Holidays in Badesi: beaches and sights

Badesi is located between Castelsardo and Santa Teresa Gallura. The small town is an amazing holiday destination and the perfect starting point for exploring Northern Sardinia. Badesi, still little known to mass tourism, has about 1900 inhabitants and is located on a hill overlooking the valley crossed by the river Coghinas.

The beaches

Badesi Mare has a 12-kilometer-long coastline whose beaches are characterised by white sand and dunes interspersed with green junipers that offer shelter from the hot summer sun.

– Li Mindi: a long beach of white sand that stretches for kilometres and crossed by the mouth of the river Coghinas, one of the most important waterways in Sardinia. From Li Mindi beach you can gaze out across the island of Asinara’s shades of blues over to Castelsardo and up to Isola Rossa.

– Li Junchi is the main beach of Badesi and is 8 kms long.

– Baia delle Mimose is located towards Valledoria and has a shallow sandy seabed. It is surrounded by dunes covered with scented Mediterranean vegetation.

– Li Cossi is a beach near Badesi and it is definitely worth a visit: a cove shielded from the wind, bordered by pink trachyte cliffs with a seabed suitable for children, but also a paradise for snorkelers.

Bored of flopping on the beach? Thanks to their exposure to the mistral wind, all these beaches attracts surfers, windsurfers and kitesurfers from everywhere.

Highlights

The reeds along the shores of the River Coghinas have been declared a Site of Community Importance, thanks to the richness of their flora and fauna. This is why the area is extremely popular among birders. Both resident and migratory birds can be observed nesting at the mouth and on the banks of the river. The river Coghinas offers both leisurely and tough routes, allowing you to relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery or to admire the landscape while ascending the river by canoe, boat or even by bike along the cycling path.

In summer, Badesi hosts several events including the international surf and fishing competition in May, the gastronomic festival and the summer carnival in August. There are also various surfing contests that usually take place between August and September.

Castelsardo is set at just 20 minutes from Badesi. It is a small medieval village perched on a clifftop above the sea and characterised by cobbled narrow streets leading up to the 13th-century Doria Castle. Strolling around the town, visitors will find small handicraft shops (where they can buy the typical colorful hand woven baskets), traditional restaurants serving local cuisine and will gaze in awe on the vista, during clear days, of the mountains of the Corsica island.
Isola Rossa is a small fishing village that is also well worth a visit, especially for an evening walk. It is famous for its purple-coloured cliffs that, at sunset, create a very romantic and fascinating atmosphere.

Typical dishes

While staying in Badesi, we strongly suggest you to taste the typical fish soup, linguine with sea urchins, grilled fish or the typical Zuppa Gallurese (made with stale bread, broth and cheese) and to pair these delicious dishes with a glass of the fine-textured Vermentino di Gallura wine, produced on the hills around Badesi.