The Best Beaches in Italy

Booking

Four of the five Italian beaches have to be booked. Rabbit Beach on Lampedusa takes free online bookings for a morning or an afternoon session. La Pelosa at Stintino sells a €3.50 entry online that sells out fast. Cala Goloritzé at Baunei has a €7 ticket that is booked three days ahead. Cala Coticcio on Caprera is open only to visitors with a booked park guide, at about €25 plus a €3 park fee.

Sardinian coves

Four of the beaches are in Sardinia, and three of those are coves between rocks or cliffs. The walk to Cala Goloritzé is 3.5 to 4 km with roughly 500 m of elevation, starting at the Su Porteddu car park on the Golgo plateau; the path opens at 7:30 and the beach closes at 5 pm. Cala dei Gabbiani, also at Baunei, is reached mostly by boat from Cala Gonone or Santa Maria Navarrese and is shaded by mid-afternoon. The guided hike to Cala Coticcio takes about an hour on a rocky trail.

Rules on the sand

At La Pelosa a mat under the towel is mandatory and fines are enforced. Rabbit Beach lies in a nature reserve where loggerhead turtles nest and Legambiente volunteers manage access. It has no shade or food, and the stone path down takes 15 to 20 minutes with a steep climb back.