North Sardinia: an area to discover
North Sardinia offers landscapes and views that are truly unforgettable.
Discover the 10 photos that will take you into the wild heart of the wonders of Northern Sardinia. The Islands of La Maddalena, the Emerald Coast, Tavolara, and Molara.
Plan your next trip and choose incredibly scenic spots to spend an unforgettable vacation.
The Pink Beach
One of the must-sees in northern Sardinia that absolutely must be visited is the Pink Beach.
The Pink Beach is located on Budelli Island in the southeastern part of the island. It is a protected beach, an integral conservation area, and is only reachable by boat.
Its name comes from the characteristic color of the sand, which is made up of tiny fragments of pink-colored organisms that live in the meadows of Posidonia oceanica.
The sand is pink due to the presence of mainly bryozoan fragments Miriapora truncata and foraminifera Miniacina miniacea.
The Pink Beach of Budelli is famous, not only for its beauty but also because some scenes of Michelangelo Antonioni's film Red Desert were shot here.
Porto Taverna
The Porto Taverna Beach is located between Porto San Paolo and San Teodoro, right across from the Islands of Tavolara and Molara in the Tavolara Punta Coda Cavallo Marine Protected Area.
It is a very long beach set in enchanting nature, with a wetlands area of particular value and environmental relevance behind it.
The Porto Taverna beach can be reached by car from the north entrance or the south entrance, or it can be accessed by boat during a boat trip.
Incredibly picturesque is the dune-back lagoon with walkways positioned over the water, creating a magical scene.
During a walk on the lagoon, it is possible to closely admire Flamingos, Herons, Egrets, and Black-winged Stilts. Absolutely one of the beaches to see!
Cala Santa Maria
Cala Santa Maria is located on the homonymous Santa Maria Island in the Archipelago of La Maddalena. Santa Maria Island is truly a small gem characterized by small beaches and bays with breathtaking colors.
The island is named after the Benedictine convent of Sancta Maria de Budello that dates back to the medieval period.
The island of Santa Maria in the Archipelago is particularly significant as it hosts the Mantle of the Madonna. This is a particular stretch of sea nestled between the islands of Budelli, Razzoli, and Santa Maria itself.
Porto della Madonna is a very popular destination for both boaters and boat trips.
On the island, you will find some of the most famous and well-known beaches in the area, including Cala Santa Maria, Porto Madonna, and the famous Passo degli Asinelli.
Cala Coticcio
Cala Coticcio is located on the Island of Caprera and is undoubtedly among the most sought-after beaches. It is a small and delightful bay characterized by water of a very light blue color, tending toward white, with a fine sandy beach.
Cala Coticcio is completely surrounded by vegetation and typical Mediterranean scrub plants, giving it a completely exotic and wild appearance.
On the Island of Caprera, there are also other beaches that are absolutely must-visit.
One of these is Cala Relitto, a beach located within the integral reserve of the La Maddalena Archipelago National Park.
This beach is named after a wreck that once lay upon the beach, of which only a few fragments are now visible.
These are beaches that leave you literally speechless due to their colors, especially on days when a light maestrale wind is blowing.
The Maestrale is a wind that blows from the northwest, making the air clear and clean and making colors particularly vivid while enhancing light contrasts.
Cala Coticcio has been nicknamed Tahiti… wonder why 🙂
Cala Brandinchi
The beach of Cala Brandinchi is located on the northeast coast of Sardinia, near the towns of Porto San Paolo and San Teodoro. It is situated in the southern portion of the promontory of Cape Coda Cavallo.
Cala Brandinchi is also known by the nickname Little Tahiti, precisely because of the stunning colors of water and sand.
At this beach, the seabed gently slopes and remains shallow for dozens of meters, creating the characteristic and famous pool effect.
In Cala Brandinchi, you can admire fine sand dunes covered with sea lilies. The area behind the dunes boasts a beautiful pine forest for resting in the shade.
Discover all information on Cala Brandinchi and prepare for an unforgettable experience.
