We've spent enough summers in Badesi to know that "best beach" is a slippery question. The best beach for a family with a toddler is not the best beach for someone who wants to read undisturbed for four hours. The best beach in July is not the best beach in late September.
So this isn't a top-ten ranking. It's seven beaches within an hour of Beach Base, with the honest version of when each one is worth the drive — and when it isn't.
Li Junchi di Badesi — the wide one, 8 minutes away
If you're staying with us and you haven't yet figured out where to go for the afternoon, the answer is almost always Li Junchi.
It's an 8-kilometre crescent of pale gold sand backed by juniper dunes, and it has flown Italy's Bandiera Blu (Blue Flag) for water quality and beach management for years. The far ends, towards Li Mindi and towards Baia delle Mimose, are quiet even in August. The middle, near the beach bars, can fill up around 12:30 but never to the point of being unpleasant.
- Parking: free in the lots behind the dunes; arrive before 11 in August.
- Shade: none natural — bring an umbrella or rent a sunbed from one of the stabilimenti (around €25/day for two beds and a parasol).
- Best for: long walks, swimming, sunset apertivi.
- Skip if: you want shade trees or pebbles for your kids to dig in. This is sand, sand, sand.
Baia delle Mimose — the family-friendly cove, 12 minutes away
A short footbridge through dunes takes you to a wider, busier beach with sunbed rentals, watersports, and the Calypso Lounge Beach Bar — a daytime hangout that turns into a champagne-and-DJ scene at sunset.
Shallow turquoise water for a long way out, which makes it our top pick if you've got small kids. The bar food is fine if uninspired; come for the easy parking and the aperitivo with your feet in the sand.
Poltu Biancu — the quiet one, 12 minutes away
A wide sandy beach surrounded by natural greenery and close to Cantina Li Duni winery. Almost no crowds even in August. The wind picks up here in the afternoon, which makes it a favourite for paddleboarders and people who don't want to wrestle a sun hat all day.
Combine it with a tasting at Li Duni on the way back — they do a properly good Vermentino di Gallura DOCG and they'll let you taste five or six wines for around €12.
La Marinedda (Isola Rossa) — the surfer's beach, 15 minutes away
White sand cove framed by pink granite. In the morning it's a calm swimming beach; from around 2pm the maestrale picks up and the surfers and kitesurfers come out. There's a beach bar at the far end with proper pizza and decent gelato.
If you've got teenagers, this is the beach that turns the holiday around for them. There's a surf school in Isola Rossa itself, ten minutes' walk back.
Cala Sarraina (Costa Paradiso) — the dramatic one, 30 minutes away
This is where Sardinia stops looking like the south of France and starts looking like nowhere else on earth. Pink granite cliffs drop straight into water so clear that boats look like they're floating in air. There's only a small strip of sand, so come for the swimming and the snorkelling, not for lounging.
Park at the top and walk down a stepped path — about ten minutes, easy enough but bring water shoes for the rocky parts of the cove.
Rena Bianca (Santa Teresa di Gallura) — the day-trip beach, 1 hour away
White sand, clear water, views across to Corsica on a clear day. Walkable from the centre of Santa Teresa, which means you can park once and combine the beach with lunch in town and a stroll afterwards. Good for an "active" beach day rather than a horizontal one.
La Pelosa (Stintino) — the one to plan ahead for, 1 hour away
Yes, it's the postcard beach. Shallow turquoise water, fine white sand, the Aragonese tower on the headland — you've seen the photo a hundred times. It's worth the drive once.
But: you need to book a daily entry permit in summer (cap on visitors, around €3.50 each, book at parcodiportoconte.it). And the parking is paid and limited. Plan it as a day trip — leave Beach Base at 9am, beach in the morning, lunch in Stintino, drive back in the afternoon — rather than a casual afternoon dip.
Which one should I pick?
- Travelling with toddlers: Baia delle Mimose, then Li Junchi.
- Travelling with teenagers: La Marinedda, then Cala Sarraina.
- A romantic afternoon: Poltu Biancu followed by sunset at Li Junchi.
- One iconic beach day: La Pelosa, booked in advance.
- The "I want a beach to myself" beach: Cala Sarraina midweek, or the far western end of Li Junchi.
If you're staying at Beach Base, six of the seven are reachable for breakfast back home. The seventh, La Pelosa, is the only one we'd treat as a real day trip — and it's well worth one.