Sardinia is the second biggest island in the Mediterranean Sea and it has almost 1900 km of coastline. In the recent years is becoming a very popular tourist destination, mostly for its beautiful beaches and its crystal clear waters. It Is hard to count all of the beaches we have, due to the fact that most of them are very little, and it is even harder to say which one could be considered the most beautiful.
Certainly, one of the most known and beautiful beach in Sardinia is Cala Coticcio. This is also one of the littlest beaches of the island, being approximately 10 meters long. This tiny beach is located in the east side of Caprera, the second largest island of the La Maddalena Archipelago.
It must be said that is not easy to get to Cala Coticcio. There are basically two ways, and in any case you have to take at least one boat ride.
Whether you reach Cala Coticcio by boat or by foot, you will be amazed by the contrast between the electric blue of the water and the pale yellow colour of the granitic rocks that surround the beach. This little gem seems like embedded in a soft-looking rock , you have the true feeling of being in a magical place.
If you decide to get here by foot, you have to take the ferry from Palau to La Maddalena island and once there you can drive or cycle or take a bus to Caprera. Park or ask to be dropped off near the Arbuticci fortress where there is also the Memoriale di Giuseppe Garibaldi.
From there it starts the narrow downhill and a bit rough trail that leads you to Cala Coticcio. It takes about 45 minutes and it is not too hard except for a short steep passage where you need the 4×4 mode (feet and hands!)
The view when you get close to the beach it’s simply breathtaking. There are two small bays, the real Cala Coticcio is the second one and unless you choose to go in low season both the beaches will be a bit crowded. Remember to bring with you some water and one umbrella as there are no beach bars and neither natural shade.
The second way to reach Cala Coticcio is by boat, you can rent one or you can choose to join one of the boat tours departing from Palau, La Maddalena, Cannigione, or Baia Sardinia. There are several solutions, from the big tourist boat to the more cozy private charter. We at NatourSardinia offer both private and shared boat tours to Cala Coticcio starting from Palau or La Maddalena.
Like in many bays of the La Maddalena National Park, the two beaches in Cala Coticcio are both closed with a buoys line at about 50 meters from the shore. It serves to keep the boats far from the swimming area. It follows that to reach the beach you need to swim and be confident in the water, if you are not it’s better to have at disposal a floating device. Outside the buoys line the sea depth is about 5 meters,reaching 10m depth at the center of the bay.
Cala Coticcio is a great spot for snorkeling, here you can swim in calm water and meet large schools of silvery fish called Saddled seabream. These fish are very curious, they like to move around searching for food. Just outside the bay, there is one of the most spectacular diving sites of the Archipelago of La Maddalena, where you can meet groupers, moren eels and sting rays . (If you are interested in marine life you should read our article about snorkeling in Sardinia)
If you are travelling in Sardinia and you plan to explore Cala Coticcio or the Maddalena National Park you can contact us, we will be happy to host you on board for a memorable excursion.
