Last updated 7.10.2026
In photos from the 1960s it looks like a beach dusted with strawberry ice cream. Today it is the most famous beach in Sardinia that you are not allowed to set foot on. It sits on Budelli, an uninhabited islet off the north-east coast, inside La Maddalena National Park, and since the 1990s visitors have only been able to look at it from the deck of a boat or from a wooden boardwalk.
That is the odd thing about the Pink Beach in Sardinia (Spiaggia Rosa in Italian): it still turns up on every list of the island’s most beautiful beaches, even though you can neither lie on it nor swim there. Below we explain why the sand is pink, what happens if you step on it and, most usefully, how to see it: which harbour to sail from, what a boat trip costs and where else the boat takes you during the day.
Pink Beach Sardinia at a glance
- Where: on the south-east side of Budelli island (locals call the cove Cala di Roto), in the La Maddalena archipelago off north-east Sardinia. Nobody lives on the island and the only way there is by boat.
- Walking on the sand is banned, and so are swimming, sailing, anchoring and stopping a boat in the water in front of the beach. The beach is in the national park’s zone of full protection.
- Fines: in September 2025 the park fined six tourists €300 (about £255) each for a stroll on the beach. Taking sand, shells or pebbles from anywhere in Sardinia can cost €500 to €3,000 (roughly £425 to £2,550) under regional law.
- How to see it: from a boat on a full-day trip around the archipelago, or from the viewpoint trail with boardwalks that the park has built on Budelli.
- Boat trips: from Palau, from La Maddalena harbour and from Santa Teresa Gallura. A shared full-day trip with a licensed operator costs €55 to €70 (about £47 to £60) per adult in the 2026 season, harbour fee included.
- When to go: May to October, ideally June or September. Trips get cancelled when the mistral blows hard, so keep a spare day in your plans.
- Don’t expect postcard pink. The colour is soft these days and looks more like peach in full sun. Bring binoculars or a telephoto lens.
Where is the Pink Beach in Sardinia?
Budelli is the sixth largest island of the La Maddalena archipelago. According to the park authority it covers about 1.7 km², has a coastline of around 9 kilometres, and its highest point, Monte Budello, reaches 88 metres. It lies on the north-western edge of the archipelago, closest to the Strait of Bonifacio (Bocche di Bonifacio) that separates Sardinia from Corsica.
Together with its neighbours Razzoli and Santa Maria, Budelli encloses the shallow lagoon of Porto della Madonna, which every boat crew simply calls the “natural pools” (Piscine Naturali). The Pink Beach is on the south-east side of Budelli, in a wide bay sheltered to the north by a low, jagged headland and on the other side by a taller rocky point. A strip of juniper grows behind the sand and shields it from the westerly wind.
The nearest airport is Olbia, and most visitors base themselves on the north-east coast, in Palau or on La Maddalena itself. Flights from the UK, ferries and car hire are covered in our Sardinia holiday guide.
Why is the sand pink?
According to the park authority, the pink colour comes from a high share of so-called bioclasts, fragments of the shells and skeletons of tiny marine creatures. Most of them are bryozoans, specifically Myriapora truncata, and foraminifera, above all Miniacina miniacea. That is a single-celled organism with a pink chalky shell that lives on the leaves of Posidonia seagrass.
For these fragments to pile up in one place, several things have to come together: the shape of the seabed and the shoreline, a large Posidonia meadow in front of the bay and weak currents that carry the fragments in but don’t wash them away again. Upset just one of those conditions and the balance falls apart. That is why the beach is protected so strictly.
In harsh midday light the sand fades to apricot; in the morning and late afternoon the pink is stronger. The deep pink beach of the old photos, however, no longer exists. For decades tourists carried sand away in bottles as a souvenir, and the most colourful fragments went with it. What you will see today is a delicate pink band along the waterline with paler sand above it.
