The 20 Best Beaches in North Sardinia (100% Worth a Visit)

Full List of the 20 Best Beaches in Northern Sardinia

The north of the island is home to some of the most spectacular landscapes and beaches of Sardinia, including the popular Costa Smeralda, famous worldwide for its beautiful beaches and social life.

As you can imagine, there are much more than 20 great beaches, but I had to cut the list at some point 😅 So, here is my top 20 beaches in northern Sardinia, starting from the north west to the north east of the island: 

1. La Pelosa 
2. Le Saline 
3. Balai
4. Tinnari 
5. Cala li Cossi
6. Cala Sarraina
7. Torre Vignola Mare
8. Rena Majore
9. Rena di Ponente 
10. Capo Testa (Spiaggia Zia Culumba)
11. Rena Bianca
12. La Marmorata
13. Porto Pollo
14. Testa del Polpo
15. Cala Coticcio
16. Li Piscini
17. Grande Pevero
18. Principe
19. Liscia Ruja
20. Cala Brandinchi 

Alright, now let’s see each of these beaches in more detail! Keep reading below for more info on the beaches including photos and tips for accessing them properly.

1. La Pelosa

It is beyond doubt that La Pelosa is one of the most beautiful beaches in Sardinia and in the entire Mediterranean. Located in Stintino on the northwestern tip of the island, La Pelosa is a huge stretch of pure white sand that runs down to a crystal clear turquoise sea.

The landscape is breathtaking, highlighted by the Torre della Pelosa, a 16th-century Aragonese tower, and the island of Asinara, located just opposite. This shallow beach is ideal for families with children as you need to walk hundreds of feet before the water gets deep. 

However, you should know that La Pelosa is very crowded in the high season. To preserve it, dogs are not allowed and its access is limited to 1,500 people from June to September, so make sure to book your spot well ahead of the date you plan to be there. 

2. Le Saline

Also located in the town of Stintino, Spiaggia Le Saline is one of the best beaches in north west Sardinia, but also one of the largest with no less than 3.2 kilometers of sand.

It is a beautiful beach with very coarse, medium-grained, and compact white sand. Its crystalline sea has wonderful transparencies and is of clear emerald green, with a low bottom and little presence of algae. It is not uncommon to see fish of different species also swimming close to the shore, perfect for scuba divers.

Behind the coast is the Stagno delle Saline, a wetland area populated by various species of protected birds, and an Aragonese tower overlooking the coast, offering a unique landscape.

3. Balai

Balai Beach is a small cove with a sandy bottom and intense blue water located in the town of Porto Torres. Due to its small size and its location in the middle of the city, it gets quickly crowded in high season, so make sure to come quite early. 

On both sides of the coast, there are cliffs from which the most adventurous can dive. All around the beach, there is a green garden filled with palm trees and flowers, perfect for walks along the coast. It is dominated from above by the Sanctuary of San Gavino a Mare, Chiesetta di Balai in Italian.

Very popular with the locals, Spiaggia di Balai is the place of many events all year long such as small concerts or the popular New Year’s Dive.

4. Tinnari

Tinnari is a beach that must be earned! Located on the Costa Paradiso, this small but wonderful pebble beach is reachable by boat or by a 2 kilometers-hiking trail (30 min-1 hour walk) down the slopes of Mount Tinnari.

Jonybraker / CC BY-NC-ND

Although the hike is not the easiest, you will enjoy beautiful views of the coastline all the way to the beach. If you prefer taking the boat, there are departures from Cala Rossa (Spiaggia di Cala Canneddi). 

Secluded and uncrowded due to its difficult access, Cala Tinnari is perfect for those seeking peace and quiet. 

5. Cala li Cossi

Of all the beaches in northern Sardinia, Cala li Cossi is definitely my favorite one. Located on the Costa Paradiso not far from Santa Teresa di Gallura and Castelsardo, Spiaggia di Cala li Cossi stands out from the other beaches thanks to its pink rocky landscape that is simply breathtaking! 

To get to the beach, you have to follow an easy coastal path for about 15 minutes. However, it may take longer to reach the beach as the trail is so beautiful with incredible viewpoints. You will stop almost every 5 min to take a photo! 

The beach of yellow sand and green waters is quite small, so it gets quickly crowded. All around, there are granite rocks and small cliffs you dive from or explore. 

