Simon Calder, the travel correspondent of The Telegraph, recently complied his list of "Natural Wonders in Europe you must see in your Lifetime" and of the 15 localities he chose, there is just one Italian entry: the Dunas di Piscinas.
Calder started by stating that “Not every beach in Sardinia has a reputation for glitz and glamour. Far from the billionaire yachts of Porto Cervo, the remote Dunas di Piscinas on the western Costa Verde shines with a different kind of precious metal. Iron residues from an abandoned mining industry have stained streams rust-red and other remnants can be found scattered across the sand.”
And how right he is to put Dunas di Piscinas (as Sardinians call it) on everyone's bucket list. This beautiful stretch of Sardinia’s Costa Verde has vast golden dunes rising dramatically from the coastline, reaching heights of up to 100 metres, and continually reshaped by the wind. But what makes Piscinas really special is how it mixes nature and history. The Costa Verde was once an important mining region, and traces of that industrial past give it a particular character, with rust-coloured streams, old mining buildings and remains of abandoned machinery contrasting with the colours of the dunes and the sea.
The area is also an important refuge for wildlife. The vast beaches provide nesting grounds for loggerhead turtles, and the forests are home to the Sardinian red deer which is found nowhere else in the world. But perhaps most importantly, Piscinas offers something increasingly rare for nature-focused travellers: a true sense of remoteness. There are no rows of sun loungers or busy resort promenades. Instead, visitors will marvel at this living landscape with its huge skies, powerful winds, shifting sands and the sound of the Mediterranean. And for those who want to linger, the 5-star Hotel Le Dune Piscinas offers guided e-bike and quad tours to explore the windswept coast.
Pamela McCourt Francescone
Executive Editor