Budelli rules and fines
The fines are real, not a scare story for tourists. On its website the park describes a case from 26 September 2025: six tourists from Poland walked along the beach, a tour operator reported them, and the Guardia di Finanza tracked them down on the catamaran they were staying on. Here are the rules, based on the website of La Maddalena National Park and the regulations for the 2026 season:
| The rule | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| No access to the Pink Beach | Not a single step on the sand, not even “just for a photo”. Fine of €300 per person (2025 case). |
| No swimming, sailing, anchoring or stopping in the water in front of the beach | Your boat will come close but stay behind the limit. The park does not give a distance; guides quote 70 m from the shore. |
| No taking sand, shells or pebbles | Applies across all of Sardinia, even to small amounts: fine of €500 to €3,000 (regional law 16/2017, article 40). |
| No drones below 300 m | From 1 January to 30 October nobody may fly lower than 300 m above sea level over the whole park. Exceptions only with a park permit. |
| Permit for your own or a hired boat | Anyone sailing, anchoring or stopping within 300 m of the park’s coastline needs a permit (ticket). It is 5% cheaper online; if you are checked without one, you face a fine plus a 40% surcharge. |
| Maritime rules for the 2026 and 2027 seasons | From 1 June to 30 September: 10 knots between 500 and 1,000 m from the shore, no anchoring on Posidonia, and swimming from a tour boat only within 10 m of the vessel (La Maddalena harbour office ordinance no. 33/2026). |
💡 Beware of offers to “land on the Pink Beach”. Italian operators themselves warn that anyone promising to put you ashore on the beach is promising something illegal. What is legal is the view from the boat and a walk along the viewpoint trail with its boardwalks. If someone on the quay offers you more than that, it is exactly the kind of deal where you end up paying the fine, not them.
Can you visit the Pink Beach in Sardinia?
Not in the sense of a beach day. Budelli has no ferry link to the mainland or to the other islands, and apart from the caretaker’s hut there is nothing on it. You have three legal ways to see the Pink Beach.
- From a boat on an archipelago tour. Every classic full-day route includes the Pink Beach as a viewing stop. The boat glides into the bay, slows down, the guide talks about the sand and the caretaker, and after a few minutes you carry on to the natural pools. From La Maddalena it takes 20 to 30 minutes to reach Budelli, from Palau 45 to 60 minutes, but tour boats usually only get to the Pink Beach after one or two stops elsewhere.
- From the viewpoint trail on the island. The park has built a trail with wooden boardwalks on Budelli that looks down on the beach from above and from the side. According to SardegnaTurismo, visitors walk there from the neighbouring Cavaliere beach accompanied by park guides. Landing on Budelli depends on a park permit and the operator’s approved itinerary, so don’t expect it on a budget trip and ask about the viewpoint explicitly when you book.
- By your own or a hired boat. Only with a park permit. Boat hire without a skipper is available in Palau, Cannigione and Santa Teresa Gallura; on GetYourGuide a full-day hire in Santa Teresa started at about €290 (around £250, checked on 27 September 2026). We would not take on the maze of shallows between Budelli, Razzoli and Santa Maria for the first time without navigation experience. A skipper knows where the bottom is.
Pink Beach Sardinia boat tours: harbours, prices and times
Only companies licensed by the national park may run trips in the archipelago, and only along approved routes. The park publishes the list of authorised operators for 2026, so you can check a company before you book.
From Palau
Palau is the main gateway to the archipelago, a small harbour town on the mainland opposite La Maddalena. Every morning dozens of boats leave from here, from big motor vessels for hundreds of passengers to inflatable boats for ten. You park by the harbour.
Delfino Tours, a family firm sailing from both Palau and La Maddalena, has a 2026 price list that starts at €55 per adult in May, June and from mid-September, rises to €60 in late June and early July and €65 from 7 July to 3 August, and tops out at €70 from 4 August to early September (about £47 to £60). Children aged 4 to 10 pay €35 to €60 depending on the date. The trip lasts more than seven hours with four stops among the islands; the harbour fee and insurance are included, while food and drinks are bought on board. You pay on board, in cash or by card, and if the boat doesn’t sail because of the weather you get your money back or another date. Elena Tour leaves Palau at 10:00, with check-in from 8:45 to 9:15, and is back around 17:00.
