A Day in Paradise! The Beaches of Chia!

by Jacqui
(Phoenix, AZ)

I'm sure each small stretch of soft sand has a name, but I'm happy to group my opinion around a simply labeled BEACHES OF CHIA as my favorite so far.

This year marked my first visit to this glorious island of beautifully kind people. I was happy in cafes, in ristorantes, and in piazzas of all sizes. But I went for the beaches :)

The serenity of this stretch of beaches and the fact that there are minimal structures anywhere close to the area brought me a sense of "arriving" to something I always knew was out there. Bellisima!

Andrew's reply: It sounds as if you have fallen in love with Sardinia too, Jacqui :-) Be careful...it becomes a life long addiction very easily indeed.

Talking about Chia, I too love the beaches around this part of the island and for anyone interested in discovering this paradise here is our guide to the best beaches in the area.

Beautiful though Chia is I feel that the loveliest beaches in Sardinia, all of Italy and very possibly all of Europe are those around Cala Gonone, which is situated on the East Coast of the island. Just have a look at the photos of the best of the beaches in this region (click here to do so), and I think that you'll agree with me that this truly is a little corner of paradise right here on earth.

To tell you the truth, I look at the first picture on that page, which is of Goloritzè beach, all through the winter months, and I can't tell you how I long for those long summer days and to return to my beloved Sardinia. Why don't you have a look too and let me know if it has the same effect on you :-)

Costa Smeralda & Sardinia's Best Beach

by Bianca
(NSW Australia)

My husband rewarded me for having put up with him for the past ten years with a seven-night stay at the deluxe and ever so luxurious Capo D'Orso Hotel and Spa in Palau on the Costa Smeralda.
We flew into Olbia and half an hour later we entered another world, a haven indeed.

To all of you still seeking paradise you can stop looking... I have found it. The Maddalena archipelago is that paradise and from the hotel's own little harbour boats leave to discover the best beaches of the Maddalena islands.

Hubby was happy as can be on the golf course overlooking the sea and I let him go golf to his hearts content while I took off ten years in the beauty spa.

You actually don't need to go anywhere except on the boat to the island because the hotel has everything you need including the spa, beach, lovely park areas around the hotel, golf course and three restaurants, two of which were very good, and the pizza served at the outside restaurant was awesome.

This was my first ever trip to Sardinia and I have gotten my husband to agree that next year we are definitely going back again. To tell the truth it was very easy to twist his arm - he now loves the place as much as I do.

We intend to adventure further afield discovering more of those best beaches in Sardinia you wrote about down the East Coast.

It's going to need a longer holiday because I am definitely going to be back at the Capo D'Orso Hotel for another week too.

Andrew's reply: The trouble with Sardinia is that once you visit you tend to get addicted and keep needing to come back! Not a bad addiction to have in my opinion but it can become quite expensive.

I know the hotel you stayed at, it is a very good one and rated as one of the most romantic hotels in Sardinia.

One last thing, please do feel free to ask if you need any tips or advice before your next trip, I am always really very happy to help. I'm sure you will find the beaches around Cala Gonone even more beautiful than those beaches you visited on the Costa Smeralda.

Beautiful Sardinia

With pristine beaches, turquoise water, colourful reefs, wild countryside and medieval towns, Sardinia - the second largest Island in the Mediterranean - pretty much has it all.

Inhabitants on the Island can be traced back as far as 6000 BC, while around 7,000 nuraghi – round tower fortresses built by tribes around 1500 BC – can still be seen today.

But apart from ancient monuments and other man-made architecture stretching from ancient times via the Romans to modern day, Sardinia's natural beauty also makes it an ideal destination.

It has a plethora of sandy beaches to relax on, underwater caves and grottoes suitable for scuba diving as well as a thriving sailing industry.

Inland for those who like to get active the wild countryside offers hikers of all levels opportunities to stretch their legs.

While not the highest in the world Sardinia also has plenty of steep mountains criss-crossing the Island from the Monte Limbara Range in the Northeast to the Iglesiente area in the Southwest. Caves and vertical limestone cliffs are also prevalent for the more adventurous.

This is before I even get to the food which, like much of Italy, is taken very seriously.
Outside of the most touristy of areas food will not be served until 7pm, with evening meals an all-night activity and one to be savoured. Fish features prominently on the menu as well as the Island’s rich source of organic fruit and vegetables. Watch out for Cannonau – a very strong red wine!

Accommodation – which can be booked through this link – is varied according to budget but all of high quality. Check out the agriturismo accommodation on farms and other rural houses. It will be a trip you won’t forget.

Gabbiani Beach, Cala Gonone, Sardinia

by Avi
(Australia)

After doing a minicrociere last week, this was our favourite beach by far. Gabbiani Beach is Much quieter than Cala Mariolu, just as scenic as Cala Goloritze and a bit more shade.

Andrew's reply: Gabbiani Beach is a lovely beach and could definitely be in the top five in Sardinia, it was in our short list but in any list of the top five beaches, top ten or whatever there are always a few great and deserving beaches that get left out.

Particularly when we chose the best beaches on the Costa Smeralda and I was writing about the beaches near Palau, Gabbiani beach could easily have been included. If you would like to see those that did make our final list of the best beaches on the Costa Smeralda click here.

The only negative aspect of Gabbiani for us was the wind but for others, particularly those who enjoy kite-surfing, it is a positive.

Map of the beaches in Sardinia

Hi, I really love your blog here but I am having a very hard time finding any of these beaches on a map of Sardinia? any advice? I have been looking up very very close and can't find any of the beaches and some of the ports aren't on the map either? do you recommend a specific site with ports and maps that show the beaches you are talking about?

Also may I ask if there are any buses or do you have to drive throughout the island?

Andrew's reply:

You can find a map of many of the beaches in Sardinia featured on the site here. It should help you a little.

The best way to explore the beaches is by car, although you can visit one area and explore all the beaches in that area by bus or sometimes, where needed, by boat.

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