L'articolo Please let our Island keep its treasure! sembra essere il primo su Back to Sardinia.

The island of Sant’Antioco has gorgeous ones and there are more all around it, on the island of San Pietro and in the gulf of Palmas, as well as on the western coast of Sulcis Iglesiente.

I’ve been to all of them (or almost), but some of them I frequent and know better; these are the ones that I consider “mine.”

I particularly love Spiaggia Sottotorre, La Salina and Calasetta; I love Spiaggia Sottotorre because it is right under Cà de Anna (the house in the town where my mother-in-law lived, which we now rent for vacation homes); I love La Salina because it is beautiful with its white dunes on which lilies of San Pancrazia bloom and junipers grow, and for its crystal-clear sea, protected from wind and facing the island of San Pietro.

In my opinion, San Pietro is best enjoyed from the sea rather than land. There are few beaches and they are tiny and crowded in the summer. The magnificent coves, cliffs and stacks are best seen from a boat (a dinghy will do) and give you the chance for unforgettable swims.

My favorite beach on the island of San Pietro is La Bobba, and La Caletta, cala Guidi and Cala Fico (with its fascinating “fjord” of rocks) are also lovely.

If you leave the Island (by which I always mean Sant’Antioco, where I live, in Calasetta), going east/southeast along the Gulf of Palmas, the finest beach of all is Porto Pino with its high, pure white dunes from which you can admire the entire Gulf (and the Island seen from Sardinia), and from the other side the ponds abounding in flamingos, wader and migratory birds.

(Photo by Giovanni Paulis)

If you leave the Island going west/northwest, you come across many beaches all with the view of the massive cliff of Pan di Zucchero (of incomparable beauty at sunset). If you have the patience to go as far as the mining basin of Sulcis Iglesiente to Buggerru, you will be rewarded when you reach the splendor of Cala Domestica, a gorgeous double cove separated by a rock arch.

These beaches are a mere starting point, not a full selection of the many options. The western coast of Sardinia and the Archipelago of Sulcis are of such extreme beauty, it’s hard to decide which corner of this world to love best.

(Photo by Simonetta Zedda).

These beaches are a mere starting point, not a full selection of the many options. The western coast of Sardinia and the Archipelago of Sulcis are of such extreme beauty, it’s hard to decide which corner of this world to love best.

L'articolo Beaches, beaches, so many beaches…but where to start? sembra essere il primo su Back to Sardinia.

Sottotorre is the cove right below the Torre Sabauda tower overlooking the town. It’s a gorgeous, white-beached cove with crystal-blue water that is very shallow, making it a popular destination for families with children. La Salina, just a kilometer out of town, has two white sandy dunes dotted with San Pancrazio lilies where two species of wind-bent juniper grow: juniperus phoenicea, or Phoenician juniper, and juniperus macrocarpa.

A bit further is Spiaggia Grande, a cove stretching to Punta della Tonnara, venerated by surfers as it is open to the mistral wind; part of it is reserved for tourists traveling with their canine friends.

Posidonia oceanica, or Neptune grass, has lived in the Mediterranean for many millennia, since between 80,000 and 200,000 years, they say. In fact, it was recently discovered to be the oldest organism in the Mediterranean, according to Francesca Mancuso in Green Me (who also took the picture).

The grass is a full-fledged water plant, not just alga. Native to the Mediterranean Sea, its name comes from the mythological Greek god of the seas, Poseidon (Neptune in Roman mythology). Neptune’s grass usually covers large areas, called “fields” that provide shelter and the habitat of many fish and other plants. Plus it oxygenates the sea and is an indicator of clean water. When it dries, it is pushed by currents and accumulates along the beaches. Sometimes it forms tall layers as soft as pillows. Italian law protects it and prohibits its removal, to the displeasure of many who don’t like it and want it gone.

But those of us who have always known it, and appreciate it for how its softness and how it makes the sea fragrant, would rather see gone the plastic and garbage of all sorts left by beach-goers on the beaches. We’d let Neptune grass stay; after all, this is its home.

And, depending on the currents, sea temperature, storm surges and other factors, beaches in the center of the Mediterranean, particularly a wind-exposed island like Sant’Antioco, often change shape, becoming longer or shorter, and then back again.

One of the lucky things about living here is watching the beaches change in summer and winter, at dawn and dusk, with the wind or calm airs, when they are deserted or teeming…

In the photo a winter view of Spiaggia Sottotorre in Calasetta by Roberto Romans Zucca.

Gallery’s photo are by Paola Parigi, Roberto Romans Zucca and Enzo Zucca.

L'articolo The sea, the beaches and Neptune grass sembra essere il primo su Back to Sardinia.