From Palau: La Maddalena archipelago catamaran tour with lunch
From La Maddalena
Delcomar ferries run from Palau to La Maddalena island roughly every half hour and the crossing takes about 15 minutes. According to the latest published price list, an adult return in summer costs €8.70 (about £7.40) and a car up to 4 metres €20 return, plus La Maddalena’s harbour tax of €2.50 per person from April to October. Tour boats moor along Via Amendola (Banchina Medaglie d’Oro) and leave a little later than from Palau: Elena Tour, for example, sails at 11:30 with check-in from 10:15 and returns around 17:15. This is the closest harbour to Budelli, but unless you are staying on the island you will need the extra ferry on top of the trip.
Full-day boat trip to the La Maddalena archipelago (from Palau or La Maddalena)
From Santa Teresa Gallura
Trips from Sardinia’s northern tip make sense mainly if you are staying in the north-west of the island. The crossing is longer, but you pass stretches of coast that boats from Palau never see. Consorzio Bocche charges per adult in 2026: €60 in May, €65 in June, July, September and October, and €70 in August (about £51 to £60); children aged 4 to 10 pay €40 to €50 and under-3s go free. The price includes the harbour fee (€2.50 in May, €5 otherwise), lunch with pasta cooked on board, insurance and an audio guide. Departure is at 9:00 and you are back at 17:00; in August you meet at the harbour as early as 8:00. The programme covers the Pink Beach viewpoint, a swim off Santa Maria, the natural pools, the town of La Maddalena and Cala Corsara on Spargi.
From Cannigione and the Costa Smeralda
Full-day tours also leave from Cannigione, Baja Sardinia and other harbours on the Costa Smeralda. The trip out is longer and the programme a little shorter, but if you are staying there you save yourself the early drive. On GetYourGuide a full-day tour from Cannigione started at about €54 (checked on 27 September 2026).
From Santa Teresa Gallura: full-day boat trip to La Maddalena
From Cannigione: full-day cruise to the La Maddalena archipelago
Which boat to choose
The price depends more on the type of boat than on the harbour. The table sums up guide prices from the Italian portal Petagus; lunch on board usually adds €20 to €30. On GetYourGuide on 27 September 2026 the cheapest offer from Palau started at about €44, the best-selling full-day tours cost roughly €54 to €57, a small-group catamaran with lunch around €120 and a private boat for up to ten people from about €585.
| Type of boat | Guide price per person | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large motor boat | €35 to €70 (£30 to £60) | Families with children, anyone prone to seasickness, smaller budgets | 150 to 200 people on board, short fixed stops, can’t get into small coves |
| Inflatable boat with skipper | €60 to €90 (£51 to £77) | Couples, groups of friends, anyone who wants more stops and a smaller group | A bumpy ride on choppy water, shade usually only under a small canopy |
| Catamaran or sailing boat | €90 to €150 (£77 to £128) | A relaxed day with lunch and space to lie down | Slower, fewer stops |
| Private boat | from about €600 per group (around £510) | Larger groups, photographers, anyone who wants their own pace | Gets no closer to the Pink Beach than anyone else |
Our favourite is the middle ground: a smaller boat or catamaran with a skipper for the whole day. At the Pink Beach, a hundred people with phones crowd the bow of a big boat, and by the time you reach the rail it is already pulling away. With small children or a tendency to seasickness, though, a big boat is more stable and has toilets and shade, which counts for a lot over seven hours on the water.
💡 Book ahead, but with free cancellation. In July and August trips sell out even two days in advance, yet the mistral can also cancel them at a few hours’ notice. Choose offers where you pay on board or can cancel for free, and schedule the trip at the start of your stay. If the wind keeps the boats in port, you still have days left to move it to.
Where else the boat takes you
The Pink Beach is the shortest stop of the whole trip. The rest of the day you swim in places that we think are at least as pretty, and where you are allowed to get off. The order depends on the operator and the wind, but these stops come up on almost every tour.
- The natural pools off Budelli (Porto della Madonna). A shallow lagoon where the water has a colour that looks edited in photos, even though it isn’t. It is mostly no deeper than two metres, the bottom is sandy and boats tie up to buoys. You swim straight off the deck once the engine is off or in neutral.
