Is Arutas beach by Blog-Sardinia

I planned to visit Is Arutas many times but each time the Mistral wind forced me to change my  plans. This  wind, which blows from north-west, can hit very strongly that area, making the sea very wavy (good for surfing!) and sometimes dangerous. Last Sunday it was just perfect though, a fine sunny day with just a little breeze.

The car navigator did not seem to know the place, so I quickly checked the route on google maps and off we went. From Cagliari we took the 131 road towards Santa Giusta and Oristano, then the SP54 BIS followed by the SS292 towards Cabras. At that point, no internet or mobile connection was available to help. Luckily, some direction boards finally appeared and we arrived with no troubles.

We paid our car park fee, we rushed to the beach… and WE FELL IN LOVE WITH IT.

A long bright sandy beach  with a rocky bit on its right hand-side.  The sand itself is amazing and probably the cutest you have ever seen. It is made of tiny pink, white and green grains of quartz looking just like risotto and twinkling under the sun.

The sea is crystal blue and green, but above all it smells alive. The rocks are strangely shaped and some perfumed wild sea fennel grows on them, while the lizards sunbathe peacefully.

We placed our parasols near the rocky hand of the beach and we got our masks and snorkels out to explore the area. This site is part of the marine park of Sinis, so no fishing is allowed. Thanks to this we could see full of fishes of different sizes and species, many of whom came really close to us, as if they did not fear us at all. Fabulous.

Some nice wooden bars where also available at a distance to eat and drink, together with some good opendoors showers (no very clean toilets though..).

We spent a lovely day then..and surely we will be back again!

Ciao, Manuela

PS: If you visit Is Arutas, please do not take any sand away with you, this is forbidden. Is Arutas’ sand is Art made by Nature itself, which has been violated in the past and that we now wish to preserve forever.

You can reach Villasimius by public transport with coaches departing from Cagliari (Piazza Matteotti) or by car, off course.  A new fast road connecting Cagliari to Villasimius is under construction… still!. If you are a sightseeing lover though, and you are lucky to have a travel partner who does not mind to drive on bendy roads going up and down the cliffs (or you are travelling by coach), than you could enjoy a very fascinating and breathtaking view of this coastline and its thousands of blue, green and crystal nuances.

Why should you visit?

1) Villasimius is first of all a “real place”,  a small town with its own people, restaurants, bars, shops.  Although in the pick season it grows hugely in size and it is much livelier  with its disco clubs, you got everything you need in the low season as well, when it’s less crowded and more affordable.

2) A selection of equally beautiful sandy beaches of which some are very much organised and equipped with facilities and others a little bit wilder. I love the Spiaggia Notteri where the lake and the sea nearly merge and the beach is a narrow and long stretch of thin white sand. Porto Giunco is also gorgeous..but there are so many others:  Campu Longu, Spiaggia del Riso, Cala Caterina, Timiama, Simius, Capo Carbonara…

Remember not to take any pebbles away from the Spiaggia del Riso if you go there, please! Its name indeed comes from these gracious rice shaped and looking pebbles which are mostly gone, partially because tourists stole them as a souvenir..

3) Activities and things to do. Many. From boat excursions to the islands, to “pescaturismo” excursions, diving, and snorkelling but also trekking, horse riding and excursions to the mountains of Sette Fratelli ( “The Seven Brothers). Finally you can visit the small archaeological museum in Villasimius town and some archaeological ruins (in Cuccureddus & Notteri).  Also, remember that you are only 90 minutes drive from Cagliairi in you wanted to visit the capital.

4) A choice of hotels from two to five stars, camping’s, B&B, farmhouses and holiday villas. I must admit that prices go sometimes crazy during the pick season but if you can be flexible, considering that Sardinia is blessed with a very mild and sunny weather, you should be able to find something that suits your budget.

5) The food. Delicious and not to be missed are the first courses that include the traditional ” fregula” with seafood or meat, which is kind of a local cous cous but thinker compared to the Tunisian version. Then you got the “malloreddusu“, or the “Culungiones”, a sort of local ravioli filled with fresh cheese.

Second dishes can be either meat or fish based and very simply cooked. Roasted goat, piglet, lamb which are then laid on wooden trays covered with mirto leaves to give a very nice aroma. Seafood is grilled: sea brims, sea basses, eels and prawns. For the vegetarians, yes we know, Italy is normally a tough destination but depending on the season this area can offer delicious mushrooms, asparagus, aubergines, olives and cheeses.  Talking about cheeses, do not miss the “Sebada” the local dessert to go with the delicious honey..

