Tanca Manna sits approximately 250 metres from the road behind a saltwater lake. It has a great stretch of sand and plenty of facilities for families. A kilometre beyond Tanca Manna is Barca Bruciata, a small sandy beach which is quiet with no facilities.
Cala Capra beach just beyond Golfo delle Saline is a pretty sandy bay tucked beneath the impressive Capo D’Orso headland with its distinctive bear shaped weathered rock.
Costa Smeralda
There are many fantastic bays and beaches on the Costa Smeralda, some well signposted, others hidden down small, winding tracks. You will often find that the sea is behind a group of private villas, or that the only visible sign of a beach is a row of parked cars by the side of the road. In these cases it pays to leave the car and do a bit of exploring by foot. Our favourites include:
- The Capriccioli headland has five beautiful small sandy beaches. There are facilities for boat hire and also a bar close to the beach. These beaches, including La Celvia, are amongst the most popular in the area.
- Just before the Hotel Cala di Volpe is the beautiful Liscia Ruia, an extensive sweep of white sand set down a long unsurfaced road.
- Rather off the beaten track is the Spiaggia del Principe which cannot be reached by car. The last stretch has to be done on foot takes under 10 minutes and is well worth the effort.
- Piccolo Pevero is a small sandy beach with parasol and boat hire. It also has a restaurant (“Il Pulcino”) and a bar.
- The Pitrizza beach at Liscia di Vacca just north of Porto Cervo is also popular.
San Teodoro
The main beach here is La Cinta which stretches north from the town with 5km of glistening white sand. This is a very popular beach, especially in July and August so be warned. There are plenty of facilities at this beach including watersports activities and snack bars.
If you are looking for something less busy, head for Capo Coda Cavallo. The larger beaches here have some facilities in high season but this headland is well worth exploring as there are many hidden coves undiscovered by the masses.
Another two we recommend are south of Olbia, Punta Molara and Cala Girgolu.