- Cavaliere beach on Budelli. White sand and a shallow seabed on the north-east of the island, facing the lagoon, with a hint of pink along the waterline in places. Because of erosion the park has only partly opened it since summer 2020, so some boats stop here and some don’t.
- Cala Corsara on Spargi. Probably the most popular stop in the archipelago: a white cove between granite boulders. Boats usually give you an hour or more to swim. We would bring a snorkel, as there is more to see by the rocks than in the middle of the bay.
- Santa Maria island. Flatter and greener, with a large shallow bay for a longer swim. In September 2026, however, the island was hit by a large wildfire that the park authority calls an ecological disaster, and the burnt areas are closed to visitors. Expect operators to adjust the Santa Maria part of the programme next season.
- The town of La Maddalena. Most tours end with a one-hour stop in the harbour of the main island. That is enough for an ice cream, a coffee on Piazza Garibaldi and a short wander through the lanes. Caprera, with Giuseppe Garibaldi’s house, and the beaches you can drive to would need a day of their own. The archipelago also features in our guide to things to do in Sardinia.
From the deck you will also see Razzoli with its lighthouse and Santo Stefano, a former US submarine base.
When to go and how to make the most of the trip
The busiest period runs from mid-July to the end of August, when Italians arrive for their summer holidays and Ferragosto, and it is also the most expensive. We would go in June or September: the sea is around 24 °C, the boats aren’t packed and you can still find a bit of space in the coves. Month-by-month temperatures are in our article on the weather in Sardinia.
The biggest unknown is the wind. The mistral blows from the north-west, and Budelli sits exactly where the Strait of Bonifacio catches it in full. When it comes, trips are cancelled or switched to the sheltered side. Check the forecast the day before (Windfinder, for example); operators usually let you know in the evening or by 8 in the morning.
The most useful thing to pack is binoculars or a telephoto lens, because from the deck the pink easily blends into beige to the naked eye (with a phone, shoot with the light coming from the side, not against the sun). Also bring ID, which operators ask for when you book, a refillable water bottle instead of single-use plastic, which is unwelcome in the park, and cash for the smaller boats. If you get seasick, take a tablet an hour before departure and sit in the middle of the boat.
Which Sardinian beaches charge for entry and why you should leave your car empty at the beach car park is covered in our article on what to watch out for in Sardinia.
Other pink sand beaches in Sardinia
There is no second beach in Sardinia that matches Budelli’s colour. A few places do have a pink tint, though, and unlike Spiaggia Rosa you can bring your towel.
- Is Arutas on the Sinis peninsula on the west coast. Instead of sand, tiny rounded grains of quartz the size of rice, white, green and pink. They used to be shipped off to aquariums around the world; today taking them away is banned, as everywhere on the island.
- Punta Molentis near Villasimius in the south-east. Fine white sand with pink glints on a narrow headland in the Capo Carbonara protected area. In season, access is limited and paid (according to the travel blog Cestuj za babku, 600 people a day, €10 per car and €1 per person), so book your place in advance.
If you are after a pink beach where you can actually walk barefoot on pink sand, the best known in Europe is Elafonisi in south-west Crete. Plenty of people mix it up with Budelli.
Where to stay near the Pink Beach
There is no accommodation on Budelli. We cover the best areas for a whole holiday in our guide to where to stay in Sardinia; here we only look at what makes sense for a Budelli boat trip.
Palau. The harbour with the most departures, so you can walk to the quay in the morning, and the easiest place to drive from to the Costa Smeralda or Santa Teresa. In our view the best base for a day trip to the archipelago. Accommodation in Palau
- Hotel Piccada (Palau): Five minutes’ walk from the centre and the ferry port, 300 metres from the beach. Parking is free, many rooms have a balcony looking out over the archipelago, and the staff can arrange a boat trip for you.
- La Vecchia Fonte Boutique Hotel (Palau): A boutique hotel right in the centre above the harbour, five minutes from the main beaches. Some rooms overlook the harbour, and downstairs there is a café and wine bar for your morning coffee or evening aperitivo.