Did I make you hungry? Ah, come and visit then

Ciao, Manu

At 8.45 we left the natural fiord of Santa Teresa di Gallura, which the locals believe was formed during the last glaciation.  Armed with a camera, we started sailing an amazing cobalt blue sea.

After leaving Porto Quarto behind, we reached the far north of Sardinia and on our left hand side we could clearly see the island of Corse (Corsica). The so called Bocche di Bonifacio (Mouths of Bonifacio) decided not to confirm their reputation of terrible agitated waters, so that within a little half an hour we reached the first island: Budelli.

Budelli is very famous for its beautiful pink sand, although there is not so much of it left anymore due to tourists who over the years have stolen it as souvenir. For this reason, local authorities have decided to make this little island a National Park and it is now forbidden to anchor. Sadly, you can only see it  from a distance. Very close by, there are some ponds of water about twelve meters deep and you can see the sand at the bottom of these as if you were looking through a clean transparent glass. The colours are the most amazing: from pure crystal to turquoise going through a thousand of beautiful nuances.

Totally amazed we left Budelli and soon after we got to Santa Maria Island, which is also surrounded by a beautiful beach and very clean waters.

The boat approached the flat stones and through a footbridge we walked down for a refreshing swim and a stroll on the beach.  After the short relaxing break we washed our feet from the beautiful sand and we got back on board. By then, it was nearly lunch time and we got hungrier and hungrier as a lovely smell of tomato sauce emerged from the kitchens. Lunch was served on board: a generous plate of pasta with crab sauce or just plain pasta for the young children, a thick slice of local cheese and fresh bread which nicely filled our stomachs.

We were nearly in Spargi, another gem of the Archipelago. Once again our eyes enjoyed the extreme beauty of nature: crystal waters, white beaches, flat, pointed rocks that nature itself shaped in so many crazy and amazing forms. Like Budelli, the beauty of Spargi is breathtaking, so unforgettable and just not possible to put down into words. We spent a little time here, swimming and sunbathing before leaving for the island of Maddalena itself.

La Maddalena is bigger than all the other islands we visited: there is a little harbour, a pretty town and many shops to go. We got a couple of hours to spend sightseeing with a good ice cream in our hand and our camera always ready.

It was soon time to go back to Santa Teresa but this time, on the way back, the “Bocche di Bonifacio” decided to fulfil their terrible reputation making us shake: those who are not normally seasick had great fun, the others suffered a bit. It was about 5.00 PM when we got back. The day went by so quickly..yep! just as it always happens when you have fun!

Loved it!  - Valeria

PS: although this excursion departed from Santa Maria Teresa, there are similar services starting from Palau as well, which is located on Sardinia mainland, just opposite to the Maddalena Island.

Blog-Sardinia

I must admit that when I heard the price first (70 Euro per person..) I though it was maybe a bit pricy but by the end of a superb day,  I  had changed my mind completely.

We bought tickets at the Nonno Pio booth in Cala Gonone harbour and left at around nine AM.  The boat is a real fishermen boat and it can only fit about 15-20 people, which is great, as you get to know and chat with the others. We gently sailed towards Cala Goritze and on the way the crew recovered the fishing nets left on the previous day. We could closely see many kinds of fishes and we were told what they were and how you could cook them…

The coast is amazing there and the knowledgeable crew told us so many interesting stories and intriguing legends about the different sites. They dropped us in the gorgeous Cala Mariolu beach, with its incredible clear waters and superb beach made of very tiny, white and smooth stones. We could spend two hours in this little paradise. Nonno’s Pio crew were great, they even had some parasols that everybody could borrow for the beach.

When they picked us back, it was lunch time..and a great lunch. We ate what they had just fished in the morning – they grilled it in front of us! We also had a lovely squid pasta, salad, local wine, coffee, fruits, Sardinian sweets and MIRTO off course.

Afterwards, we were given the choice of stopping at another bay, the beautiful Cala Biriola or visiting the Fig Grotto. Although the temptation of a nap on the beach after lunch was great, we decided to visit the Grotto and walk a little bit. This was also very good. It was cool in the Grotto and this gave us a break from the heat. The Grotto was very fascinating and the guides extremely knowledgeable and entertaining.

At the end of the visit, Nonno Pio’ staff were already there to collect us with a flipper boat. We could join the others, who had chosen the beach option, and depart for the famous Cala Luna, which unfortunately was very busy being July. It was good that we arrived there by the late afternoon though, so that most of the crowd were leaving ..We staid there for another 90 minutes and then back to Cala Gonone at around seven  and we said goodbye to Nonno Pio crew: our new heros!

