Beaches in Sardinia (Only the Best)
Are you thinking to visit Sardinia and wonder what are this year’s best beaches in Sardinia? Sardinia is a magical island of Italy, located in the Mediterranean Sea, just south of Corsica. ?
This amazing Island is one of the best summer tourist destinations. Sardinia has a lot to see and do. In this article, we will show you some of our favorite beaches on the island,
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The Maddalena Archipelago Offers Some of the Best Beaches In Sardinia
Budelli Island
Budelli Island is one of several islands that form the Maddalena Archipelago and located north of Maddalena (the main island), and it can be reached only by boat. Like all the archipelagos, Budelli is part of a natural park “Parco natural Dalla Maddalena.” Also, it has a very strict set of rules for visiting. For example, nobody lives on the Island. Indeed, the best way to visit is either by private boat or by an organized tour.
You can take a tour of Budelli from Maddalena itself or from one of many local marinas nearby. Some tours include the visit to several different islands in the park, others focus only on one or two islands. We usually prefer tours that semi-private (less than 10 people on the boat). Those tours usually include lunch and the park entrance fee.
The most famous beach on Budelli is La Spiaggia Rosa (The Pink Beach). While it is one of the best beaches in Sardinia, unfortunately, it is no longer open to the public. Yes folks, this beach is so awesome, it can only be seen from the boat!
One of the best tours that get you to Budelli is taken from the nearby town of Baja Sardinia. Indeed, from Baja Sardinia, you can reach the archipelago using restored antique sailboats. The tour starts in Budelli where the boat stops to allow passengers to swim in the turquoise water. Indeed, Sardinia has one of the best waters of the world. After the swim, a nice lunch is served on board before leaving for the next destination, which is also our #2 best beach in Sardinia: Spargi.
Spargi
Spargi is another small island in the Maddalena Archipelago and natural park. This island has many small coves with crystal clear water, very small beaches, and calm water. In Sardinia, some of the best beaches are the small ones. And, Spargi is no different. Indeed, it’s a total paradise to swim in the amazing waters of Spargi and snorkel near the shore. Like the previous island, it can be reached by private boat or by a tour. Usually, the tours include both islands due to the close proximity of the two.
Licensed scuba divers can take tours to dive by the roman boat relict on the north side of the island.
Cala di Volpe Is One of the Best Beaches In Sardinia
Cala di Volpe is one of the many beaches of the Costa Smeralda (The Emerald Coast) in Sardinia. Costa Smeralda is located on the northeast side of Sardinia, and its major center is Porto Cervo. The closest airport is Olbia that is about 35km south of Porto Cervo. Beaches in this area of Sardinia are some of the best in the world with absolutely amazing green emerald water and white or red sand. For example, Cala di Volpe is one of the best beaches in Sardinia, along with the more famous Liscia Ruja and Capriccioli.
All the beaches in the area are well equipped with chair rental, restaurants, paid parking, and coffee shops. Unfortunately at peak season, mid-July to the end of August, the area gets really busy and most of the famous beaches are packed with people. In our opinion, it is much better to enjoy this area either at the beginning of the season (June) or the end (September).
Chia Beach, Cagliari
Chia is located in the south of Sardinia, near the big city of Cagliari. Cagliari is also the closest airport to reach this area. The beaches in this area have shallow water, white or pink sand and turquoise water. The beaches have great amenities like coffe shops, chair rental, boat rental, parking and showers. They are perfect for family and kids because the water is shallow and very calm.
In the late spring to mid June in the ponds near the beaches it is not unusual to see big flocks of pink flamingos.
This area, also become quite busy at peak season mostly due to the fact that the beaches are very easy to reach and they have a great amount of amenities.
Cala Goloritzè – Winner: The Worlds Most Beautiful Beach
This little stretch of white sand with deep turquoise water is one of the most famous and best beaches on the island of Sardinia. To be sure, this beach has won the prize for one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
Cala Goloritze is located south of the little town of Cala Gonone that has many hotels, restaurants and stores. At night, there is a vibrant nightlife,.
Cala Goloritze can be reached by hiking a very narrow path or by boat. The day we went, we rented a boat and deeply enjoyed our experience, The white rock formations surrounding the beaches are stunning and they make the perfect background for the beach. It’s no wonder that Cala Goloritze is one of the best beaches in Sardinia. The water is calm and incredibly transparent. Swimming in this water is an amazing experience and no trip to Sardinia is complete without a visit to Cala Goloritzè.
The coast also has many natural caves with crystal clear water that can be visited by boat.
Carloforte, San Pietro Island
San Pietro Island is located on the southwest coast of Sardinia. It can be reached by ferry boat from the town of Portoscuso or from the nearby island of Sant’Antioco. The small town of Carloforte is a total delight, rich in history and Genovese influence. The island of San Pietro got famous for tuna fishing since roman time. Certainly, some of the best tuna in the world is from here. Naturally, downtown Carloforte restaurants serve freshly caught tuna, in season.
San Pietro island also has some of the best beaches in Sardinia, featuring deep blue, emerald, and turquoise water. I think the best way to visit these beaches is by boat, either private or tour boat. Like other Sardinian beaches, some of the best and most amazing beaches on the island can not be reached by car, rather only boat.
Capo Caccia, Porto Conte Alghero
Alghero is a nice large town on the west coast of Sardinia. It is easily reached by plane to the Alghero Airport. The town has been a Catalan colony for centuries. In fact they still speak a dialect that is closer to Catalan than to Italian. The Catalan influence is quite noticeable in the local cuisine and architecture.
The coastline has some cliffs and many small bays with crystal clear deep blue water. Beaches in this area are often wild with fewer amenities but with incredible nature surrounding them. This area is also really popular among scuba divers due to the amazing wildlife in the sea.
We hope we inspired you to visit this incredible island in the Mediterranean sea. Keep in mind that the island is about 300km long and 150 km wide. So, if you plan a visit, plan at least one week to ten days in order for you to have a good grasp on this amazing land.
Andrea
Andrea was born and raised in Northern Italy. At the age of 30, he moved to Vancouver Canada. Over the years he traveled extensively in North America, Europe, Central America, and Asia. He is passionate about traveling, cruising, and travel photography. He likes to write about his traveling and shows his travel photos.