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The thing that makes Alghero unusual among Italian beach towns is that the good beaches are on a public bus for about a euro.
That sounds like a small administrative detail. It is not. Most of the best coast in Sardinia requires a hire car, a long drive and a fight for a parking space, and a week here can be spent almost entirely without one. The beaches north and west of the town are white sand, the water shelves so gradually that children can walk out a very long way, and the bus takes twenty minutes.
Here they are, closest first.
Maria Pia
The town beach, and better than that sounds. A long crescent of pale sand backed by dunes and umbrella pine, about fifteen to twenty minutes out on the AF bus.
Because it is closest it is also busiest, and in August the near end by the Lido is solid. Walk. Ten minutes along the sand and the crowd thins considerably, and the dune-and-pine backdrop is the prettiest part of it anyway.
The water is shallow and calm on most days. There are kiosks and umbrella hire at the town end and nothing at all at the far end, which is the trade.
Dogs are allowed here, which is worth knowing because most of the beaches on this coast do not.
Le Bombarde
The one most people mean when they say the beaches near Alghero. About twenty minutes out on the Capo Caccia line, white sand, pine behind, and water that goes from ankle to knee over an extraordinary distance.
It has a beach bar and a proper restaurant, which makes it the easy choice for a full day rather than a swim. It is also popular, so the earlier bus is the better bus. By eleven the parking is gone and the sand near the entrance is taken.
The sand here is genuinely white and fine, and the colour of the water off it in the middle of the day is the thing people photograph and nobody quite believes.
Lazzaretto
Next along, and the prettier of the two. A smaller sheltered cove with low rocks at either end and a wooded headland above it with an old watchtower on top.
Because it is a cove rather than an open beach the water is calmer on a windy day, which on this coast matters more than you would expect. It is the one I would choose if the mistral is blowing and Bombarde has chop on it.
Get off the bus at the Lazzaretto stop. Facilities are lighter than at Bombarde: there is a bar, and that is roughly it.
Mugoni
Inside the bay at Porto Conte, which means it is the calmest water anywhere near Alghero. A long shallow curve of sand with pine forest behind, and because the bay is enclosed it is close to flat almost every day.
This is the family answer. It is also where the sailing trips tend to anchor for their swim stop, so you may find a catamaran or two offshore in the middle of the day.
Porto Ferro
North, wilder, and the one that needs a car.
The sand here is orange rather than white, from iron in the rock, and it sits between two Aragonese watchtowers with dunes and juniper behind. There is real surf on it when the wind is up, which is unusual for this coast, and a windsurfing crowd that comes for exactly that.
There are almost no facilities. Bring what you need. Dogs are allowed.
It is about half an hour from Alghero and there is a rough parking area at the end of the road. This is the beach for the day you want the coast to feel empty.
Getting to them
The town bus network runs to Maria Pia year round. In summer a dedicated beach bus runs the coast road out past Bombarde and Lazzaretto as far as Capo Caccia, which is what makes this whole page possible without a car.
Buy your ticket before boarding, from the terminal on Via Catalogna, a tabacchi or the ticket app. A single is a little over a euro and a day ticket is under three, which pays for itself the moment you go out and come back.
Check the last bus back. It is earlier than you want it to be, particularly at the far end of the route, and there is nothing out there to wait in. The full network, and whether you need a car at all, is in getting to Alghero and getting around.
Which one, for which day
First beach day, no car: Le Bombarde. It has everything and the bus is easy.
Windy day: Lazzaretto or Mugoni, both sheltered.
With small children: Mugoni for the flat water, or Maria Pia if you want to be back in town quickly.
With a dog: Maria Pia or Porto Ferro.
Day you want nobody near you: Porto Ferro, and take lunch.
Half a day around the Grotto: Bombarde or Lazzaretto, both fifteen minutes from Capo Caccia on the way back. That pairing is the sensible shape of a cape day, and it is set out in Neptune’s Grotto and Capo Caccia.
Practical notes
The sun on this coast is stronger than it feels, because the wind takes the heat off you while you burn. The white sand reflects, which doubles it.
There is very little natural shade on any of these beaches except at the pine edge, and the pine edge is taken by nine.
Sea urchins live on the rocks at the ends of the coves rather than on the sand. If you are scrambling at Lazzaretto, look before you put a foot down.
And the water is colder than the Tyrrhenian coast well into June, because this side of the island faces open sea. By August it is warm, and it stays swimmable through October.
What to book before you come
The beaches themselves are free and the bus gets you to most of them. One thing is worth booking.
- A boat and snorkelling trip into Porto Conte. The coves on this coast are easier to reach from the water than the road, and the bay is protected, so there is actually something to look at under the surface.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you get to the beaches near Alghero by bus?
Yes, and it is the main reason to stay here without a car. Maria Pia is served year round, and in summer a beach bus runs the coast road past Le Bombarde and Lazzaretto as far as Capo Caccia. A single ticket is a little over a euro.
Which is the best beach in Alghero?
Le Bombarde for a first beach day, because it has white sand, very shallow water, a bar and a restaurant, and an easy bus. Lazzaretto is prettier and more sheltered. Mugoni, inside Porto Conte bay, has the calmest water and suits families best.
Does Alghero have a sandy beach in the town?
Yes. The Lido runs north from the old town and Maria Pia continues beyond it, a long sandy crescent behind dunes and pine, about fifteen to twenty minutes out by bus and walkable from the northern hotels.
Are there beaches near Alghero where dogs are allowed?
Maria Pia and Porto Ferro both allow dogs. Most of the others do not, so check before setting out with one.
When is the sea warm enough to swim in Alghero?
From about June, though this coast faces open sea and stays cooler than eastern Sardinia into early summer. July through September is reliably warm, and the water is still around twenty three degrees in September and swimmable through October.
Read also: Neptune’s Grotto and Capo Caccia | The Best Alghero Boat Tours | Victoria’s Complete Guide to Alghero