Thanks guys – really enjoyed that!

Manu

Two pushchairs do not fit in the boot..should we have hired a bigger car???

First step: do we take the panoramic road, driving on the cliffs, facing blind bends and enjoying the stunning views, or should we take the new, fast road? As we are now family and we are not sure if babies can get car sick, we decide to go for the new road.

We left Cagliari towards Villassimius, but at the crucial point, Paolo started to cry,  we got anxious and confused so we turned into the wrong exit, which goes straight back to Cagliari! Impossible to turn back, we had to drive until we found an exit and start again!

That costed us 20 minutes, but eventually we got back on track. After Torre delle Stelle and just before Solans, we took the new 125 road and that was fine, although this eventually joint the old road and we drove for 20 minutes on the older and bendy road along the cost. Like in the old times, when I was the child, we stopped for a cry and a rest, fed Paolo, looked at the amazing endless sea. It took us ninety minutes to get to Monte Nai, the village where my cousin’s house is.

Monte Nai is a pretty summer village where many people from Cagliari and nearby villages have got their summer houses. There are grocery shops, a proper fish monger, some pizzerias, and a little square where people go out for a walk and a chat at night. The square was not as busy as it used to be, and it seemed that there is no more such a crazy night life as I remembered, with clubs and bars or shops open until late. We found it so calm, but just fine for us.

We staid in a beautiful villa with garden, as most of them are. It was hot but we slept on the ground floor where it was cooler. We would wake up early and have a nice cappuccino and a croissant at the local bar, then go to the beach by the ex Escargot Club. We had our parasols, but if we had not had them, there were some for hire together with deck-chairs in a beach further down.

The water was as crystal clean as I could recall and it was just beautiful. We did not stay too long because of the babies, so we went back to the villa for lunch, then had a nap. The day was so beautiful and hot that we went back to the beach at 7PM when it was warm but pleasant, and had a swim with the babies! We stayed until 8.30 in the evening then back. We went for a nice pizza later. Lovely!

Day after was a completely different story. It got very windy with the Maestrale wind, which I hate. Whenever it is windy in Sardinia and you want to go to the beach, you have to think as the Sardinians do.  First, what kind of wind is it? Where does it come from? Once you know that, you have to choose a beach or better a bay, where having taken into consideration the direction of the wind and the position of the beach, it is less likely that the wind will blow the sand. For us, that day, there was only one choice, Cala Pira – 15 minutes drive away going south.

This spot, was once totally wild and known only by the locals. Not that day. The wind was so exceptionally strong, that it was really crowded and unpleasant anyway. As if this was not enough, there was a ban to park nearby the beach. We should have had parked and walked 15 minutes to get there, with prams, babies, bags and parasols, which you can not hire in Cala Pira. Luckily my cousin dropped us nearby, and then he went to park. After only an hour, we left. We had lunch and relaxed in the villa before driving back to Cagliari. Not the best day, but we were still sad to leave such a beautiful spot!

So, yes, Costa Rei is beautiful and a good place for families, but forget about wild beaches and mind the bends!

Manuela

Do not expect to reach it too easily though…you need to make a little bit of an effort to get to this paradise, located in an area of Sardinia called Ogliastra and considered as “the island in the island” for the difficult accessibility (although lately this has very much improved) and unspoilt beauty of its coastline and mountains.

The nearest airport is Arbatax, which is very close but very little so unless you are lucky to get a flight for it, you will have to fly to Cagliari or Olbia and drive from there. It may look like easy at first but Sardinian roads are always a surprise and the 160 Kms that divide Olbia from Tortoli can easily turn in 4 hours journey on a very bendy road. Great to take pictures of this fab coastline but your kids may not like it! On the other side, there is now a brand-new fast road that from Cagliari goes very near to Tortoli ( and to Tortoli itself once completed). We used it two summers ago and we got to Tortoli in 90 minutes. If you are planning to reach Sardinia form Italy mainland, you could also take a boat to Arbatax’s pier.

Well, once you have reached Tortoli.. relax. Take your time and enjoy the beautiful beaches. One of the local and my favorite beach  is “la spiaggia di Orri” very well known for the gold sparkling effects of its sand and its crystal waters.

Very famous are also the red rocks of Arbatax, which did not do much to me but are still something you have to see if you are around. Going further north do not miss Santa Maria Navarrese beach, which is also stunning. Going South, Barisardo is one of the best.

