There’s a stretch of Sardinian coastline where the sea laps at a very long beach and, even in high season, it never feels cramped. You'll find very pale sand, water so transparent your feet disappear, and a backshore dotted with juniper bushes scented with resin.
There’s no built-up promenade here, just an unspoilt natural setting with essential services. The first glance is striking for its scale and colours, and the overall feeling is of a wild paradise within easy driving distance.
Sea and beach at Berchida: colours, seabed and calm
The sand is very fine and extremely pale, almost white, reflecting shades of blue that shift from light green near the shoreline to deeper turquoise further out. The water is so clear that your feet vanish after just a few steps, an immediate sense of cleanliness and transparency.
The landscape has its own character: twisted juniper branches, shaped by the wind, create small sheltered corners to rest during the hottest hours. Facilities are low-key and don’t intrude on the coastline, which keeps its natural, open profile.
Northwards: dunes, pinewoods and seaside villages
Walking along the waterline towards the north, the beach leads to the large dunes of Capo Comino and the beach of s’Ena e sa Chitta, a stretch of very fine sand facing an old lighthouse and a small Isola Rossa offshore. Here you come across pinewoods of Aleppo and stone pines, planted decades ago, providing dense shade and the unmistakable scent of sun-warmed needles.
Continuing on, the coastline changes character with the fishing village of Santa Lucia, gathered around an Aragonese tower, and La Caletta, a more developed resort with a promenade and tourist services.
Southwards: the Bidderosa Oasis and its five coves
South of Bèrchida, the scenery becomes even more protected with the Bidderosa Oasis, over a thousand hectares of coastal forest where thick vegetation shelters five sandy coves. Behind the main beach there’s a small pond frequented by pink flamingos and herons, bringing together freshwater, sea and Mediterranean scrub within just a few steps.
Access is regulated, with clear attention given to habitat conservation, a defining feature of this stretch of coastline.
Rio Berchìda, birdwatching and nuraghi: surprises behind the shore
Behind the beach flows the Rio Berchìda, which widens at its mouth into a freshwater pool among reeds and wetlands. The area also preserves traces of ancient times: not far away lie the remains of the nuraghi Conca Umosa and Paule e’ Luca, prehistoric stone towers typical of Sardinia.
How to get there: directions and access
Bèrchida is on the north-eastern coast of Sardinia, in the comune of Siniscola, with road access via the Strada Statale 125. Local turn-offs branch off the main road and include some unpaved sections, though access is straightforward thanks to a large car park near the beach.
Those arriving by ferry or plane at the main ports and airports along the eastern coast can use a base nearby and travel by car, reaching other destinations such as Capo Comino, Cala Liberotto and Marina di Orosei in a reasonable time.
Accommodation options include holiday homes, campsites and hostels between Siniscola and Orosei, catering to different budgets and allowing a mix of beach days and trips inland.
Article seen on The Wom travel: In Sardegna c’è un paradiso selvaggio lungo 5 chilometri dove c’è spazio per tutti anche in estate