6. Cala Sarraina

Cala Sarraina is another paradise beach of the Costa Paradiso located in the town of Trinità d’Agultu e Vignola. It is a small cute beach of quartz sand surrounded by red rocks with crystal clear waters. 

This beach also offers scenic walks, rock pools, and a dozen of small bays, which make your day at the beach unforgettable. Don’t forget your snorkeling equipment as it is full of fish! 

Quite unspoiled in the middle of Sardinian nature, you will have to take a rocky path to reach the parking, but nothing bad. 

7. Torre Vignola Mare

Spiaggia Della Torre Vignola Mare is located a few kilometers from Santa Teresa di Gallura from where the ferries to Corsica leave.

Willy Butler / CC BY-NC

It is a beautiful and large beach with a warm white sandy bottom with medium-fine grains and almost no posidonia. The beautiful crystalline sea has a shallow and sandy bottom with beautiful colors of blue and light green. The rocks off the coast, the small cliff that surrounds the beach, and the tower of Vignola, also called La Turra, make this beach a perfect setting to relax.

Torre Vignola Mare beach is very quiet, easy to reach, and protected from the wind, ideal for families with children.

8. Rena Majore

With its pristine waters and white sand, Spiaggia Rena Majore is one of the best beaches for snorkeling in Sardinia due to its sea beds full of fish! 

Rena Majore is also a great spot for those who like walking as there as several scenic trails around offering great views. 

Very easily accessible through a wooden path and pretty quiet, this beach is perfectly suited for families or people with reduced mobility.

9. Rena di Ponente

Located on the strip of land connecting the mainland and Capo Testa, the beach of Rena di Ponente offers stunning views of the coastline and the deep blue waters of the bay. It is one of the best beaches in north east Sardinia.

This beach features all the assets that make Sardinian beaches famous: turquoise waters, fine white sand, and a rocky landscape. On this beach, which is about 400 meters long, you will find all the services you could need for a day at the beach and you can even rent a jet ski to enjoy the coast. If you are lucky, you may even see 1 or 2 dolphins!

Not very deep for several meters, Spiaggia Rena di Ponente is particularly suitable for children.

10. Capo Testa (Spiaggia Zia Culumba)

Spiaggia Zia Culumba is a 200-meter-beach located right after Rena di Ponente on Capo Testa, this small island connected to the mainland with a thin strip of land.

Like most Sardinian beaches, Spiaggia Zia Culumba offers blue waters and fine sand, a true postcard. 

If you like exploring rocks and if you are wearing good shoes, you will love this beach: you will find a path at the end of the beach leading to rocks once used by the Romans to get the granites for their columns. Some unfinished columns are still clearly visible. 

11. Rena Bianca

This beautiful white sandy beach is one of the most popular ones on the Costa Smeralda. Framed by cliffs and hills with amazing colors, Rena Bianca is a beautiful picturesque beach to spend the day. 

Radoslaw Orecki / CC BY-NC

Spiaggia Rena Bianca is well located very close to the city center of Santa Teresa Gallura and is easy to access. That is certainly why it gets fully packed first thing in the morning, so make sure to come very early if you are traveling during the high season.

12. La Marmorata

La Marmorata is a beautiful large beach with clean blue calm water and fine golden sand, perfect for families with young kids. Though this beach is less known than its neighbor Rena Bianca, it still gets pretty crowded in the high season, like most beaches of the Costa Smeralda. 

Spiaggia La Marmorata is particularly appreciated for its gorgeous view of the Marmorata Islands and the nice wooden pier creating a perfect setting for taking photos.

13. Porto Pollo

Spiaggia Porto Pollo is a surfer’s paradise! Located between Palau and Santa Teresa Gallura, this beach is particularly hit by strong winds, ideal for windsurfers, kitesurfers, and other water sports. For the non-initiated, you can take a surfing course if you wish.

This very large beach of about 3.5 kilometers has however a less windy part, more suitable for families, so everyone can enjoy it.

14. Testa del Polpo

Cala Testa del Polpo is located on the famous archipelago of the Maddalena, off the Costa Smeralda between Corsica and Sardinia. It owes its name to the huge octopus-headed rock that stands on the beach. 