- Hotel Palau (Palau): A four-star hotel in the upper part of town with two pools and views of La Maddalena and Caprera. The harbour is within walking distance, and a free hotel minibus runs to the beach 600 metres away.
- Camping Village Capo d’Orso (Palau): A campsite on the Saline bay about 5 km from Palau, five minutes’ walk from the beach. It has a minimarket, and you can book archipelago boat trips on site.
La Maddalena. For when you want to see the island in the evening, once the day-trippers have gone, and be as close to Budelli as possible. There are fewer beds, and the best places for July and August sell out well in advance. For a short stay, leave the car in Palau. Accommodation on La Maddalena
- Hotel Excelsior (La Maddalena): In the centre of town, two minutes’ walk from the Palau ferries. Breakfast is served on a terrace overlooking Santo Stefano, and there is a free public car park in front of the hotel.
- Hotel Miralonga (La Maddalena): On the island’s south coast 2 km from the centre, with an outdoor pool and rooms with balconies. Guests get a discount on guided archipelago tours.
- Bed & Breakfast Mare Isole (La Maddalena): A smaller B&B with its own free car park and air-conditioned rooms, plus a gluten-free breakfast option. Villaggio Piras beach is 2.5 km away, so you will need a car or a bike here.
Santa Teresa Gallura. A livelier town on the northern tip with beaches of its own and the Capo Testa cliffs just round the corner. A good choice if you want to combine Budelli with the north-west of the island. Accommodation in Santa Teresa Gallura
- Hotel Moderno (Santa Teresa Gallura): A small hotel 50 metres from the main square, Piazza Vittorio Emanuele, and 300 metres from Rena Bianca beach. The rooms are air-conditioned, some with a balcony, and breakfast is a buffet.
- Hotel Marinaro (Santa Teresa Gallura): A family-run hotel in a quiet part of the old town, close to both the harbour and Rena Bianca beach. Handy when your tour boat leaves early in the morning.
- Hotel La Contessa (Santa Teresa Gallura): Spacious rooms with balconies in the old town, five minutes’ walk from Rena Bianca. Some rooms look out over the sea and the Strait of Bonifacio, with Corsica on the other side.
Cannigione. A quieter and often cheaper alternative on the shore of the Arzachena gulf, close to the Costa Smeralda. Accommodation in Cannigione
- Moma Hotel Cannigione (Cannigione): On a hill above the bay, with a large garden, a pool open all summer and free parking. The centre of Cannigione is a two-minute drive away; rooms have a terrace and Sardinian ceramics.
- Residence Riva Azzurra (Cannigione): Rooms and apartments with a kitchenette, a rooftop pool and a children’s playground, which makes it a good pick for families. Palau is 13 km away.
- Centro Vacanze Isuledda (near Cannigione): A holiday village right on the water on the Arzachena gulf, with rooms and mobile homes, a spa with sea views and a pizzeria. Air conditioning costs extra in some units, so check when you book.
If you are looking for a campsite by the sea, our list of the best beach campsites in Italy will help. And how to book flights, a hire car, accommodation and the ferry for Sardinia in the right order is explained in our Sardinia booking guide.
A little history: from Napoleon to the beach ban
Boat guides start their story with Budelli, but the archipelago has a richer past. The town of La Maddalena was only founded in 1770, and just 23 years later a French expedition landed here. One of its officers was a young Corsican named Napoleon Bonaparte. The French did not take the island: a fleet led by local man Domenico Millelire drove them off. Admiral Nelson later took an interest in the strategically placed archipelago too, and for many decades the Italian navy, and later the US Navy, kept a base here.
In 1856 Giuseppe Garibaldi came to neighbouring Caprera, which you can now reach from La Maddalena over a bridge. He had bought half the island the year before, built himself a white granite house, the Casa Bianca, and spent the last 26 years of his life here until his death on 2 June 1882. The estate is now a museum, the Compendio Garibaldino.
