Coral Riviera · north coast
Porto Ferro beach
Three kilometres of wild bay with ochre dunes and Aragonese towers
✽ 22 km — 25 min by car
Porto Ferro is the Coral Riviera's wild beach: three kilometres of golden shore, dunes up to ten metres tall, Mediterranean scrub reaching to the sea, and three 16th-century Aragonese towers — Torre Negra, Torre Bianca, Torre di Bantine Sale — watching over the bay as they did centuries ago. No beach facilities, no concessions, no seafront bars: it's the place for those seeking the most unspoiled Sardinia and a sunset in complete solitude.
A landscape unlike the rest of the coast
At Porto Ferro, geology tells a unique story. The ochre dunes behind the beach, up to ten metres tall, are formed of iron-rich sand (hence the name) that colours them intense orange, especially at sunset. To the three towers are added traces of ancient settlements: the Ferraliu nuraghe nearby, remains of Roman villas, and the small archaeological site of Sa Mandra 'e Sa Giua. The sea, windy and with steady waves, is an intense cobalt blue rarely seen in the area's more sheltered bays.
How to experience it
Free unguarded gravel parking in several areas along the road. Only one seasonal kiosk-bar in the central section: bring water, packed lunch, parasol. The beach is windy: the north-west wind strengthens in the afternoon, appreciated by surfers (this is home to the area's only surfable waves) but less so by bathers. An evening visit is unmissable: arrive around 19:00, have a swim and stay for sunset — the dunes catch fire with red. Closed shoes recommended for short walks to the towers.