So far, there has been an explosion of presences and entertainment on Sardinia’s beaches. Now, however, the more seductive sea is making its début and the season will have a sensational finale. Once the hot, crowded intoxicating days become a thing of the past, you can enjoy the beautiful sea from sunrise to sunset, under the sun and in the water, still as warm as during the summer. And now, in the newly-found silence of the immense expanses of sand and secluded coves, all you will hear are the waves breaking on the shore and the vibrato sound of the cicadas perched throughout the juniper and myrtle scrubland. You can’t escape the happy combination of hints of tropical nature and coarse Mediterranean authenticity: this is the Sardinian sea in autumn.
What changes behind the scenes in the summer? You will have a wide choice of places that, until yesterday, were exclusive and only bookable well in advance, rooms and bungalows on the seashore, the most delightful B&Bs and hotels de charme, and you will no longer have to wait for a table at the beach bars with your feet in the water and at the local fusion gourmet restaurants, unmissable and now more accessible. The freedom to do whatever the places inspire in the moment changes and you can think about taking a diving course in the marine parks of Tavolara and Alghero, amidst the red corals and sea fans and the captivating caves and wreckages. Planning the most exclusive sea excursions at your will is a must, as is experiencing the charm of the small Sardinian islands and the coves of the Gulf of Orosei, this time without boat traffic at anchor.
There is no better season than the end of summer for walking to the iconic beaches of Gallura. The end of August marks the departure of those visitors who are curious about the lifestyle of the latest hippy colony settled in the little caves of the Valle della Luna, which can be reached on foot from Capo Testa at Santa Teresa di Gallura. The Costa Smeralda also benefits in its own way, when the celebrity-watching season is over, and the emerald green sea shines with the strong colours of autumn, the same ones that bewitched the world sixty years ago and continue to do so today. Don’t leave without having walked along the trail that leads from the beach of Cala di Volpe to the little Liscia Ruja. It would be a real pity to miss it in this new and intriguing guise.