Sardinia is known for its perfect white beaches. It is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea after Sicily, so you definitely won’t explore it all in just one or two trips. This time, we focused on the southern area around the capital city of Cagliari. In the Villasimius area, we will visit supposedly the most beautiful beaches, which we consider to be among the most beautiful in the whole of Sardinia. In the city of Cagliari, we will admire the historic citadel and a park with unique flamingos in their natural habitat. And the final highlight towards the southwest of Cagliari will be the photogenic beach of Tuerredda.
Detailed Google map with attractions
1. Spiaggia di Porto Giunco
The most beautiful beaches from the city of Cagliari are undoubtedly in the southeast area of the island. If you stay in the town of Villasimius, you will be roughly in the center of all these beaches, which gives you a great starting point. For us, the absolute highlight was Porto Giunco Beach. Caribbean white sand and a gentle entry into the sea, where you’ll be greeted by hundreds of small fish, are right there to welcome you. Swimming in calm waters or snorkeling easily could keep us entertained here all day. We definitely recommend climbing up above the beach to the “angry” ancient watchtower. Angry because it really has eyes and a nose with an angry facial expression. Next to the tower, there are incredible panoramic views of the surroundings. A postcard-worthy picture is formed by the transition of three water colors – Porto Giunco Beach, Lake Stagno di Notteri, and the wider sea. You will pay €5 for parking or you can park for free at the beginning of the off-road path.
2. Punta Molentis Beach
Punta Molentis is located just north of Porto Giunco Beach. It is a beautiful bay with white sand and a photogenic point at the end of the beach. There are also protected sand dunes on the promontory, which should not be accessed. Instead, take the path above the creek, from where you have the beach in the palm of your hand. The water is very shallow for a long way out, making it ideal for snorkeling without much effort. We even saw pink sand on a stretch of the shore, a feature known only in western Crete. The only downside is the expensive parking at 10€ per car plus 1€ per person, which we attribute to efforts to prevent overcrowding on the beach, as it is not as large as Porto Giunco. All in all, this beach is definitely worth a visit.
3. Tuerredda Beach
This beach is no longer located in Villasimius, but you definitely should not miss it as it competes with the first two beaches. It is about an hour’s drive from Cagliari. Tuerredda is exceptional with its sandy tongue visible from a distance from the approaching road. The beach is surrounded by hills, which only adds to the perfect atmosphere. In addition to swimming, we also observed little fish near the shore. You will pay for parking here according to the parking lot, around 5-7€. The rest of the day you can fill with the beaches Spiaggia di Cala Cipolla (a smaller bay without waves) and Su Giudeu Beach (a large open beach with waves) which are on the way back.
4. City of Cagliari
Cagliari, as the capital of the whole of Sardinia, pleasantly surprised us. If you’re used to the small town of Alghero, this is a bit busier. The historic center is dominated by a massive citadel, whose huge walls tower over the entire city. We recommend the majestic entrance through the Saint Remy tower, where there is a perfect courtyard for watching the sunset. You can then continue through the narrow streets to the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta e Santa Cecilia. In the center, there are plenty of restaurants and clothing and souvenir shops, so we returned here a second time. Parking is mainly available at the port and is subject to a fee, but you can use a tip for a free street marked on Google Maps.
5. Molentargius Natural Park
On the outskirts of Cagliari, there is the Molentargius Park, which is unique for its pink flamingos in the wild. We marked the spot on the map from where we observed them, but in reality, you also need a bit of luck to see them. Access to the park is free. You can leave your car in a designated parking lot and freely enter the park, which has several sections such as sports trails, educational paths, cycling routes, and hiking trails. Although the park is mainly known for its variety of birds, there are also frogs, toads, turtles, some snake species, rabbits, and hedgehogs living here. The flora is also quite rich and includes many Mediterranean plants, including several endangered species. Until 1985, it was the largest saltworks in Sardinia.
6. Spiaggia di Santa Giusta
The beach is characterized by a large granite rock on the left side of the coast. It seems to be a privileged spot of the fisherman Peppino, from whom it gets its name “The Rock of Peppino”. Snorkeling is possible around the rock, or you can climb on top of it. There were parking meters in the parking lot that charged 60 cents per hour. If you wanted to park for free, you could do so at the more northern Spiaggia delle Ginestre beach. We moved there as soon as we had enough of Santa Giusta.
7. Spiaggia del Poetto
Poetto Beach is an approximately 8 km long open beach that stretches along the entire Cagliari. Nicknames like Copacabana or the beach of one hundred thousand suggest its popularity. It is a paradise for surfers, or you can just have fun in the waves like we did. The fine white sand creates a Caribbean atmosphere and the massive rock on the right adds perfect photogenicity. The rocky mountain has an unusual name – Sella del Diavolo, which translates to Devil’s Saddle. If you have enough time, you can also go for a hike here.
8. Spiaggia di Capo Carbonara
We initially planned to hike to Cape Carbonara. You can park your car at the end of the asphalt road (at the point Belvedere panoramico on the map), which also offers a view of the Spiaggia di Capo Carbonara beach. You then continue for about a kilometer on an unpaved road. At the end, there is a view of Cavoli island with a lighthouse. After this walk, we headed straight to the beach. There is an off-road track leading here, which initially made us a bit nervous, but in the end, it was fine. There are usually many camper vans around. Swimming here, I must highlight the crystal-clear water and the abundance of fish swimming below the surface.
9. Spiaggia di Mari Pintau
We visited Mari Pintau Beach on our way from the airport to Villasimius, and it was one of our first stops. We were immediately enchanted upon arrival, little did we know that this was just the beginning and more beautiful beaches were yet to come. This beach, one of the few, is pebbly with small and pleasant stones. The water was crystal clear, as if you had filled a bathtub. If you get hungry, we recommend the excellent paninis at the snack bar.
10. Cala Sinzias
I also selected Cala Sinzias beach for the TOP 10, which is located on the east coast and had a very beautiful hilly scenery. The large open beach with white sand is ideal for relaxing at the end of the day. Moreover, there was excellent snorkeling on the right side at the foot of the hill.