Cala Corsara
Cala Corsara is located in the southern part of the Spargi Island in the heart of the La Maddalena Archipelago National Park.
The beach of Cala Corsara is famous for a granite rock that resembles the profile of a witch looking at the sea.
Spargi is truly a wonderful island that hosts enchanted beaches. The island is scattered with bays and coves, fragmented by suggestive rocks of the most unusual shapes.
On Spargi, you will find some of the most famous beaches of the Park, with fine white sand coves surrounded by large tafoni and lush typical vegetation behind them.
Some of the beaches to visit in Spargi are Cala Bonifazzinca, Cala Ferrigno, Cala dell’Amore, Cala Granara, and Cala Connari.
The island is home to many bird species, including the Corsican Gull and the Storm Petrel.
Cala Corsara can only be visited by boat. Every day there are many boat trips in the La Maddalena Archipelago that allow you to see it.
Capriccioli
Capriccioli is one of the most famous beaches and destinations in the Costa Smeralda. Capriccioli Beach is located south of Porto Cervo, a few kilometers from Cala di Volpe.
Capriccioli is a particularly small and cozy beach surrounded by lush and enchanting nature. The beach is divided into two coves separated by the characteristic Gallura granite rocks.
The beach of Capriccioli is equipped with all services and easily accessible. During the summer season, it is a sought-after and very frequented destination, thanks to its well-deserved fame.
The waters of the Capriccioli bay and nearby beaches are shallow, incredibly clear and rich in life.
Paese La Maddalena
The Town of La Maddalena is located on the island of the same name, the heart of the National Park.
The Island of La Maddalena is certainly the largest of the islands in the Park. The 7 “sister” islands that form the Archipelago are:
La Maddalena boasts a delightful seaside town with a small harbor. The layout of the streets and its characteristic atmosphere earn the Town of La Maddalena the nickname of the Little Paris.
The island and the town have been the site of significant historical events also due to the strategic position of the Archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea.
La Maddalena was the site of a failed invasion attempt by the French army led by Napoleon Bonaparte, repelled by the Sardinian fleet led by Domenico Millelire.
The island is also famous for its granite quarries; in Cala Francese, the quarry remained active until 1930. The use of granite from La Maddalena has always been a subject of dispute: it seems that the extracted granite was used to create numerous works some of which were, however, incorrectly attributed.
Among the monuments actually verified to be made with rocks extracted from the island seem to be the Ismailia monument located to defend the Suez Canal in Egypt and the tomb of Clelia, the firstborn of Giuseppe Garibaldi, the hero of the two worlds.
Tavolara Beaches
Tavolara is an island located in the northeast of Sardinia between the municipalities of Olbia, Loiri Porto San Paolo, and San Teodoro, south of Capo Ceraso.
Together with Molara, these two islands are included within one of the 6 Marine Protected Areas of Sardinia.
Tavolara is the “Capital” of the Marine Protected Area of Tavolara and Punta Coda Cavallo where you can go snorkeling and see all the life that populates the AMP.
The island of Tavolara can only be reached by boat. The tours to visit Tavolara generally include a stop to admire the beaches and the unspoiled nature of the island.
Among the places of particular interest to see in Tavolara are Cala Tramontana beach, Punta Spalmatore beach where the two seas meet.
The small cemetery of the Kings of Tavolara is also worth a visit, located just a few minutes walk from the landing point.
The island of Tavolara boasts a flora and fauna that are absolutely peculiar with some characteristic endemisms.
Lu Impostu
The Lu Impostu beach is located south of the promontory of Capo Coda Cavallo and north of the promontory of Puntaldia in the territory of San Teodoro.
This beach is the twin of Cala Brandinchi and is certainly worth a visit.
This beach is set in an enchanting context, with transparent waters and lush vegetation. A pond with a small crossing to reach the beach completes the experience.
The northernmost part of Lu Impostu connects with Cala Brandinchi through a passage in the Mediterranean scrub.