Cala Goloritzè – voted the world's number one beach in Sardinia!

When I'm looking for something with a bit of a kick on my favourite island – away from the noise, the hustle and bustle, the deadlines – I drive 50 km south from Budoni. To a beach where I can safely leave my mobile phone in my pocket because there's no reception. To Cala Goloritzè. This beach has just been voted the most beautiful beach in the world by an independent jury – hallelujah! Number one (!) on the list of ‘World's 50 Best Beaches of 2025’. And quite rightly so, in my opinion.

Why? If you're thinking of rows of sun loungers, ice cream vendors and jet skis, you've come to the wrong place. Because Cala Goloritzè is none of those things. The beach is secluded on the east coast of Sardinia, somewhere between the rocks and the sky. To get there, you either have to take a boat or – no pain, no gain – endure a strenuous hike through Europe's most beautiful canyon. For me, it's worth it: after more than an hour's hike along steep rock faces, a view suddenly opens up that looks like something from another planet: white pebbles, turquoise blue water and the mountainous limestone needle, 143 metres high, like a natural cathedral. No kiosk, no music, no plastic. Just wind, waves and maybe a few climbers on the wall.

I've heard that access is strictly regulated – only a limited number of visitors per day. And to be honest, I like that. I want this place to stay just as it is. Cala Goloritzè was declared a nature reserve in the 1990s, and you can tell that this isn't just on paper. No footprints in the gravel, no rubbish on the edge. Instead, crystal-clear water where you almost feel as if time has stood still.

This natural monument is not unique in Sardinia: La Pelosa, another dream beach further north, also made it onto the list, albeit ‘only’ in 50th place. But still: Sardinia, a tiny island by global standards, is represented twice on the world's best list!

This calls for a celebration: exhausted and exhilarated from this trip, I order mussels alla marinara at the Tavernetta. They are also on the world's best list, but a different one.

Yes, I am always tempted to rediscover Sardinia. To go where the sea, wind and stone can still meet in their own way – without entertainment, without selfie sticks, without, without, without! With beaches that, despite their worldwide fame, still seem as if the world has forgotten them.

Give it a try – but please do so respectfully. And without a jukebox.

With a quiet ‘Adiosu’ from the wild east of Sardinia
Yours, Joachim Waßmann