Cala Croce, the easy beach just outside town
White sand, water that stays knee deep for metres and the town a short walk away. Cala Croce sits halfway between the convenience of Guitgia and the wild coves of the south-west.
Today: north-easterly (grecale) 12 knots. This cove is sheltered, the sea should be calm. Full wind guide
Cala Croce opens onto the south coast, a short way from the centre, on the road out of the harbour heading west. A spur of rock splits the bay into two crescents of white sand, the first wider and busier, the second more tucked away. The sea comes in flat, the bottom is sand and the depth builds slowly, with no ledges. From the road it looks small, but the space spreads better than you expect.
This is the beach you pick when you cannot face organising anything. No boat, no long walk in full sun, nothing to book. Take the scooter and you are there in minutes, and if you forget the water there is still somewhere to buy a drink at the top of the slope. The price of that convenience is company, because in August the sand fills from mid morning onwards. Knowing that, you get in early.
| Access | by car or scooter |
|---|---|
| Distance | 1.5 km from town, 20 minutes on foot |
| Seabed | sand |
| Depth | shallow near the shore |
| Shade | very little |
| Facilities | beach club, bar and rentals |
| Parking | available |
| With children | excellent |
| Snorkeling | good to start |
| Sheltered from | northerly (tramontana), north-easterly (grecale), mistral (north-westerly) |
| Exposed to | southerly (ostro), sirocco (south-easterly), south-westerly (libeccio) |
Getting there
- From the centre take the road out of the harbour heading west, the cove opens on your left after a few hundred metres.
- A few minutes by scooter, a longer walk on foot, with a gentle climb back.
- Leave the vehicle in the free area at the entrance, and if it is full carry on without blocking driveways.
- You drop to the sand over rock and a few steps, uneven and smooth in places, so keep your hands free.
- The refreshment point is at the top of the slope, so buy water and coffee before going down.
The water, and how far out it stays shallow
Close to shore the water comes up to your knees and stays that way for several metres, which is why the cove works so well for small children and weak swimmers. The pale sand holds the colour across the whole range of blues, even at midday. Towards the middle of the bay the floor drops away gradually, to around eight metres further out: you no longer touch, yet on a calm day the bottom is still visible.
Snorkelling here is entry level, worth taking for what it is. The middle of the bay is almost bare sand, so the life sits on the rocky sides: follow the rock with your mask and within a few metres you find urchins, anemones, sea bream and shoals of salema. Further out come patches of Posidonia, not dirt but the meadow that holds the system together. You are in a Marine Protected Area, so look and do not touch.
When it fills up, and how to beat it
The cove fills from the land, not from the sea, and the car park is your signal: once that is full, the sand already is. In July and August the good window closes around ten in the morning, and then everyone arrives at once. If you are a late riser, flip the day and turn up from five, when many people head back for a shower and the light softens. Lunchtime opens another gap, though the sun is hardest then.
Great in a mistral, hopeless in a sirocco
Cala Croce faces south, sheltered from anything out of the north. In a mistral (north-westerly) the wind passes behind you, jumps the island and finds no room to raise a wave here, so the bay stays flat and clear. A sirocco (south-easterly) does the opposite: it blows straight in off the open sea, raises a chop, stirs the sand and leaves milky water in which a mask is useless. On those days switch to the east side, to Cala Pisana, Cala Creta or Mare Morto.
There is barely any shade, so pack for it
Natural shade is close to non existent: the rock behind the beach gives a little only late in the day. Unless you rent an umbrella here, bring one, with a big towel, plenty of water and a water resistant sunscreen for after every swim. A light shirt for the children, a hat and flip flops help too, because the sand burns at midday and the way down is bare rock. Carry some cash, many small island businesses prefer it.
Get ahead of the parking
The open area at the entrance is free but small. In high season arrive by half past nine, or come on a scooter, because you can almost always squeeze one in where a car cannot fit. If it is taken, drive on and walk the last stretch rather than blocking a driveway or bend.
Boats in the bay and swimming out
In summer a few boats come in and stop in front of the cove. Stay inside the swimming area when buoys mark it, and if you go further out with mask and fins use a surface marker buoy, because from a boat a head in the water is spotted late.
Where Cala Croce is
Nearby coves
Frequently asked questions
Can you walk there from town?
Yes, it is a fair walk from the centre along the road heading west, with a final stretch where the pavement is not continuous. Walk on the side where you can see cars coming and keep children on the inside. There is a gentle climb on the way back. In summer skip the middle of the day and go early morning or late afternoon.
Is it good for young children?
It is one of the best choices on the island, with fine sand, water that stays shallow for several metres and a bottom free of stones. The one thing to plan for is the descent from the car park, short but over rock, so with a toddler carry them down and leave the pushchair up top. Bring an umbrella, because you will not find natural shade.
Is there parking, and does it cost anything?
There is a free open area at the entrance, but it is small and in high season it runs out early, usually by mid morning. A scooter solves the problem almost every time. If everything is taken, carry on along the road, leave the vehicle somewhere that does not block driveways or bends and walk the last few metres.
Is there anything to see with a mask and snorkel?
Yes, though do not expect the seabeds of Cala Creta or Tabaccara. The middle of the bay is almost bare sand, while the life gathers along the rocky edges, where within a few metres you find urchins, anemones, sea bream and salema. You need a calm sea, because a little chop is enough for suspended sand to wipe out visibility. Touch nothing, this is a Marine Protected Area.
When is it worth avoiding?
On sirocco days, because the cove is open to the south-east and ends up with short chop and cloudy water, so switch to the eastern side, to Cala Pisana, Cala Creta or Mare Morto. It is also worth skipping the middle of an August day, with the sand and the car park at their fullest and no shade anywhere. In a mistral, by contrast, it is one of the calmest spots on the island.