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The second largest island in the Mediterranean, Sardinia has almost 1250 miles of coastline (around a quarter of the entire Italian coast), taking in some of the world’s most spectacular beaches. Gentle waters in dazzling, ever-shifting shades of turquoise, emerald and aquamarine lap stretches of the softest sand that come in a colour palette that shifts from talcum-powder white through shades of delicate pink to deep golden. The best beaches in Sardinia vary between long, gently curving smiles to wild and windy spots backed by high dunes and tiny coves wedged between rugged rocks. Some, often empty, have no facilities and are only accessible at the end of a long trek through the fragrant mix of wild juniper, cistus, myrtle and helichrysum known as macchia Mediterranea (scrub) that fringes much of the coast or by boat. Others are much easier to reach and are set up with car parking and lidos offering sun loungers, umbrellas and food and drink outlets.
The most famous beaches in Sardinia are on the Costa Smeralda in the northeast of the island, the jetset playground founded by the late Aga Khan in the 1960s. In high season, you may have to fight for your strip of sand (or pay through the nose for an expensive perch in one of the beach clubs), and your sea view may be blocked by ranks of superyachts anchoring for the day, but there is no denying that the coast here is ravishing. Luckily, there is plenty of choice elsewhere, and if you avoid the most popular spots and the Italian holidays in July and August, it’s quite possible to find yourself alone in paradise with only seagulls for company. This is our selection of the best Sardinia beaches for every taste.
Spiaggia del Principe ‘The Prince’s Beach’ (aka Portu Li Coggi) was the Aga Khan’s favourite by all accounts, an exquisite crescent of fine white sand backed by low, macchia-cloaked hills and enclosed at each end by pink granite boulders. Accessed via a 10-minute walk down a rough path and lying at the heart of his VIP enclave (the Consorzio della Costa Smeralda), it is lapped by shades-of-turquoise waters and packed with Italians at peak holiday times. There’s free and paid parking and a small bar where you can get lunch, snacks and drinks day long.
Liscia Ruja
The archetypal Costa Smeralda beach – gin-clear, emerald green (smeralda) waters, pale golden-pink sand fringed by Mediterranean macchia – Liscia Ruja is one of the longest beaches in the area and a honeypot for the jet-set. Like much of this stunning Emerald Coast, it is a mix of wild, unspoilt nature and contemporary sophistication; stretches of free beach sit next to some of the smartest beach clubs in the area, where (at vast cost) you can eat and drink and rent sunbeds and umbrellas.
Piscinas
The lonely, untamed Costa Verde on Sardinia’s south-western shore is characterised by wide swathes of golden sand backed by some of Europe’s highest dunes. A 40-minute winding drive from the old mining town of Arbus, there is a huge beach known as Piscinas where the pristine sand shelves sharply, the wind buffets the shore, and the sea is often unsettled. Off-season, you are likely to have the place to yourself. There are a couple of simple lidos with bars and sunbeds for rent; alternatively, you can check into what must be the most remote five-star hotel in Italy, which shimmers like a mirage in the hot sun.
Is Arutas
Just north of Cabras on the wild west coast lies the Sinis Peninsula, its flat, fertile farmland dotted with stagni or lagoons inhabited by pink flamingos. The beaches here are characterised by rough sand formed by tiny rice-like grains of pink and white quartz, which glitter in the sun. Is Arutas, a long half-moon with steeply sloping sand and turquoise turning to deep-blue water, is the most impressive. Bring a snorkelling mask; there’s lots to see here within metres of the shore. Services include a basic campsite, parking, a couple of simple restaurants and bars.
Spiaggia del Poetto
At around eight kilometres in length and located a 20-minute bus ride from the city centre, Cagliari’s in-house Poetto beach is one of the longest on the island. This is where the Cagliaritani hang out at weekends; facing south-east, it looks over the deep blue waters of the Golfo di Quartu and is lined with bars, beach clubs and restaurants where you can feast on classics such as fregùla pasta with seafood. It’s one of the windiest spots on the island, so popular for sailing, wind and kite-surfing. Just inland lie the lagoons of the Molentargius salt flats, where pink flamingos can often be spotted.
Spiaggia di Cala Pira
This gentle, 500-metre curve of fine white sand with a pinkish hue and sparkling turquoise sea located between Villasimius and Sant’Elmo on the Costa del Rei in southeast Sardinia is one of the best beaches in the area. Protected by a rocky promontory and backed by dunes and fragrant, juniper-rich scrub, it’s great for families as the water is shallow and calm, and there are rock pools to be explored; snorkelling is good here too. There is a car park close to the beach, a campsite and a couple of bars and restaurants for lunch and refreshments.
The Maddalena archipelago
From Palau, ferries depart regularly for La Maddalena, the largest in the group of seven granite islands and a host of tiny islets known as the Archipelago della Maddalena. Charter a boat to explore the dazzling wonderland of white sand beaches – some mere scraps - lapped by Caribbean waters; there are plenty of deserted coves for a picnic lunch (stock up in the port). It’s hard to single out the best beaches, but Cala Serena on the island of Caprera (the resting place of Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi), family-friendly Cala Spalmatore on La Maddalena, and the famously pink Cavaliere (where there is only access from the sea) are standouts.
Cala Goloritzé
It would be difficult not to include the winner of the number one slot in the recently published list of The World’s 50 Best Beaches. Declared a national monument in 1995, Cala Goloritzé lies in the Guolf of Orosei on the eastern Baunei Coast and is dominated by dramatic limestone stacks that tower above the powder-white sand and crystalline sea. It’s a wild place without bars or lidos and fiercely protected by the authorities; land access is via a two-hour trek through the rough scrub or you can charter a boat from Arbatax or Cala Gonone, but you have to moor 300 metres offshore and row or swim in.
La Pelosa
Just squeezing into the World’s Best Beach awards at number 50, this ravishing scythe of talcum-powder white sand with electric blue-green water lies on a headland near Stintino on the northwestern tip of Sardinia. The sand here shelves gently, so you can walk and swim for miles in the calm, clear waters, enjoying iconic views over a 16th-century watch tower and the uninhabited island of Asinara, once a prison and now home to a unique breed of albino donkeys. With plenty of fish and other sea creatures in the shallows, it offers fine snorkelling.
Spiaggia di Maria Pia
Magnificent beaches stretch both north and south from medieval Alghero; one of the best is the Spiaggia di Maria Pia, a 1.2 kilometre stretch backed by dunes and umbrella pines that provide shady relief from the sizzling midday sun. Lapped by gin-clear water, the dazzling white sand shelves gently, making it very safe for kids. There’s ample parking, a couple of campsites and plenty of beach clubs with sunbeds, umbrellas and restaurants.