It is a ‘buffer zone’ between land and sea, with shallow, calm waters and it is shaped like a ‘goblet’ - hence the name. It is also a vital ‘lung’ where native plants grow and numerous varieties of fish and rare aquatic birds live. The Calich lagoon (or pond) is an integral part of the Porto Conte park and is one of the most significant nature sites on the Riviera del Corallo and in the whole of Nurra, a historical territory in the north-west of the island. Its waters, on average just over a metre deep, extend over a surface area of 97 hectares and a length of two and a half kilometres, running parallel to the coast of Alghero, which is an average of 400 metres away. Towards the sea, a strip of sand runs alongside it, with fossil or ‘living’ dunes, like those of the beautiful beach of Maria Pia.