Apart from the coast, the woods and the wine of the inside area are also a must see and must taste! The Cannonau of Jerzu is one of my favorite wines (very good with red meats and very strong..) and places like Ulassai with its beautiful waterfalls are great to see in the springtime. So here you are, ready to go?

]]> http://www.blog-sardinia.co.uk/tortoli/feed/ 0 39.9266357 9.6578493 http://www.blog-sardinia.co.uk/sardinia-from-the-sea-cagliari-villasimius-by-boat/ http://www.blog-sardinia.co.uk/sardinia-from-the-sea-cagliari-villasimius-by-boat/#comments Tue, 17 Feb 2009 21:23:34 +0000 Manuela http://www.blog-sardinia.co.uk/?p=124 After departing from the arbour of Cagliari, the boat stopped in the little “Isola dei Cavoli”, Villasimius’ arbour and finally, the splendid beach of Punta Molentis. We were staggered in little groups to be taken to the beaches and left there to enjoy a swim for an hour or so. A light lunch was served on board but we could not sit down as there were not enough seats! probably the company had overbooked as it was a Sunday… Because of the same reason it took ages to be taken up and down the beach at each stop.

Despite this, everybody liked the experience, more because of the spectacular views and sights we could see than the service we received. It is magic to swing between the blue of the sea and the sky of this stunning coast…

If I was you though, I would go on a less busier day during the week and I would not bother to go down the “Isola del Cavoli”. Although the idea sounds good the beach is very poor where the boat lives you. No commentary in English was given or available, I am afraid!

Also, some other companies with smaller boats offer this service from Cagliari or Villasimius, maybe you can try one of those. In some of these lunch consists in what is fished on the same day from the boat!

Ciao

Manu

If you are thinking to visit the south west of Sardinia, this is really the place you can not miss.

A place which beauty is so amazing to even seem like surreal. This is Masua, a tiny hidden beach where I left my heart last summer. A sandy beach surrounded by the mountains and overlooking the white islet of Pan di Zucchero that emergs from the deep blue waters. You only seem to miss a ship of pirates in this picture..

Reaching Masua is really easy. From Cagliari you should take the 130 road towards Iglesias for about 40 minutes. You go always straight until you find directions to turn right for Nebida. Follow that. You will drive for about six kms. This road is very bendy and runs over cliffs but the views are spectacular and this journey is really part of the whole experience. You may want to stop to take some beautiful pics.

When you see directions for Masua, you will start to go down towards the beach and there you are!

Enjoy!

Manuela

PS: a bar, canoa hire and toilets are available. Parking can be limited on a week-end in August and sometimes in July as it can get busy so try to go early.

Where to stay to explore the area?  Try these: Apartment Jazz & The Danish Villa.

It is very well served with bars where to eat and hiring of sport equipments, parasols, deck chairs etc. If I well recall there is also a Beach Volley field.

The bay is dominated by a Spanish tower that was built during the Spanish domination in the XV century to fight the Arab incursions.You can reach it from the beach if you wish to visit it and enjoy a faboulous view from there.

To get to San Gemiliano beach from Arbatax take the Via San Gemiliano then turn into Via D’Annunzio and follow the street up to the beach. You are there!!

The Costa Verde, is on the south-east side of Sardinia. My favorite place here is Piscinas, located at about 25 KM from Arbus. What it is so special about it are the huge dunes of unbelievable thin amber sand that dominate this side of the coast, together with the usual stunning crystal waters of the sea. It is such a powerful and spectacular view that made Piscinas one of the Unesco world heritage sites. It is not so easy to get here (do not worry, we will give you directions!) which means no crowds (yes!) but also not bars or toilets..

This area of Sardinia used to be full of mines, then dismissed, which have being turned into fascinating geo-mineral parks open to visitors in recent times. If you visit Montevecchio, you will have the chance to explore the mines galleries and some of the historic villas that were built by the owners of the mines. Montevecchio is surrunded by woods and if you love trekking you may be lucky and see a some of the beautiful Sardinian deers or wild boars!

Other interesting places to visit are Ingortosu (ex miners village), Fluminimaggiore; Gonnosfanadiga (archeaology) and Guspini. There are many activities that you can take in the Costa Verde: trekking, horse riding, snorkeling, diving, excursions by Quad..and apparently you can take a tour on carriages pulled by donkeys (never tried this last one but let us know if you do!!).

If you want to spend some days in Arbus try clicking on our Hotel category on the right or look at our villas in the area like the The Danish Villa….

Enjoy!

Manuela

PS. Be aware that there are two places called Picinas in Sardinia!