It was a film that made Budelli world-famous. In 1964 Michelangelo Antonioni shot part of Red Desert (Il deserto rosso) here, and from then on people came for the pink sand. They came in great numbers: on ships, dinghies and yachts, with beach towels, parasols and empty bottles for the sand.
La Maddalena Archipelago National Park was set up in 1994, and protection measures from 1996 put Budelli in the strictest zone. Sources disagree on exactly when the beach was closed. The regional portal SardegnaTurismo gives 1998 as the start of the ban on landing, swimming and anchoring; other sources say 1994 or simply the early 1990s. In practice it makes no difference: for at least the last quarter of a century nobody has been allowed on the sand.
Two stories belong to the island, and nearly every boat guide tells them. Mauro Morandi, a former teacher from Modena, arrived here more or less by chance in 1989, stayed on as caretaker and lived in the hut behind the beach for 32 years. He cleared up plastic, explained to visitors why they couldn’t walk on the sand, and the papers started calling him “Italy’s Robinson Crusoe”. He left the island in 2021 and died in January 2025. And when the owner of what was then a private island went bankrupt, New Zealand businessman Michael Harte was set to buy Budelli in 2013 for €2.94 million. After a wave of protests and almost three years in the courts, a ruling in May 2016 finally awarded Budelli to the national park.
Pink Beach Sardinia: frequently asked questions
Where is the Pink Beach in Sardinia?
On the south-east side of the uninhabited island of Budelli in the La Maddalena archipelago, off the north-east coast of Sardinia. You can only get there by boat, usually from Palau, La Maddalena or Santa Teresa Gallura.
Can you swim at the Pink Beach in Sardinia or walk on it?
No. Walking on the sand is banned, and swimming, sailing, anchoring and stopping a boat in the water in front of the beach are all prohibited. In 2025 the park fined tourists €300 per person for walking on the beach. You can only see it from a boat or from the viewpoint trail with its boardwalks.
Why is the sand pink in Sardinia?
Because of fragments of bryozoan skeletons and the pink shells of the foraminifer Miniacina miniacea, which lives on Posidonia seagrass. The colour is paler today than in old photos, because for years tourists took the sand home as a souvenir.
How much is a Pink Beach Sardinia boat tour?
A shared full-day trip around the archipelago with a licensed operator costs €55 to €70 per adult (about £47 to £60) in the 2026 season, harbour fee included. An inflatable boat with a skipper works out at €60 to €90, a catamaran at €90 to €150 per person.
Where do boats to Budelli leave from?
Most trips leave from Palau, followed by La Maddalena harbour and Santa Teresa Gallura, with a smaller choice from Cannigione and the Costa Smeralda. Boats from Palau usually sail between 9:30 and 10:00 and come back between 17:00 and 18:00.
What is the fine for taking sand from Sardinia?
Under regional law no. 16/2017, taking even a small amount of sand, pebbles, stones or shells can cost you €500 to €3,000 (roughly £425 to £2,550), anywhere in Sardinia.
When is the best time to visit the Pink Beach?
Trips run from May to October, and June and September are the best months. The colour of the sand shows best in the morning and late afternoon. Keep a spare day, as the mistral often cancels trips.
Are there other pink beaches in Sardinia?
None matches the colour of Spiaggia Rosa. Is Arutas on the Sinis peninsula and Punta Molentis near Villasimius, where you pay to get in during the season, both have a pink tint. Unlike Budelli, you are allowed on both.
Where to next
- Sardinia holiday guide: how to plan the trip, independently or as a package, with flights, ferries, car hire and itineraries for one or two weeks.
- Things to do in Sardinia: places all over the island, from the La Maddalena archipelago to the south and the Golfo di Orosei.
- What to watch out for in Sardinia: beaches you have to book and pay for, fines for taking sand, parking, the mistral and other traps.
- Weather in Sardinia: sea and air temperatures month by month, and when the mistral blows.
- Golfo di Orosei: if you get hooked on boat trips, the gulf on the east coast has coves that are also best reached by boat.
- Best beach campsites in Italy: if you are comparing Sardinia with other Italian coastlines and want to stay right by the sea.
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