Our 2 weeks in northern Sardinia: beach paradise

Oh, how beautiful the beaches of Sardinia are! And there are so many of them! Sardinia was still unknown to us: as half of my family lives in Sicily, we have often opted for the Sicilian option. Over the past few years, we have also got into the habit of going to Corsica regularly, and the Island of Beauty has always delighted us; this year, for once, we tried Sardinia and it turned out to be yet another, very different experience. I will actually write a post comparing Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica for those hesitating between these three Mediterranean destinations. No suspense here: what impressed us most in Sardinia were the beaches, hence this post to share with you the ones we tested and approved last month.

I should point out that I haven’t retouched the photos below. Yes, the colours really are that beautiful, the water that clear, and at times it genuinely looks like the Maldives!

To put things back into context in our round-the-world itinerary: we returned from Rio at the beginning of July on a flight to Frankfurt, then took a train to Stuttgart where we picked up my in-laws, before flying the next day to Olbia in Sardinia, the first stop of our little European tour that would round off our Round-the-World trip.

During our 2 weeks in Sardinia, we chose 3 bases from which we explored the area:

• Costa Paradiso (in the north) -> I actually recommend our villa, as it was the best accommodation of our Sardinian stay. Edit 2026: unfortunately, this villa is no longer available to rent. Here is a similar one for 8 people.
• Bosa (on the west coast) -> our accommodation is no longer available to rent. As an alternative, I suggest this charming address in Bosa: La Locanda di Corte or, as a more budget-friendly option, this house with a swimming pool, 4 km from the town (a car is required).
• Posada (on the east coast) -> we stayed at Hotel Sale.

Car hire in Sardinia:

To travel between each location, we rented a car at Olbia Airport: you can compare prices on DiscoverCars.

Discovering the beaches of northern Sardinia:

Beaches near Costa Paradiso:

The cove of Costa Paradiso, accessible via a pleasant path (10 minutes). The walk down is enjoyable as long as you avoid the hottest hours of the day. The children loved swimming in the river arm that flows into this beach.

Cala Sarraina (very easy access, just a short walk from the car park). A lovely little beach bar.

Lu Litarroni/Naracu Nieddu: several access points are possible. We recommend the one that brings you out near the restaurants/bars, with a small shaded path to reach the beach (10 minutes). Paid parking (2€/hour). A very large white-sand beach. Pleasant bar with a view over the beach. When we were there, there were a bit too many waves for the children.

Beaches near Bosa:

Compoltitu beach: in fact, we tried three beaches near Bosa, but this one was our absolute favourite, so we went there every day and it’s the one we recommend! Note: getting down to it is a bit of a workout, but perfectly doable (allow about 10 minutes). It was Ticoeur and Titpuce’s favourite beach because the sea was very calm and the water deepens very gradually.

Beaches near Posada:

We also visited the following lovely beaches, but liked them less, mainly because they were too crowded: La Cinta and Porto Istana.

Practical information for enjoying the beaches with children:

• Bring a parasol, as there is rarely any shade.
• We favoured the beach in the morning before 11am and in the afternoon after 4–5pm to avoid the intense heat. What’s more, there are very few people in the morning (note: we were there in mid-July – I imagine there are many more tourists in August).
• We made good use of the small kiosks and beach bars, which are cheaper than in France. Ideal for having a coffee and treating the children to ice creams.
• As usual, don’t forget hats, water and sun cream.
• I don’t know if it was just the beaches we went to, but none of them were supervised :-(. In any case, we never take our eyes off the children.

I hope you enjoyed this little overview of the beautiful beaches of northern Sardinia! Don’t hesitate to also check out our itinerary in southern Sardinia.

Perhaps you already know northern Sardinia and its beaches? Any other spots to recommend?

Also worth reading

Our one-week family itinerary in southern SardiniaOur 8 day family roadtrip through southern Sardinia

Sicily as a family: 10 days in 3 must-see stopoversSicily with children: Mount Etna, the temples of Agrigento, the Baroque towns and our swims!

One week in Puglia with the familyOur family trip around Puglia: picturesque villages, trulli, a beautiful coastline, delicious food and practical tips for…

5 family hikes in the Aosta ValleyItaly : our week in the Aosta Valley with the kids

One week in Lanzarote with childrenDetails and program of our week-long family trip in Lanzarote

10 days in Madeira: our practical guideMadeira with kids: our trip during the Easter holidays

ⓘ