Piscinas, Sardinia: Europe’s desert beach you’ve never heard of

We are in the southwest of Sardinia, in the territory of Arbus among the fantastic beaches of the Costa Verde. Here, among the many wonders to see, there is one in particular that can leave visitors speechless. It is Piscinas, UNESCO heritage, with its high dunes of soft sand that dive into a sea of ​​incredible colors.

Undoubtedly the beaches of Sardinia are all known for their beauty, but here nature has given its best to create a unique environment: a bit desert, a bit tropical beach. An exotic ensemble that has also retained a certain wild charm since the dunes of Piscinas are fortunately an uncontaminated paradise.

Piscinas is not only one of the best beaches in Sardinia, it is also an area of ​​great naturalistic interest that extends for about twenty-eight square kilometers from the hinterland towards the coast. A territory also loved by the local fauna, especially by the loggerhead turtles that love to lay their eggs on this beach.

The hills gradually slope towards the sea and the rocks turn into sand dunes. There are no buildings among the shrubs and the age-old junipers, except for a former mining warehouse, a national monument since 1985, tunred into an hotel.

In this area, that's also a geo-mining park, there were the Gennamari and Ingurtosu mines, now abandoned. The stream known as Rio Piscinas is also fed by the waters that pass through the mine tunnels and for this reason it has a reddish color that has given it the nickname of Red River.

The dunes, on the other hand, are shaped by the sea wind that made them pushing the sand toward the inland and they extend for a couple of kilometers. They are among the highest in Europe and reach a hundred meters in height.

 Sardinia landscapes are always magnificent, and the scenery offered by the dunes of Piscinas are no exception. Having fun climbing the highest ones is an opportunity to fully immerse yourself in a unique, almost otherworldly landscape and to admire panoramas of great beauty.

A dip in the turquoise sea is a must, also because with a short swim you can admire the dunes from the sea, a different perspective that allows you to better understand the grandeur of this spectacle. A few meters from the coast there are also the fascinating remains of an English ship that sank in the 18th century.

If traces of the past fascinate you, you will surely also be interested in the ghost mining village of Ingurtosu just a few minutes from the coast.

Since the sea here is often moved by the wind, Piscinas is a popular destination for surfers, especially in winter.

The area, even in high season, is not very crowded. Most visitors stop not too far from the parking lot, but the beach is almost seven kilometers long so it is basically deserted in many places. For this reason Piscinas also has an area dedicated to naturist tourism which, with its eight hundred meters of extension, is the largest nudist beach in Europe.

In addition to being UNESCO heritage, this beautiful Sardinia sand dunes beach is also protected by the presence of two Sites of Community Interest, together with the surrounding territory.

Here the rare sea lilies and sand poppies bloom and the Sardinian deer lives, as well as turtles and testudines. A treasure to be protected, therefore, also with some caution on the part of visitors.

Walking on the already marked paths limits the potentially negative impact of the presence of man, while driving off the roads is prohibited because it can deteriorate the dunes.

Flowers, especially the rare ones, should not be picked and of course the animals' nests should never be disturbed.

Since the presence of accommodation facilities is minimal, it is difficult to find garbage bins, but it goes without saying that waste should always be taken away.

The Piscinas area is a natural paradise with virtually no hotels or restaurants. There is only one hotel and one campsite by the sea, but the village of Arbus is just six kilometres inland along the coast and is home to a few B&Bs and restaurants.

Alternatively, you can stay closer to the sea on the north in the towns of Torre dei Corsari and Pistis, or south at Portixeddu and Buggerru.

In Costa Verde, the cuisine is typically fish-based, which can be enjoyed in the many local restaurants or even in street food format. You can try seafood, lobster, swordfish and even oysters, but there is also no shortage of meat based dishes or of the cornerstones of Sardinian cuisine. Here too, you will find carasau bread and the famous pecorino cheese, as well as porceddu, the typical roasted pig.

Piscinas is located between Capo Pecora and Capo Frasca, ninety kilometers from Cagliari, therefore be careful to not mistake it for the municipality of Piscinas at the southern tip of Sardinia.

The car is the most convenient way to reach Piscinas. The first step is to reach Cagliari, maybe stay there to explore the city or the coast and than take the State Road 131 towards Iglesias. Reach Gonnosfanadiga and from here, drive along the Provincial SP 83 following the signs.

By train, you can reach Iglesias, about 30 kilometers away, and then take a bus, but it's worth mentioning that the frequency is quite low.

For those travelling by plane, the most convenient airport is Cagliari-Elmas. From there, the easiest solution is a rental car, alternatively you can reach the city center and move around by train.