The sea has the color of tropical watersthe sand is so clear that it seems icing sugar, and the silence is interrupted only by the sloping of water and the song of the cicadas: we are talking about Cala coticcioa corner of paradise that does not need filters. They call it the “Tahiti Sarda” And, for once, the expression does not sound exaggerated.
We are in Sardinia, in the Maddalena archipelago, Precisely on the island of Caprera, in its north-eastern part. Cala Cotticio is hiding between rocks smooth by the wind and salt, protected by a natural amphitheater of pink rock and lentisco bushes. It suddenly appears, at the end of a path that puts the legs and breath to the test, but gives the most beautiful surprise right at the end. A small, almost secret cove, where the sea is so transparent to leave you speechless.
A natural swimming pool dug in the rock
To look at it from afar, It looks like a private swimming pool. The water is firm, clear, the seabed slopes gently and the shades change at every step: from the most heated turquoise, almost unreal, to the light blue that fades into the sand. The colors seem painted, but are authentic, like the nature that created them.
The beach is freebut it is not accessible to anyone, and this helps to keep it intact. To reach it there are two possibilities: by sea, with the boat excursions organized daily by the nearby ports, or on foot, through a dirt path, roughly in some sections and steep in the last piece. We need a good shoe, abundant water and a little training, but it is certainly worth it, given that every single drop of sweat will be repaid with the interests from that landscape so rare that they seem unreal.
Snorkeling between starfish and colorful fish
Once you arrive, you are welcomed by a calm that knows of perfection. Cala Cotticio is part of the National Park of the Archipelago of La Maddalena And it is subjected to environmental protection, which means that it cannot be improvised. In the summer months, access is regulated to protect the delicate marine and terrestrial ecosystem, therefore those who arrive must respect the place and, perhaps, rely on the authorized environmental guides.
Those who love the sea, the real one, find its kingdom here. Mask and mouthpiece are everything you need to explore a natural aquarium: starfish, herds of silver fish, curls, corals, underwater rock formations that seem sculptures. Fans of snorkeling? You will find the ideal place!
Caprera, the island of the hero
Caprera is not only sea, given that it has a respectable story, inevitably linked to the period of the Italian Risorgimento. It is the island chosen by Giuseppe Garibaldi To live the last twenty -six years of his life. Here, among these shrubs and these rocks, the hero of the two worlds cultivated the earth, he raised animals, built furniture. A simple and Spartan life, far from the clamor of politics, immersed in the silence of his beloved hills.
The Compendium Garibaldinowith the famous White houseis today one of the most visited museums in Italy. Walking among the rooms, you can see the personal objects of the hero, his work tools, letters, even his bedroom. It is an austere and moving place, which tells a distant and close Italy page at the same time.
An island to explore calmly
Cala Cotticio is only one of the brat of Caprera. Moving a few kilometers you can visit other wonderful beaches, such as Cala Portesealso called the two seas, where white sand and clear seabed attract families, or the beach of the wreck, where the rusty skeleton of a shipwrecked ship stands out against the transparency of the sea. And again Cala Napoletanawith its intense colors, e Cala Garibaldimore secluded and wild, without forgetting Cala Serenawhich in the prophetic name contains what it can give to those who reach it: quiet and light.
A wonder two hours from home
The beauty of Cala Cotticio is that, to reach it, there is no need to fly to the other side of the world. Two hours are enough from Rome or Milan. A short flight, A ferry from Palau And it is already in another universe, where the waters look like Caribbean, but smell of myrtle, where sand dazzles, but is surrounded by pine trees and juniprs, in which beauty is not built, but simply left intact.
