Swimming in Sardinia
Also spelled Sardegna
Beaches and coves around Sardinia, from La Pelosa at the north-west tip and the quartz grains of Is Arutas on the Sinis peninsula to the Costa Smeralda, San Teodoro and the Gulf of Orosei, where Cala Goloritzè, Cala Mariolu and Cala Luna sit under limestone cliffs. Several of them cap visitors in summer with a booked ticket. The sea is still about 20 to 22 °C in October.
- Spots15
- Water in Nov19°
- Free to enter8
Every spot in Sardinia
Typical water temperature in November.
Berchida
Beach, Siniscola · Natura 2000 site; dunes off limits; taking sand, pebbles or shells banned
A crescent of white sand dunes about 5 km long in the comune of Siniscola, with centuries-old junipers on the dunes and a small pond where the Rio Berchida reaches the sea.
19°NovFreeBidderosa
Beach, Orosei · Cars and motorbikes capped and ticketed, May to October; may close on high fire-risk days
Five white sand coves in a coastal forest of Aleppo and stone pine north of Orosei, inside the Oasi di Bidderosa.
19°NovCala Brandinchi
Beach, San Teodoro · Booking required 1 June to 30 September, at most 1,447 people a day
A fine sand beach backed by a pine wood and junipers north of San Teodoro, looking out to the island of Tavolara, with a lagoon behind it that dries out in summer.
Cala Coticcio
Cove, Caprera · Guided walks only, at most 60 people a day; no umbrellas, towels off the sand
A small sand cove on the east side of Caprera, inside a zone of integral protection of the La Maddalena Archipelago National Park.
Cala Goloritzè
Cove, Baunei · Booking required, at most 250 people; no landing from boats
A small cove of white pebbles below the 143 m limestone spire of Punta Goloritzè on the Gulf of Orosei, formed after a landslide in 1962.
19°NovCala Luna
Beach, Cala Gonone · Boat landings booked and capped at 900 people (2026)
About 800 m of golden sand on the Gulf of Orosei, on the border between Dorgali and Baunei, with five large caves in the northern cliffs and a lagoon behind it fed by the Codula di Luna stream.
19°NovFreeCala Mariolu
Cove, Baunei · At most 700 people at a time; boats land only by the marked corridors and pier
A cove of small white and pink pebbles mixed with sand, known locally as Ispuligidenie (snow fleas), between cliffs about 500 m high on the Gulf of Orosei.
19°NovCapriccioli
Beach, Capriccioli · No animals; no smoking outside signed areas; taking sand, pebbles or shells banned
Four small sand coves on either side of a low granite promontory on the Costa Smeralda, two facing east and two facing west towards Cala di Volpe.
17°NovFreeIs Arutas
Beach, Cabras · Taking the quartz sand is banned and fined
A beach of small, rounded quartz grains in white, pink and green on the Sinis peninsula, inside the Penisola del Sinis, Isola di Mal di Ventre marine protected area.
18°NovFreeLa Cinta
Beach, San Teodoro · No smoking outside signed areas; dogs banned 08:00 to 20:00 in summer; dunes off limits
San Teodoro's main beach, about 3 km of dunes and fine whitish sand on a strip between the open sea and the San Teodoro lagoon.
18°NovFreeLa Pelosa
Beach, Stintino · Booking required 15 May to 15 October, 1,500 a day; a mat under every towel
A beach of white, fine sand at Sardinia's north-west tip, about 3.5 km from Stintino, with the Torre della Pelosa, built in 1578, on a rocky islet just offshore.
18°NovPorto Giunco
Beach, Villasimius · Marine protected area: anchoring only in the marked area
A long bar of fine pale sand with pink granite grains near Villasimius, with the Notteri lagoon, used by flamingos, behind it and a 17th-century Spanish watchtower on the headland.
19°NovFreeSpiaggia del Principe
Beach, Romazzino · No animals; no smoking outside signed areas; taking sand, pebbles or shells banned
A fine white sand beach in the Romazzino area of the Costa Smeralda, shaped as an arc split in two by a small outcrop of pink granite.
17°NovFreeSu Giudeu
Beach, Chia · No smoking on the beach, 1 June to 31 October
A beach of fine cream sand in Chia bay, backed by dunes up to 20 m high and the Spartivento lagoon, where flamingos feed.
19°NovFreeTuerredda
Beach, Teulada · Booking required 2 June to 15 October, 1,100 a day; a mat under every towel
A bay of fine white sand on the Costa del Sud between Capo Malfatano and Capo Spartivento, with Tuerredda islet a few hundred metres offshore.
Nothing here for that filter.
Questions about Sardinia
Which Sardinia beaches need a booking?
In summer, several. La Pelosa takes 1,500 people a day from 15 May to 15 October, Tuerredda 1,100 a day from 2 June to 15 October and Cala Brandinchi 1,447 a day from 1 June to 30 September, and Cala Goloritzè at most 250 people, all with a booked ticket. Cala Coticcio on Caprera is visited only on guided walks of up to 60 people a day, and at Bidderosa cars and motorbikes are capped and ticketed from May to October.
Can you take sand or pebbles from Sardinian beaches?
No. Taking sand, pebbles or shells from beaches is banned and fined under regional rules. At Is Arutas the Comune di Cabras fines people caught carrying away the quartz grains, and fined two groups 1,000 euros each in August 2023.
How do you get to Cala Goloritzè, Cala Mariolu and Cala Luna?
Cala Goloritzè only on foot, by a path of about 3.5 km from the Golgo plateau, about an hour down and ninety minutes back up; boats may not land. Cala Mariolu is reached mainly by boat from Arbatax, Cala Gonone or Santa Maria Navarrese. Cala Luna is about 5 km by boat from Cala Gonone, or about 90 minutes on foot from Cala Fuili.
Can you swim in Sardinia in October?
Yes. The sea around Sardinia is typically 20 to 22 °C in October and 17 to 19 °C in November, after 23 to 24 °C in September. The swimming season runs from June to October or November, depending on the coast.
What is the water quality like in Sardinia?
Every place listed here with an EEA monitoring site was classified excellent in the 2025 EEA bathing season.