Sardinia, the queen of the sea

Sardinia, the queen of the sea

Enchanting beauty and environmental protection, the island is once again the most highly rewarded by Legambiente and Touring Club

The Baunei coast in third place, Chia in fourth, the Sinis Peninsula in seventh, Gallura in twelfth, the coastal stretch between Olbia and San Teodoro in fourteenth, Baronia in sixteenth and Planargia in eighteenth. It means the third step on the podium, as many as three coastlines in the top nine of the 5 Sails award ranking, and another four in the top twenty-one. In 2024 Sardinia is once again the leader in the Touring Club and Legambiente ranking and confirms the seven stretches of coast already awarded in previous years. The value of the island's coastline has been so widely recognised by experienced travellers, who are accustomed to the beauty of the world, and those whose passion and profession are committed to safeguarding the quality of the natural environment. It is no coincidence that one out of three Italian seaside places awarded with the 5 Vele is in Sardinia.

The Touring Club and Legambiente thus celebrate the Sardinian sea, rewarding local communities' ingrained tendency to respect their land and the island's vocation for welcoming and hosting. Their highest recognition goes to enchanting places, some well known, others waiting to be discovered. From north to south, from east to west of the island, no stretch of coast is excluded.

Baunei, 'super-beauty' on the podium

The village does not overlook its splendid coastline, which can only be reached by sea or along hiking trails, but faces its Supramonte, a gallery of canyons carved by underground rivers that resurface on the beaches, karst caves, fascinating rock faces, ancient sheepfolds and unique masterpieces, such as the spooky Golgo chasm, Agugliastra and Perda Longa. Here lies the authentic soul of Baunei, mirroring its spectacular coastline. The impression is of an unfinished place, with no horizon. The blue is a single brushstroke from the sky to the sea, the green of the cliffs colours the shores of the creeks with emerald, the limestone ramparts reflected in the water make the air around them glow. Biriola, Goloritzé, Mariolu, Sisine and Cala Luna, shared with Dorgali, are so beautiful and iconic that they are touted as fantastic, faraway places, but they are havens close to home, they are in Sardinia.

Cala Mariolu

A real jewel in the Gulf of Orosei, on the central-eastern coast of Sardinia: a welcoming little cove featuring pink and white pebbles rewarding...

Chia, our southern seas

Its seven exotic-looking beaches are in their own right our 'southern seas'. If you don't believe us, walk the shore of the seven kilometres of sea that link the tower of Chia to Cala Cipolla. Every now and then take a swim and do some water aerobics: it may be a longer swim than usual, but the waters in the south of Sardinia are warmer and more welcoming than elsewhere, and here you can take a dip in the sea without a wetsuit, even in autumn. As you walk along Chia's soft, shallow seabed, you will come across its beaches one after the other, set amidst enchanting scenery and separated by small rocky promontories. Beyond the towering dunes of the beaches, dotted with junipers and carpets of wild lilies and fragrant helichrysum, you will discover salt marshes and lagoons with pink flamingos. In the background, the Is Cannonneris forest and the Gutturu Mannu park, with the is Zuddas caves. A dreamlike sea enveloped by superb nature: once again it can only be Sardinia.

Su Giudeu

A paradise of fine, white sand with a shallow, transparent seabed, on the furthermost southwestern coast of Sardinia, that gets its name from the...

Sinis, it doesn't look like any other place

You get the feeling that this place is more than just glittering beauty, it’s got that je ne sais quoi that makes it a little aristocratic, meant for travellers rather than tourists. And Sinis won't change for anyone, its sights are straightforward and unpretentious, simply unique. Take a stroll along the streets of Tharros, go cycling or horse riding through natural oases and lagoons, pore over the quartz grains of Is Arutas and Mari Ermi, or relax on the soft sand of San Giovanni. Sinis is also the proud custodian of its history and millenary culture. Here stands Mont'e Prama, which has given back to the world the most important archaeological discovery of the late 20th century: the statues of the Giants. This is not an isolated fact, there is a high concentration of nuraghi, sacred wells and prehistoric remains, even on the islet of Mal di Ventre, the heart of the marine protected area.

