© Photo by Gianni Careddu

Baia Sardinia & Cannigione: The Quieter North and Its Beaches, Sardinia

Baia Sardinia and Cannigione occupy the northern edge of the area commonly referred to as the Costa Smeralda, sitting just above Porto Cervo in the municipality of Arzachena. Villa Cala Sassari lies around 50 minutes south by car in Punta Pedrosa, Golfo Aranci — and for guests who have already explored the core of the Emerald Coast, this quieter northern stretch offers a genuinely different character: smaller crowds, a working village feel at Cannigione, and sea views extending unobstructed to the islands of La Maddalena and Caprera.

Baia Sardinia

Baia Sardinia is a hotel and villa village that took shape in the early 1960s alongside the development of the Costa Smeralda. Its main beach, Spiaggia di Battistoni, is a wide sandy bay with clear water and full facilities including sunbed rental and a beachfront bar. Views from the northern headlands extend towards Isola Budelli and the outer islands of the Maddalena archipelago on clear days. The village itself is compact and pleasant for an evening walk, with restaurants oriented towards a residential tourist clientele rather than day-trippers.

Cannigione

Cannigione sits in the calm inner waters of the Golfo di Arzachena, originally a fishing village and now a residential and tourist town with a long golden beach, a stone pier, and a small port from which day trips to the Maddalena archipelago depart. The water in the gulf is exceptionally calm — sheltered from the prevailing northerly winds — making it an excellent option for families with very young children or anyone who prefers flat sea over exposed open water. A weekly market runs in the centre of town, offering local food, cheese, and handcrafted goods.

The Beaches Between the Two Villages

Between Cannigione and Palau, several beaches line the SP 73 coastal road. Tanca Manna (also known as Spiaggia dell'Uticeddu) is a 350-metre sandy beach with bar service and sunbeds, well suited to families. Mannena is a pebble beach with exceptionally clear water and calm conditions ideal for snorkelling. Le Piscine forms natural rock-enclosed pools with very shallow water — the calmest entry on this stretch of coast. Cala Capra, outside Palau to the north, closes the sequence with a sheltered family-friendly cove.

Getting There from Villa Cala Sassari

From Punta Pedrosa take the SP 82 towards Olbia, then the SS 125 north. After approximately 40 kilometres, exit towards Arzachena and continue north on the SS 427 towards Cannigione. For Baia Sardinia, continue past Cannigione following signs on the SP 59. Allow around 50 minutes from the villa.

Best Time to Visit

Both Cannigione and Baia Sardinia are enjoyable from mid-May to mid-October. The gulf waters at Cannigione warm earlier than the open sea, making it an excellent choice for a May or early June swim. The beaches north of Cannigione attract fewer visitors than those at Porto Cervo even in August, giving this stretch a noticeably quieter character throughout the season.

An Insider Detail

The Stagno di Padula Saloni, a protected wetland lagoon on the southern edge of Cannigione, is home to more than 180 bird species including the purple heron and western swamphen — a species found almost exclusively in Sardinian lagoons. Walking the waterfront path past the lagoon in the early morning is one of the few genuinely unhurried natural experiences available within easy reach of Villa Cala Sassari.

The north of the Costa Smeralda rewards those who come after spending a day or two at Porto Cervo and want to find what this coastline looks like when the superyachts are not the centrepiece.