A metre of turquoise water stretching hundreds of metres out, powder-white sand and a 1578 Aragonese tower on an islet within swimming reach: La Pelosa at Stintino is the Mediterranean's most "Caribbean" beach, the Asinara island closing the horizon. Its fame is its fragility: summer access is capped to protect it.
What to see
The Pelosa tower on its islet, swimmable on calm days; the Capo Falcone viewpoint above the beach, giving the full composition of sand, tower and Asinara; and little sister Pelosetta, the smaller crescent next door, often quieter.
Visiting
From June to September entry runs on online booking and numbered places; a mat under your towel is compulsory and the sand-checks at the exit are no folklore: they keep the beach from leaving in bags. Off season the beach returns free and, in low light, even more photogenic.
Getting there
Stintino lies half an hour from Porto Torres and an hour from Alghero and its airport. La Pelosa is two kilometres past the village: paid parking along the road, then shuttles or a stroll.
Our editors' tip
Book the first slot and arrive at eight: an hour of near-empty Pelosa, water still and tower mirrored, repays the alarm clock. Or come in October: swimming temperatures, zero queues, and the turquoise has gone nowhere.