Sinis

In Sinis, culture, environment and tourism live together in perfect harmony thanks to the activities carried out in the Marine Protected Area. For...

The glamour of Gallura

The Santa Teresa Gallura marine area, together with Arzachena and Palau, offers a fabulous sea, top tourist services and a touch of worldliness, all spread from Capo Testa to the legendary Costa Smeralda (‘Emerald Coast’). Places where symbolic images of Sardinia abound: the fantastic granite cliffs of Cala Grande - Valle della Luna, the bizarre monument that is the Bear Rock, the Isola dei Gabbiani (‘Island of the Seagulls’), a surfers' Disneyland, the juniper umbrellas that grow undisturbed on the beach of Capriccioli as if they were Caribbean palms, the marinas full of life and incredible boats from far and wide, as well as the small landing places hidden from view by the Mediterranean maquis, to be reached by canoe following the jagged Gallura coastline. All this is always Sardinia.

Rena di Ponente e di Levante - Santa Teresa Gallura

Rena di Levante and Rena di Ponente

In the high area of Gallura, in the far north of Sardinia, you will find white, sandy expanses surrounded by small rocky coves filled with the...

San Teodoro, impossible to resist

Beaches set between granite 'pink-painted' rocks and cloaked with a carpet of white sand, in front of an almost unreal turquoise sea. The enchantment can also be found in the depths of waters full of life and colours around Molara and the imposing Tavolara, home of a prestigious film festival. Porto Istana, Porto Taverna, Capo Coda Cavallo, Cala Ghjlgolu, La Cinta, Cala Brandinchi and Lu Impostu are just a few of the 'pieces' of the Caribbean mixed by nature with the scents and wildness of the Sardinian back-shore, surrounded by Mediterranean greenery. They are all part of the Tavolara-Capo Coda Cavallo protected marine area, a treasure chest of natural treasures waiting to be explored with respect and with the heart ready to thrill at every glance.

San Teodoro

A sun-kissed Gallurian town of elegant villas and flowers that looks out over the turquoise sea of the north-eastern coast of Sardinia, home to a...

Baronìa, the most eco-friendly

Wide, uncrowded beaches, clear waters, sand and dunes as soft as silk, this is the sea in Baronia: Bidderosa in Orosei, Berchida and Capo Comino in Siniscola, San Giovanni in Posada. But there is more than just the beautiful sea, behind the coast there are oases and parks, which can be visited along routes that lead from the beach inland. You will be able to try out activities that you would never have imagined just a stone's throw from the shoreline. The Posada river, which crosses the eight thousand hectares of unspoilt forests of the Tepilora oasis and flows into the beach, is ideal for kayaking among pink flamingos, black-winged stilts and western swamphens. A stone's throw away, the massif of Monte Albo, which dominates the Siniscola coastline, is a favourite with hikers, while the cycle paths through the wilderness of Lake Maccheronis are ideal for family cycling. This is year-round Sardinia.

La Caletta

In the province of Nuoro, in the northernmost part of the Gulf of Orosei, numerous gems appear on the eastern part of Sardinia, with fine, light...

Planargia di Bosa, gift of nature

Bosa is a world apart. It is a medieval village filled with colourful houses overlooking the sea, where life flows through narrow alleyways like in days gone by. A river, navigable from the valley down to the sea, crosses the village, ending its course on the beautiful beach of Bosa Marina. A coastal road connects the charming village to Alghero, so spectacular that it is considered one of the roads that should be travelled at least once in a lifetime: 40 kilometres of natural scenery that mystifies the gaze. You don't know whether to follow the flight of the griffon vultures that nest at Capo Marrargiu or look towards the sea, where gentle cliffs and little-visited coves, such as s'Abba Druche, Compoltitu and sos Puppos, follow one another. They are an irresistible attraction, and you can get there from the car park via paths through the Mediterranean maquis. You will reach untouched places where it is easy to feel like a stranger, but all you need is a mask and flippers and you will feel like you are part of the underwater world, the other dimension of the Sardinian sea.