Spiaggia della Pelosa — known locally simply as La Pelosa — sits at the extreme north-western tip of Sardinia, within the municipality of Stintino (Province of Sassari), facing the Gulf of Asinara and the island of the same name. It is known for very fine white sand and a turquoise-blue sea over an extremely shallow seabed close to shore.
That shallow, sheltered seabed is a large part of why the beach draws families with young children — the shallows extend well out from the shoreline, and the gulf's natural enclosure keeps the water usually calm.
A few metres offshore stands the Torre della Pelosa, a coastal watchtower built from schist in a truncated-cone shape, with a 16-metre base diameter, a height of 10 metres, and walls roughly 2.5 metres thick. It already existed before 1578 — the year a report by Viceroy De Moncada notes it needed repairs — and kept visual contact with sister watchtowers on Isola Piana and at Capo Falcone, part of a coastal defence network against corsair raids. The tower was decommissioned in 1846, after Sardinia's Royal Tower Administration was abolished in 1842, and it now appears on Stintino's coat of arms. It stands on a small islet reachable only by boat. Right next to it, the smaller La Pelosetta beach leads on foot to a second islet, while the larger Isola Piana — roughly 140 hectares of schist dotted with coves — closes off the bay further out.
Across the gulf lies Asinara island, now a National Park (established 1997, nature reserve since 1999) covering 52 km², with its highest point at 408 metres. The island was virtually depopulated for over a century: it became an agricultural penal colony in 1885, held roughly 24,000 Austro-Hungarian prisoners during World War I (of whom around 5,000 died), and operated as a maximum-security prison until it closed in 1997. That same year, 1885, is also when Stintino itself was founded — by 45 fishing families displaced from Asinara, the so-called "Comunione dei 45," whose settlement grew into today's Stintino. Asinara can now only be visited on organised, guided tours, with swimming limited to three designated beaches; Stintino is the closest embarkation point. Wildlife on the island includes a population of wild albino donkeys, mouflon, wild boar, and birds such as the peregrine falcon.
Because of high visitor numbers, access to the beach is regulated through mandatory reservation between 15 May and 15 October 2026, via the municipality's official platform (spiaggialapelosa.it). There are 1,500 daily spots, split between 500 "period" spots (bookable any time ahead, for stays of 1 to 31 consecutive days) and 1,000 "daily" spots (released 48 hours ahead, with bookings opening every day at 9am). The fee is €3.50 per person per day, with a maximum of 4 people per booking and one booking per user per day; children under 12 don't need a reservation. Access control, with a QR code check, runs daily from 8am to 6pm. Because the municipality adjusts this system every season, exact dates and fees should be confirmed close to the time of the visit.
The nearest airport is Alghero-Fertilia, about 50 km away, with Sassari roughly 35 km away; from Cagliari in the south of the island, it's about a 250 km, three-and-a-half-hour drive. Only paid car parks are available near the beach, given the high summer demand. For other standout Sardinian beaches, the Sardinia region page is worth browsing as a whole — including the very different Cala Goloritzé on the island's east coast, with its limestone rock arch reachable only on foot or by boat.
Yes — for the 2026 season (15 May to 15 October), access requires a reservation via the official platform spiaggialapelosa.it, with a €3.50 per person daily fee. Children under 12 don't need to book.
Access control runs daily from 8am to 6pm, when visitors must show the QR code received after booking.
An Aragonese-era coastal watchtower, already standing before 1578, built on a small islet just off the beach to guard the strait and warn of corsair raids. It was decommissioned in 1846 and now appears on Stintino's coat of arms.
Yes — Stintino is the nearest embarkation point for Asinara National Park, though the island can only be visited on organised, guided tours, with swimming limited to three designated beaches.
The nearest airport is Alghero-Fertilia, about 50 km away; Sassari is roughly 35 km away. Only paid parking is available near the beach.
Real historical monthly sea temperature averages.