The five best-loved beaches

The five best-loved beaches

Sardinia is the favourite destination, and once again in 2017, its beaches are also the best loved

According to tourists from all round the world, five of the most beautiful beaches in Italy are in Sardinia. The island's coastal jewels dominate the national league table, which is determined by the quality and quantity of comments on the Internet from travellers who have visited them.

The Ogliastra coves in the top three

Cala Mariolu and Cala Goloritzè are the jewels of the southern part of the Gulf of Orosei, a corner of the Mediterranean where nature has expressed herself best. The best loved of the Sardinian beaches is Cala Mariolu, with its white and pink pebbles mixed with sand. Its name comes from the monk seal, known as the ‘mariolo’ (thief) because it is said to steal fish from nets. It is very striking with its blue, aquamarine and emerald green colours and the little pebbles which look like snowflakes. The surrounding cliffs rise 500 metres straight out of the sea: you can reach the cove by sea or by trekking (for experts) through thick, green Mediterranean vegetation.

A real jewel in the Gulf of Orosei, on the central-eastern coast of Sardinia: a welcoming little cove featuring pink and white pebbles rewarding...

A beach that is a symbol of Sardinia

The other pearl of Ogliastra, Cala Goloritzè is on the Baunei coast and seems straight out of a fairy-tale: it nestles between a forest of arbutus and holm oaks and two natural features, Perda Longa and l’Aguglia, a 100-metre pyramid. Its smooth, white pebbles are submerged in turquoise clear water from the underwater karst springs and are surrounded by marble rocks sculpted by time: it's a climber's paradise. It can be reached with a long, but not very difficult hike.

One of the jewels of Sardinia, this little cove blends harmoniously with the limestone coast on the southern part of the Gulf of Orosei, on the...

A work of art in nature

A movie-set paradise in the north-west corner of the island. La Pelosa is a masterpiece: with extremely fine white sand, and clear shallow water for dozens of metres. The turquoise and blue sea blends with the sky, in an evocative view from the surrounding towers. Stintino's iconic beach is protected from the force of the sea by the Capo Falcone sea stacks, and the Piana and Asinara islands: because of the natural barrier, the water at Stintino is always calm. The many juniper bushes in the area help remind you that you are in Sardinia despite the Caribbean surroundings. In front there is a little island with an Aragonese tower, which is the symbol of La Pelosa, an obligatory stop during your holiday in northern Sardinia.

In the Gulf of Asinara, in the extreme northwestern part of Sardinia, there is a tropical beach, one of the most beautiful in Europe and a natural...

An oasis you see in dreams and television adverts

A dazzling sight welcomes you from the top of a tower that dominates the Villasimius coastline: an expanse of sand so fine it is nearly ethereal, white with a veil of gold, threads between the turquoise sea and the Notteri lagoon, the home of pink flamingoes. On the other side from La Pelosa, on the south-eastern corner, is Porto Giunco, an oasis created by an exceptional artist, nature, and which has inspired many television adverts. It has inspired several television adverts. Surrounding eucalyptus trees and Mediterranean vegetation perfume the air of an inlet that is naturally sheltered from wind. You will feel that you are nowhere on earth. It is an emblem of the Capo Carbonara marine area.

An earthly paradise, a sublime stretch of fine sand and a sea that blends with the sky, one of the jewels of the southeastern coast, a few tens of...

Pink quartz and turquoise sea

Hundreds of metres of crystal-clear sea and very fine quartz, similar to grains of rice, with a beautiful progression of colours, from green to white, including pink. Is Arutas is one of the jewels of the marine area of the Sinis peninsula, in the area of Cabras, and is the perfect beach to relax on, and the number five amongst Sardinian beaches. Bring a camera and diving mask with you: the water takes on a colours that range from intense green and aquamarine to blue, while its clarity enables you to easily admire underwater life: the more adventurous fish will come up to you shyly and you can go off to discover underwater natural treasures.