Cala Pira Beach, Sardinia: 5 Useful Things To Know

Cala Pira is one of the nicest, smaller coves of southeastern Sardinia. Easy to visit on a day trip from Cagliari, and close to summer holiday destinations such as Costa Rei and Villasimius, Cala Pira remains a favorite of locals and tourists alike.

Such popularity means that Cala Pira beach (Spiaggia di Cala Pira in Italian) a lot of people visit the beach in the peak summer months. But this doesn’t take away from its beauty.

Visiting is absolutely worth it. You will enjoy pristine clear waters, fine sand and more. If you are spending your holidays in southeastern Sardinia you should really make it a point to go.

As I mention in many of my posts, I grew up in Cagliari and my parents have a holiday home in Costa Rei, which is very close to Cala Pira. So, I go every summer. Since I know a great deal about this beach, I thought I’d share everything you should know before going.

Continue reading to discover all the best kept secrets of Cala Pira Sardinia.

Table of Contents

What You Must Know About Cala Pira Beach

Cala Pira Beach

Cala Pira is a beautiful 400 meters (0.2 miles) long sandy beach about 10 km (6.2 miles) from Costa Rei, and 15 km (9.3 miles) from the Protected Marine Area of Capo Carbonara, in Villasimius.

The beach has incredibly fine, white sand and pristine waters. Since it is surmounted by cliffs on the southern side, and by a hill on its northern side, there are some gorgeous rock formations that make it an excellent spot for snorkeling.

Children love it, as the calm waters make it an excellent spot for playing and practice their swimming skills.

You can often see dolphins not far from the beach. But there have been occasions when they literally went to swim in the bay, much to the amusement of people at the beach. My cousin filmed the video below while she was riding a pedal boat with her husband and kids.

Surmounting Cala Pira there is one of the many Aragonese watchtowers that date back to the early 17th century, beautifully surrounded by Mediterranean Scrub. This one has undergone some (rather poor) renovation work.

You can’t go in, but you can easily reach it from the beach and once there you will have splendid coastal views.

Cala Pira is nicely sheltered from the strong mistral wind that occasionally blows even in the summer. Many locals in the know (including yours truly) head there from nearby Costa Rei to seek shelter from the wind.

The beach has one kiosk where you can get food and drinks and where you can rent whatever you may need for the day. The kiosk also has toilets for customers.

How to get to Cala Pira

The best way to reach Cala Pira beach is by car – for this, I recommend renting a car in Sardinia.

From Costa Rei, take road SP18 southbound and continue along it until you spot a small sign on the other side of the road that directs you to Cala Pira. Drive slowly or you’ll miss it!

From Villasimius, take road SP18 northbound.

From Cagliari, you’ll have to take SS554 and turn right at the intersection for Muravera, then take the new SS125 and take the first exit to Costa Rei. Follow the directions to Costa Rei and once you reach San Pietro turn right and follow SS18 southbound.

There is a large parking lot at the beach. You’ll have to pay for the duration of your stay.

Make sure to only leave your car in designated parking lots and to pay for it and exhibit your ticket – fines are a common occurrence in the summer in the area!

You can also visit Cala Pira on boat trips along the coast, departing from either Costa Rei Monte Nai beach or from Villasimius tourist harbor and stopping at Isola dei Cavoli, in the Protected Marine Area of Capo Carbonara, Punta Molentis and Porto Giunco beaches in Villasimius.

If you don’t want to drive, you can also take bus 135 from Cagliari central bus station to Costa Rei. The bus stops in Cala Pira. From the bus stop, it’ll be a 15 minutes walk to the beach. However I shall warn you that the overall journey takes around 2 hours.

Other useful information

Here is some more information that will help you make the most of your day at Cala Pira Beach.

DON’T TAKE SAND – Stealing sand, shells, pebbles and stones from Sardinian beaches is prohibited. It’s an administrative crime that we take very seriously. If you are caught with it, you may get a fine. Likewise, you shouldn’t take jellyfish and marine stars out of the water. They are protected and it is prohibited by law.

BE RESPECTFUL OF OTHERS – Cala Pira gets very crowded during the summer months. Locals are used to this. However, it’s always good manners to ask if it is ok to place your umbrella or lay your towel right next to them. Likewise, avoid ball games that may disturb others.

ONLY SMOKE IN DESIGNATED AREAS – Smoking is forbidden in all Sardinian beaches. Look for a designated area if you wish to smoke.

ONLY LEAVE FOOTPRINTS – You will find garbage bins on the beach. Sardinia has regulations on separating organic waste from plastic, cans, glass and general waste. Don’t leave large items you are unsure of – take them home with you. And by all means, don’t leave cigarette butts on the sand as they are highly polluting.

GO ON A HIKE – If you are visiting southern Sardinia in the spring or fall months (for example in May or in October), one of the best things to do is go on a hike. An easy to follow trail that departs from behind the Aragonese watchtower of Cala Pira connects the beach to the nearby Cala Sinzias and further to Monte Turno (more about these beaches below). The entire trail is about 12 km (7.4 miles) and is easy to moderate, and you can stop at the various beaches!

Other nearby beaches

CALA SINZIAS – Less than 10 minutes drive from Cala Pira, this is another locals favorite. While the color or the water and the sea is similar to that of Cala Pira, this is a much longer beach with deeper water. There are a few parking lots along the beach and well equipped kiosks. The best food is at Lido Tamatete.

SANTA GIUSTA – Locals calls this marvelous spot Scoglio di Peppino (Peppino’s Rock). Blessed with very shallow waters, a massive rock where you can snorkel around, incredible vistas and fine sand, this is one of the most famous beaches in the area. The two resorts on site make it rather crowded. You can opt to stay at the beach on the other side of the rock formation for a quieter day, or else visit off season, in mid-September or October.

MONTE TURNO – A small cove closer to Costa Rei, Cala di Monte Turno is nicely sheltered from the wind. It has beautiful rock formations and Mediterranean vegetation at its back. You you will find a large parking lot for which you have to pay, and a nice kiosk called Iki Beach on the beach.

Where to stay near Cala Pira

As I said at the beginning of this post, Cala Pira can be visited on day trips from Cagliari. However, the area is so beautiful, with so many beaches, that it’d be a pity to only go for one day.

Most people who visit Cala Pira stay in nearby Costa Rei, where you will find plenty of good holiday homes, several good resorts and a few hotels. Here you can book your hotel in Costa Rei.

Alternatively, you can stay in Villasimius, which also has plenty of good accommodation options. These are the best hotels in Villasimius.

One of the best places to stay that is quite close to Cala Pira is the recently opened Cala Sinzias Resort which has direct access to Cala Sinzias Beach and the excellent S’Ollastinu Restaurant.