The island of Sardinia is one of Italy’s most popular tourist destinations in the summer months, which means discovering the best beaches in Sardinia is at the top of many travellers’ bucket lists. Here you’ll find beaches in the northern and southern parts of the island, with options ranging from quiet coves perfect for swimming to wild, wavy waters ideal for surfing. There’s one crucially important thing to remember on Sardinia’s beaches: do not take natural souvenirs like shells, rocks or even sand; you’ll be subject to a fine. Wherever you go in Sardinia, you’ll find beaches with stunning landscapes, soft sand and picturesque, clear waters.
The best beaches in Sardinia: Costa del Sud
Costa del Sud is a stretch of coastline along Sardinia’s southern coastline, southwest of the island’s capital, Cagliari. The beaches of Costa del Sud are fine-sand beaches with clear waters. Many of them have well-stocked facilities for activities like paddleboarding and kiteboarding.
Tuerredda Beach
Tuerredda Beach is close to the popular village of Chia, with gorgeous, often calm, water that morphs between shades of blue and green. This beach is particularly popular with swimmers, as the water is quite shallow. There’s also a small island roughly 100 metres from the shore. You’ll find a car park very close to the beach, and you can drive there in around 10min from Chia.
Spiaggia Sa Colonia
Spiaggia Sa Colonia sits beside the promontory of Torre de Chia, recognisable by the Spanish watchtower that sits atop it. It’s often quiet, even during the busy summer months, and is excellent for young children, with large stretches of shallow water and fine sand dotted with pebbles. There’s also a beach kiosk where you can purchase snacks, beach lounges and other gear to make your day at the beach memorable. The beach is best visited by car, and there’s a car park on site that costs roughly €5 (around £4.30) a day.
The best beaches in Sardinia: Santa Teresa Gallura
Santa Teresa Gallura is a seaside town in the northern part of Sardinia, in the Olbia-Tempio Province. Here, the beaches have white sands and blue-green waters, backed by rocky cliffs. The area of Capo Testa in particular hosts many gorgeous beaches just a few kilometres from the town.
Rena Bianca
Rena Bianca is a beautiful beach with white sand and green shallow water, perfect for swimmers and young families. A trail on the eastern side of the beach leads travellers to excellent views of wind-carved rock formations. You can easily drive to the beach from Santa Teresa di Gallura, and there are multiple car parks around the edge of the beach. However, if you’re staying right in Santa Teresa Gallura, you may find it’s within walking distance. This is one of Northern Sardinia’s most popular beaches, so it can be very busy during peak season and you may find it difficult to find a parking space after around 10:30a.m.
Spiaggia Santa Reparata
If you’re looking for a beach that offers plenty of activities, then Spiaggia Santa Reparata is an excellent choice. With white sand, clear blue water and rocky coves, the beach is particularly popular with snorkellers and scuba divers, while good winds make it quite popular with windsurfers. You can drive to the beach from Santa Teresa Gallura in around 15min, and you’ll find a large car park available. A hidden feature of the beach is the unfinished Roman columns you can find by following a short path just past the far end of the beach.
The best beaches in Sardinia: Maddalena Islands
Maddalena Islands are one of the most popular tourist destinations in Sardinia, renowned for their landscapes, history and beautiful green water. You can access the archipelago by ferry from Palau, and you can reach the other islands from the archipelago’s main island, Maddalena, by boat.
Spiaggia Rosa
Spiaggia Rosa sits on the island of Budelli, known for its iconic pink sand, created by microscopic grains of shells and coral that have washed up on the beach over the years. Once, it was one of the most popular tourist destinations within Maddalena Islands, but now you’ll find the beach itself basically deserted. In 1994, in order to protect the beach and its unique sand, the Italian Government ruled that tourists couldn’t set foot on the beach itself. Instead, you can only visit the beach via boat and only to take photos. Still, the views and photos you’ll get of this unique geological feature are more than worth it, and the island of Budelli has plenty of gorgeous scenery to offer.
Cala Coticcio
Cala Coticcio is a beautiful beach excellent for snorkelling, located on the island of Caprera, which is accessible from Maddalena by a causeway. To reach the beach itself, you will need to make a reservation; this is so you can have a guide to take you on the hike to the beach. Alternatively, there are boat trips to the beach. While the hike isn’t too difficult, it usually takes around an hour, so this is best for those with some hiking experience. Once you’ve made the hike, you’ll be greeted with gorgeous white sands and clear blue waters, backed by rocky cliffs.
The best beaches in Sardinia: Capo Carbonara and Costa Rei
Sharing its name with the delicious Italian dish, Capo Carbonara sits on the south-eastern tip of Sardinia. As you travel north, it turns into Costa Rei and the beaches shift from small crescents to long stretches of sand. Capo Carbonara itself is a Protected Marine Area, which makes its beaches perfect for scuba diving. Most tourists will stay in the town of Villasimius, which is well located for beach day-tripping along both coastlines.
Porto Giunco
Porto Giunco is a large beach that has a blend of white and pink sands and shallow pale blue water. The water is full of marine life, which makes it popular with snorkellers and scuba divers, and you can also hire kayaks and pedalos. The best feature lies just behind the beach, where a wide lagoon is home to a flock of bright pink flamingos. The beach is around a 10min drive from Villasimius, with a large car park available that charges by the hour.
The best beaches in Sardinia: Costa Verde
Costa Verde is where you’ll find the wildest and most natural beaches in Sardinia, as well as some of the most deserted. Deserted beaches mean peace and quiet, but it also means fewer facilities, so be sure to pack snacks, water and sunscreen for your day out. Unlike some of the other beaches on this list, the wind and waters at Costa Verde’s beaches can be quite fierce at times, so younger children will have more fun on the sand or sticking to the shallows.
Cala Domestica
Cala Domestica is the southernmost beach of Costa Verde, with golden sands and deep blue water, framed by tall cliffs. The beach was once part of a mining operation, and it still has ruins of warehouses and tunnels, including a tunnel that leads to a small cove called La Caletta. You’ll find it easiest to reach Cala Domestica by car, with the trip taking around 10min from the nearest town of Buggerru. There’s a car park at the edge of the beach, including parking spaces for camper vans. The beach is popular with scuba divers who love getting close to the many varieties of fish that make the clear water their home.
Scivu Beach
Scivu Beach is a gorgeous beach backed by Dune di Scivu, some of the tallest sand dunes found in Europe. You will find one kiosk on this beach that hires out beach umbrellas, so you can easily set up for a lovely day in the shade. A 3-kilometre strip of golden sand divided by a small reef, Scivu Beach is often deserted, even in August. The beach has a parking area, and you can drive to the beach on the SS 126 from the town of Arbus. Bear in mind that there are no petrol stations close to the beach, so keep an eye on your fuel level.
