Setting off from the town of Sant’Antioco and moving south along the eastern coast of the island that gives its name to the town, there are various easily accessible and ‘naturally’ relaxing beaches. Instead, on the other side, you enter into an area of low hills covered with Mediterranean greenery and cultivated fields. The sea can no longer be seen for about ten kilometres. Then the cove of Cala Sapone appears. When you see it appear, you’ll understand why it is considered one of the places that the people of Sant’Antioco love the most. The sandy stretch, which has coarse, amber-coloured sand mixed with shells and coral fragments, is not very wide, while the northern stretch has reefs and flat rocks tinged with white, where you can sunbathe or dive. The promontory to the right of the cove is completely covered in Mediterranean scrub, while beyond the cliff, to the south, you can admire a small and enchanting gulf surrounded by islets and rocky outcrops.

The water is crystal clear, with shimmering shades of blue and green. The seabed is sandy in the central part of the beach, with shallow waters, becoming rocky near the cliffs on the sides. A convenient car park will welcome you, with spaces reserved for the disabled near the beach, and there’s no lack of refreshment areas and equipment hire. Beyond both promontories bordering the beach, a series of rocky coves opens up, rich in caves and ravines and a paradise for diving and snorkelling enthusiasts. To the north, a few steps above the flat rocks of the cliff, you will come to Cala della Signora, a captivating platform of rocks with hints of pink, opposite the emerald green sea. The beach, sheltered by spurs that protect it from winds and heavy seas, is ideal for relaxation.

Cala Sapone is the first beach on the western side of Sant'Antioco, where there are plenty of other picture-postcard scenarios: two kilometres further south, you will be enchanted by the natural pool of is Preneddas, above which there is the spectacular Arco dei Baci (Arch of Kisses), a natural monument that, with the deep blue of the water, creates a magical play of colours. To the north, you’ll come across Cala Lunga, a green fjord that ‘guards’ an intimate and sheltered ochre-coloured beach. Moving further on, there is the breathtaking view of the Nido dei Passeri (Sparrow’s Nest), a twenty-metre-high cliff overlooking the sea. Other places not to be missed are Cala Sperone to the south and Maladroxia and Coaquaddus to the east. On the island, there is also the Calasetta area with its famous beaches – Le Saline, Sottotorre and Spiaggia Grande - as well as the lighthouse of Mangiabarche that watches over the rock and the beach of the same name.