No question that one of the most common reasons for taking a trip to Sardinia is the beauty of its sea and beaches.
The island of Sant’Antioco has gorgeous ones and there are more all around it, on the island of San Pietro and in the gulf of Palmas, as well as on the western coast of Sulcis Iglesiente.
I’ve been to all of them (or almost), but some of them I frequent and know better; these are the ones that I consider “mine.”
I particularly love Spiaggia Sottotorre, La Salina and Calasetta; I love Spiaggia Sottotorre because it is right under Cà de Anna (the house in the town where my mother-in-law lived, which we now rent for vacation homes); I love La Salina because it is beautiful with its white dunes on which lilies of San Pancrazia bloom and junipers grow, and for its crystal-clear sea, protected from wind and facing the island of San Pietro.
In my opinion, San Pietro is best enjoyed from the sea rather than land. There are few beaches and they are tiny and crowded in the summer. The magnificent coves, cliffs and stacks are best seen from a boat (a dinghy will do) and give you the chance for unforgettable swims.
My favorite beach on the island of San Pietro is La Bobba, and La Caletta, cala Guidi and Cala Fico (with its fascinating “fjord” of rocks) are also lovely.
If you leave the Island (by which I always mean Sant’Antioco, where I live, in Calasetta), going east/southeast along the Gulf of Palmas, the finest beach of all is Porto Pino with its high, pure white dunes from which you can admire the entire Gulf (and the Island seen from Sardinia), and from the other side the ponds abounding in flamingos, wader and migratory birds.
(Photo by Giovanni Paulis)
If you leave the Island going west/northwest, you come across many beaches all with the view of the massive cliff of Pan di Zucchero (of incomparable beauty at sunset). If you have the patience to go as far as the mining basin of Sulcis Iglesiente to Buggerru, you will be rewarded when you reach the splendor of Cala Domestica, a gorgeous double cove separated by a rock arch.
These beaches are a mere starting point, not a full selection of the many options. The western coast of Sardinia and the Archipelago of Sulcis are of such extreme beauty, it’s hard to decide which corner of this world to love best.
(Photo by Simonetta Zedda).
These beaches are a mere starting point, not a full selection of the many options. The western coast of Sardinia and the Archipelago of Sulcis are of such extreme beauty, it’s hard to decide which corner of this world to love best.