallorca (Sa Gubia)
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Compiled from published sources and last verified October 2026. Bolts, anchors and access change. Climbing is dangerous and you are responsible for your own decisions: check a current topo and read the disclaimer.