The Best Beaches in Sardinia

Photo by jmj2001 off Flickr

Every year lots of travellers pile into cramped air planes bound for to the Caribbean, South-east Asia or some other far flung, exotic destination in search of some sun, sea and pristine beaches. Yes, I admit, so do I. But when I took a trip to Sardinia, I discovered that Europe has some pretty amazing beaches of its own, complete with clear turquoise waters and cheeky fishes. And most are only a short flight away.

My travel buddy and I stayed in the town of Cagliari, which has a nice atmosphere and some historic bits, but we came here for the sun. So after picking up the car at the rental bit, we took a recon drive along the coast to the south where we hit the beaches of Chia, spotting some pink flamingos along the way.

Photo by jmj2001 off Flickr

The beach we picked is located in a secluded bay, watched over by the Tower of Chia. There were only a few people when we were there, but it was especially tranquil a bit further along the shoreline. The sea here is so unbelievably clear that I had to tell myself a few times that I was indeed standing in the Mediterranean. We watched the fish swim around our feet, until obviously a bit confused, one thought I looked like lunch.

The next day we headed in the opposite direction and end up at the beaches of Villasimius.  It’s a bit of a drive, but well worth it as the views along the way are extremely scenic. The road winds along the south coast of Sardinia, past picturesque inlets, more secluded beaches backed by steep cliffs that drop sharply into the Med. After a few hours, following a sign that says ‘Beach’, we parked the car and walked down a rocky path leading to a secluded beach. Bar some deserted umbrellas and beach towels the beach was entirely ours. 

Photo by jmj2001 off Flickr

We dumped our bags on the fine sand, jumped into the cool water and swam to a rock sticking out of the water, about 200 metres away from the beach. Sitting on top of it we watched the colourful fish watching us. We sat there till the red marks on our skin told us it was time to go back to the shady shore.
Back on our towels, we both remarked simultaneously that this island had so much more in store than what we had expected when we booked our trip to Sardinia. And with it being practically in my back yard, it will be a place you’ll find me a lot more often.