Sardinia drone beaches

The drone clips racing across social media are showing a real shift in how Sardinia sells itself: less resort branding, more protected coves with strict entry rules. (sardegnaturismo.it) The images most often match a handful of beaches on the island’s east and northwest coasts, including Cala Goloritzé near Baunei and La Pelosa in Stintino. Cala Goloritzé is a white-pebble cove backed by a limestone wall and sea arch, and Sardinia’s tourism site says it has been a protected natural monument since 1995. (sardegnaturismo.it) Cala Goloritzé got a fresh burst of attention in 2025, when The World’s 50 Best Beaches ranked it No. 1 globally. Italy’s national tourism portal repeated that result, and Baunei’s coast site now uses the accolade in its visitor information. (worlds50beaches.com, italia.it, costadibaunei.it) That fame comes with limits. Baunei’s official booking page says visitors must reserve access for the hiking trail, the walk takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes each way over 3.5 kilometers, and boats must stop about 300 meters offshore rather than land on the beach. (turismobaunei.eu, costadibaunei.it) La Pelosa, another beach that routinely dominates Sardinia wish lists, is also tightly managed. The official booking site for Spiaggia La Pelosa says the reservation system for the 2026 season is being updated, after the 2025 system capped daily access at 1,500 people and required online booking from May 15 to October 15. (spiaggialapelosa.it, sassaritoday.it) Visitors at La Pelosa also have to follow rules aimed at keeping its pale sand in place. Sardinia travel guides tied to local booking systems say beachgoers must place a mat under their towel and rinse sand from their feet before leaving. (sardegnacountry.eu, travel.thewom.it) Sardinia’s tourism officials have leaned into the rankings as evidence that the island’s beaches are still climbing in global visibility. The regional tourism site says Cala Goloritzé topped the 2025 world list, while La Pelosa and Cala Mariolu also placed high in traveler rankings tied to Tripadvisor reviews. (sardegnaturismo.it, tripadvisor.mediaroom.com) The result is that the beaches in the viral footage are not just scenic backdrops. They are some of Sardinia’s most regulated shorelines, where reservations, trail controls and sand-protection rules now shape the trip almost as much as the water color that made the videos spread. (ilsole24ore.com, turismobaunei.eu, spiaggialapelosa.it)