It owes its name to the composition of its sand, formed by brilliant white grains of granite quartz, pebbles smoothed by the sea, that really do look like white grains of rice: a peculiarity that has made it one of the most famous beaches of southern Sardinia, even if the number of quartz pebbles is slowly dwindling. Riso beach is one of the pearls of the marine area of Capo Carbonara, a natural curve set between the large sandy beach of Campulongu and the modern tourist port of Villasimius, reachable from Viale degli Olenadri. The bright white grains give the stretch of coast an immaculate appearance, enveloped by the embrace of the surrounding green hills. The 'grains of rice' sink into the crystalline sea, with a shallow and sandy bottom, with water in shades of emerald green and blue. Here and there rocks emerge from the water, creating the feel of a lunar landscape, especially as the sun goes down. A wide range of services are available on the beach and nearby: bathing equipment rental, restaurants and accommodation facilities.
The whole coast of Villasimius, the pearl of southern Sardinia, is formed by a 'crown' of beaches, interspersed with cliffs. Coming from Cagliari, before the beach of Riso and Campulongu, along the coast (provincial road 17) you will come across two other beautiful sandy stretches of the marine area, those of Porto sa Ruxi and Campus. Beyond the port is the beach of the old Fortress, followed by the promontory of Capo Carbonara, where the splendid bay of Cala Caterina lies. Beyond the head, surmounted by a Spanish tower, you can look onto an earthly paradise: the beach of Cala Giunco (which at the north end becomes Timi Ama) backed by the pond of Notteri, home to pink flamingos, forming a white strip of soft sand between two blue expanses. Going north along the east coast, you will find the beaches of Simius and Traias, and further on Rio Trottu and Manunzas, which accompany the wonderful Punta Molentis. From Capo Boi to the island of Serpentara, passing through the island of Cavoli and through various shallows, the marine area offers underwater spectacles including wrecks of every era lying on the bottom.
