Dreaming of Bidderosa Beach

Most of my winters are spent longing to return to this beach that I first fell in love with many years ago.

My parents moved to Italy close on twenty years back and one of my first memories of an Italian summer was exploring Bidderosa Beach and the other beaches on the Gulf of Orosei on the island of Sardinia.

It was a summer that seemed to go on for ever, etching this part of Sardinia into my mind with the most wonderful experiences.

We found a little hotel in nearby Cala Gonone called the Bue Marino, from which boats set off, across the azure seas, to many of the most stunning beaches I'd ever seen. This became our summer base.

Bidderosa was always my favorite, the boats didn't go there but we'd rent a car and drive. The sand was soft and the summer sea wrapped us in its warm embrace and we embraced it, with all our hearts, right back.

About the Beach

Our Tip:  "Make sure you get here early -  once the daily quota is filled they won't allow anyone else in."

Crystal clear waters of a thousand shades of blue and soft sand make this a true paradise. It's never too crowded either, being in a nature reserve visitor numbers are limited to a certain quota each day. 

Their are actually five beaches that make up what is called the Bidderosa Oasis, all of them are beautiful in their own way so I'll leave it to you to decide which is the best.

If you have children it is absolutely perfect for them, with no current worth mentioning, shallow seas and no sharks or other dangers.

Kids will have a whale of a time, safely enjoying a bit of freedom in the shallow waters while parents can enjoy some peace of mind (which all parents know the value of :)

There's not much in the way of facilities on the beaches, except an expensive bar on beach number two, so try bring a picnic and water with you and a plastic bag for your rubbish. You can discard your rubbish in the bins on the way back to the parking. It breaks my heart to see people littering in such a special place but, would you believe it, some do!

Getting Here

Firstly, make sure you go really early, being part of a nature reserve the numbers are limited and once a hundred or so cars have been let in that's it. Particularly in July and August the numbers get filled up bright and early – I'd suggest arriving by 7 a.m. at the latest.

The only way to get here, except for a very long hike, is by car. If you're coming from Orosei or Cala Gonone then you need to head north on the SS125 and take the turn off for Bidderosa. Parking costs 14 Euros a day and entrance to the park/beach is a Euro per person. Once you've parked there's a pleasant walk of a few kilometers through typical Mediterranean vegetation to the beach.

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