Alessio Christian Melis

Along Poetto’s seaside promenade, Bobocono is a favourite stop for a post-swim gelato. Expect creamy scoops from orange cheesecake to the evergreen (no pun intended) pistachio.

An institution since 1914, Il Lido has evolved since then far beyond a classic beach club. Set within its sleek white structure, it gathers some of the liveliest spots on the shoreline – from a café, two seafood restaurants and a pizzeria to rotating fashion boutiques, an ice cream store and an evening club. From morning espresso to late-night dancing, it remains a favourite meeting point for Cagliaritani by the sea.

At the recently reimagined Marinella, large glass windows open onto the sea, while the terrace has views of the Gulf of Angels and the distant Sella del Diavolo. Inside, the café pairs classic pastries with ginseng or pistachio cappuccinos, while upstairs the terrace restaurant and pizzeria serve seaside plates. Our tip? Try the spaghetti with red lobster or the pizza finished with mullet bottarga.

At Porto Giunco, a narrow ribbon of pale sand separates the open sea from a calm lagoon where flamingos occasionally wander through. The beach club lines the shore with parasols and an easy-going restaurant serving seafood and cold drinks, making it an ideal spot to pause between swims in the clear, shallow water.

Just north of the better-known Spiaggia di Porto Giunco, Simius stretches out in a long curve of pale sand close to the centre of the village. Its shallow, clear water makes it a favourite among families, with small fish often swimming right past bathers.

At the edge of the basaltic plateau of the Giara rises Su Nuraxi, Sardinia’s most extraordinary prehistoric complex and the island’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built more than three thousand years ago by the Nuragic civilisation, its circular, corbelled basalt towers once formed the heart of a fortified village – a mysterious stone labyrinth that still hints at one of the Mediterranean’s oldest cultures.

The wide basalt plateau of the Giara appears almost austere at first glance. Winds move through grasses and cork oaks, while seasonal ponds (the paulis) punctuate the landscape. Among them roam the Giara horses, a rare and ancient breed that has lived semi-wild here for millennia: small, dark and remarkably resilient to the plateau’s heat and wind. Walking trails cross this quiet landscape, offering a glimpse of one of Sardinia’s most unique ecosystems, just a short drive from Su Nuraxi di Barumini.

Rising more than thirty metres above the sea, Porto Pino is framed by the pine forests that give the beach its name. Further along the shore, its dunes form one of the island’s most distinctive landscapes – a desert-like shifting expanse of white sand against the deep blue Mediterranean.

One of the most striking landscapes in the region, Piscinas is defined by vast shifting sands – among the largest dune systems in Europe - rolling down to the open sea. Shaped by the mistral current, these golden dunes rise dramatically from the beach, sometimes reaching over sixty metres in height.

At Nebida, the twin tunnels of Porto Flavia open through the cliff face. Carved into the rock in 1924 as an ingenious mining port, the galleries once allowed minerals to be loaded directly onto ships anchored below. Today it can be reached by land (with guided tours through the historic mining tunnels) or admired from the water on boat trips departing every day from the port of Buggerru or the Porto Cauli beach.