The 10 Best Beaches Near Olbia, Sardinia [with Map]

Full List of the Best Beaches in Olbia & Around

Unlike Cagliari or Alghero, the town of Olbia doesn’t have its own beach, although its located seaside. But there are lots of beaches that are really easy and quickly reachable from Olbia, the nearest one being Pittulongu. 

I’ve listed below the 10 best beaches around Olbia, sorted by distance from the closest to the farthest: 

1. Pittulongu 
2. Le Saline 
3. Porto Istana
4. Doctor’s Beach
5. Porto Taverna
6. Cala Moresca
7. Spalmatore Beach
8. Cala Brandinchi
9. Lu Impostu
10. La Cinta

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

The Golf of Olbia

1. Pittulongu

Spiaggia Pittulongu is often referred to as Olbia’s main beach due to its proximity. In fact, it’s the main beach of the town of the same name, Pittulongu.

This long stretch of fine white sand is bordered by clear and shallow waters, perfect for kids who will be able to play safely. With Tavolara island as a backdrop, Pittulongu beach is also a wonderful place for walking with amazing views.

However, its closeness with Olbia also makes it very popular among both locals and tourists who often come for the day or even for a few hours only. So if you are looking for quiet beaches near Olbia, Pittulongu may not be the best, especially on weekends.

2. Le Saline

Of all the beaches in the area, Le Saline is the one closest to Olbia airport. Not to be confused with the very famous beach of the same name, which is located northwest of Sardinia in Stintino.

Due to its strong winds and coarse sand, this beach is not much appreciated by tourists. But it has the advantage of being an ideal place to enjoy peace and quiet or to practice water sports. Kite surfing, sailing, canoeing, or snorkeling, you can do it all!

The bay of Le Saline, with its crescent moon shape and its lush vegetation, also offers a perfect setting for walkers.

3. Porto Istana

The beach of Porto Istana is a real postcard. With its fine white sand, its turquoise sea, and its breathtaking view of the island of Tavolara, this beach will delight young and old.

Max.oppo / CC BY-SA

Its easy access, its facilities, and its shallow, calm and transparent water make it indeed a very popular place for visitors.

With lots of multicolored fishes swimming in schools, Spiaggia di Porto Istana is a great beach to snorkel in Sardinia, so don’t forget your gear to watch them! 

4. Doctor’s Beach

Doctor’s Beach, or Spiaggia del Dottore, is a small spectacular beach surrounded by crystal-clear water, pink granite rocks, and beautiful green Mediterranean scrub. It’s one of the beaches located behind Porto Istana. 

However, it is a beach to be earned since you have to walk for about 15 minutes on a path in the middle of the scrubland to get to a first beach (Tre Sorelle) from where you have to keep walking for another 10 minutes along the sea to get there. The path is not too difficult, but wear proper shoes and bring sun protection.

Facing the beautiful islands of Tavalora and Piana, Spiaggia del Dottore is simply a paradise on earth.

5. Porto Taverna

Spiaggia Porto Taverna is definitely one of the most amazing beaches in northeast Sardinia. Like a postcard, this beach displays exceptional fine white sand and azure transparent water like nowhere else. But above all, it’s the beach with the greatest views over Isola di Tavolara. 

Located almost halfway between the seaside resorts of San Teodoro and Porto San Paolo, this beach appeals to everyone, young and old, but also to water sports lovers. 

This beach offers as a bonus a kind of atoll, a pond that hosts plenty of birds as well as flamingos that you can observe from the wooden walkway that crosses it.

6. Cala Moresca

Cala Moresca is a picturesque beach typical of Sardinia located on the Golfo Aranci, a peninsula northeast of Olbia famous for its pretty hiking trails. 

Carlo Pelagall / CC BY-SA

It’s a small cove of white sandy beach and fine, compact sand with some rocks at the ends of the bay and the beach. Here, the sea has several shades of emerald green, with a shallow seabed full of fish to watch.  

The surrounding nature is almost untouched and makes this beach a real show, and the view of the island of Figarolo is truly magnificent.

7. Spalmatore Beach

We have mentioned the island of Tavolara several times since the beginning of this article, it is finally time to talk about it and about its most iconic beach: Spalmatore Beach. 

Tavolara island is a huge limestone rock standing off the Olbia coast that dominates the horizon at more than 500 meters above the sea. Whatever the beach or the coastline you are in the Olbia area, you will see it.  

Spalmatore Beach, its most popular beach also known as Spalmatore di Terra, is a long stretch of white fine sand on the west side of the island. This place is an absolute pleasure to swim as the island is listed as a natural park.   

8. Cala Brandinchi

San Teodoro’s Cala Brandinchi is often listed as one of Sardinia’s best beaches. It’s even called Tahiti by the locals, and it’s easy to understand why. 

The beach’s sand is so white and the water so transparent with colors ranging from light blue to turquoise is a treat for the eye. On dozens of meters, the sea is very shallow so it is perfect for families with young kids and for those who like snorkeling. It is like a natural swimming pool! 

But Cala Brandinchi is also about panoramas: again, Tavolara rock offers incredible sights that will make you feel in paradise. It’s definitely a must-stop if you’re traveling through Sardinia! 

9. Lu Impostu

Spiaggia di Lu Impostu is located right behind Cala Brandinchi so you can easily walk from one to the other (10min walk).  

It’s a thin and long stretch of sand bordered on both sides by water, so you can access it either from Cala Brandinchi as said before, or by a small walkway called Paradise Sentiero (which literally means “Paradise trail”).   

Even if the entrance is limited and the beach long, prefer coming early to avoid the crowds in the peak season. 

10. La Cinta

Like the 2 previous beaches, La Cinta is located near the village of San Teodoro. It’s a long bay of white sand of about 5 kilometers that is very popular.

On the seaside, the water with azure reflections is crystal clear and full of fish. On the other side, behind the beach, a protected lagoon hosting colonies of pink flamingos that periodically come to breed.

Rather quiet and peaceful, Spiaggia La Cinta is for all travelers: nature lovers, families, couples, and outdoor people!

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So, this was my list of the best beaches in Olbia Sardinia and around! Keep scrolling to get the map 👇

And if you want more beach options in North Sardinia, click here to discover our Top 20 (some are not so far from Olbia 😉).  

Free Olbia Beaches Map

To get the free map of the best beaches Olbia surroundings have to offer, 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 La Maddalena archipelago
• The Best Beaches in Northern Sardinia
• The Best Beaches in Southern Sardinia
• The Best Spots to Snorkeling Sardinia

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
• Discover Masua’s Porto Flavia & Pan di Zucchero
• Visit Laveria Lamarmora
• Discover Tharros Archeological Site
• Hiking Capo San Marco
• Visit Neptune’s Cave
• Full Guide to Spiaggia di Cala Li Cossi

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 could choose the right beach near Olbia for you through this post; if you have any questions, let me know in the comments below.

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