Southern Stintino · Pilo lagoon
Ezzi Mannu beach
Wild and windy beach, Sardinia's kitesurfing realm
✽ 15 minutes by car from the villa
Ezzi Mannu — which in Logudorese Sardinian means "Big Reed", after the marsh reeds that grow thick on the dunes — is the wildest beach in the Stintino area. It stretches for more than a kilometre along the western coast of the peninsula, right next to the Pilo lagoon, a nature reserve hosting extraordinary migratory birdlife. Pale fine sand, turquoise water when the sea is calm, but above all wind: this is where the Mistral — the north-westerly wind that shapes the Sardinian climate — blows most strongly and consistently, making the beach one of Europe's most beloved spots for kitesurfing and advanced windsurfing. All around, just Mediterranean scrub, no buildings, a silence broken only by the wind and the call of flamingos.
Wind, sand, solitude
Ezzi Mannu's geography explains its uniqueness. The western coast of the Stintino peninsula is directly exposed to the Mistral, which arrives from the channel between Sardinia and Corsica without obstacles, accelerated by the Venturi effect of the Strait of Bonifacio. The result, on summer afternoons, is a constant 15 to 25-knot wind, ideal for sailing but very demanding for those just wanting a swim. By contrast, in the calmer hours — early morning, evening — the beach reveals a completely different side: crystal-clear water, very fine sand that crunches under foot, a raking light that brings out every detail of the dunes. Behind the beach, the Pilo lagoon — just a few metres of dunes separate sea and lagoon — hosts herons, little egrets, great crested grebes and, in winter and spring, pink flamingos gathering in their hundreds.
Kitesurfing paradise
In the international kite and windsurf community, Ezzi Mannu is a name spoken with respect. The spot is renowned for the consistency of its wind (said to be "the most reliable in Italy") and for the wide, sandy, unobstructed beach, ideal for launch and landing. Two schools operate here from May to October: they offer courses for beginners (10-hour packages, around €350), advanced improvement and gear rental (full kite from €60/day, windsurf boards from €40). The riders you meet range from learners to international pros — it's not unusual to watch freestyle sessions with spectacular manoeuvres. If you don't practice these sports, just lay a towel out a few metres from the launch area: the *sky full of colourful kites* is a show in itself.
How to get there and tips
From Stintino, you get there by car in about fifteen minutes: SP34 towards Porto Torres, then the signposted turn for Ezzi Mannu, the last two kilometres on a dirt road. Parking on gravel at the beach entrance, free (small fee in August, €2–3). There is a beach bar-kiosk open in the summer months that serves sandwiches, cold drinks and basic equipment. Tips: if you come to swim or sunbathe, arrive by 11:00 — from 12:00 the wind progressively builds and makes it hard to lie down; afternoons are instead the right time if you want to watch kitesurfing in action. Bring sunglasses and a breathable shirt (wind-blown sand can be irritating) and a light jacket for the evening. In spring, scan the Pilo lagoon with binoculars: you might see flamingos.