This incredible beach with turquoise water is like heaven and typical of the archipelago, but so tiny you may not find a spot to put down your towels. You still might be able to sit on a rock, if there is one available.

15. Cala Coticcio

Cala Coticcio is a jewel on Caprera, one of the islands of La Maddalena archipelago, protected from human development and connected to La Maddalena by a small bridge, so it is quite easy to reach.

Among all the beaches on this island, Coticcio is one of the most beautiful. This wild beach is also called Tahiti and it is not difficult to understand why: the color of the water and the rocks make it really look like a Polynesian beach!

The only way to reach it by foot is to take a guided hike. Bring good shoes, water, and something to eat because a medium-level hike of about 1 hour is waiting for you. Come early in the morning because the beach is very small with room for a dozen towels only.

16. Li Piscini

Li Piscini is a beautiful beach located east of the town of Palau. Its name is quite revealing: its water is so clear that you will think you are in a pool!

Very small, you will have to go there early to get a nice spot. It is one of the few beaches with a shaded area in the afternoon, a blessing when temperatures reach 40 degrees in summer.

17. Grande Pevero

Located not far from Porto Cervo, Grande Pevero is a beach of white sand and azure green water in a half-moon shape about 300 meters long, bordered by green vegetation and white granite rocks. The beach is shallow and ideal for splashing around with the kids.

Grande Pevero is one of the most exclusive beaches in Sardinia as it is very popular with celebrities and VIPs.

18. Principe

Located in Arzachena not far from Romazzino, Spiaggia il Principe offers a typical Mediterranean landscape with a condensed mix of fine sand, pinkish granite rocks, and crystal blue waters.

This beach takes its name from Aga Khan, the Ismaili prince who discovered it in the 1960s. The young man literally fell in love with this raw and magnetic section of the island.

He is not the only one, since many artists and architects have been inspired by its wild natural setting to design the style of the Costa Smeralda.

19. Liscia Ruja

About 10 kilometers south of Porto Cervo between the villages of Cala di Volpe and Portisco, Liscia Ruja is a well-equipped beach known for its fine white sand with golden and reddish shades and for its unique clear, turquoise sea. It also has a beautiful view over the Montorio and Soffi islands. 

The beach is so wide that it’s perfect for long walks and sandcastles; also, it doesn’t get too crowded as there is enough space for a lot of people. 

20. Cala Brandinchi

Located in San Teodoro close to Olbia, Cala Brandinchi is one of the most picturesque and wild beaches in northern Sardinia.

Also known as Tahiti, its sand is so white and its water so turquoise that you will feel like you are in the Caribbean. With its magnificent view of the Tavolara rock, Cala Brandinchi offers a breathtaking landscape.

Its seabed is very shallow for dozens of meters and swimming in it will make you feel like in a pool. It also has rich marine life, perfect for snorkeling.

Map of the Best Beaches North Sardinia Has to Offer

To get the free map of the 20 best beaches in northern Sardinia, simply click on the image below to open it in Google Maps. Then click on the “star” icon to save it to your own maps.

Visit Sardinia

Going to Sardinia? Here are further readings that will help you plan your trip to Sardinia: 

👉 Here is the main travel guide: 7 Days Itinerary in Sardinia (with free map)

If you are looking for Sardinia’s best beaches, here are other dedicated guides:

• All the Most Beautiful Beaches in Sardinia
• The Best Beaches in Southern Sardinia 
• The Best Spots to Snorkeling Sardinia
• The Most Beautiful Beaches in La Maddalena
• The Best Beaches Near Olbia

Also, find below my guides to discovering some of Sardinia’s best attractions: 

• The Best Things to Do in Olbia 
• Visit Cala Goloritze in the Gulf of Orosei
• Hiking Guide to Cala Napoletana, La Maddalena
• Visit Laveria Lamarmora
• Discovering Porto Flavia & Pan di Zucchero
• Visit the archeological site of Tharros 
• Hiking Capo San Marco
• Visit Neptune’s Grotto
• Complete Guide to di Cala Li Cossi Beach

Finally, if you’re looking for a home base in Sardinia, you will find my best accommodation recommendations below:

• The Best Areas to Stay in Sardinia
• The Best Place to Stay in Sardinia for Couples
• The Best Places for Nightlife in Sardinia

I hope you enjoy your trip to Sardinia; if you have any questions, let me know in the comments below. 

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