Porto Giunco, Sardinia: 7 Very Useful Things To Know

Porto Giunco is one of the most famous, beautiful beaches in Southwestern Sardinia. Characterized by very soft, fine white and pink sand and shallow, topaz transparent waters and by a lagoon home to pink flamingoes, Il Giunco – a locals lovingly call it – is the ideal place for one (or more days) relaxing in the sun.

Contrary to many other nearby beaches, it is quite large – which means that even during the peak summer months, you are bound to find a spot to place your umbrella and lay your tower.

If you are curious to find out more about this beach, what it offers and what makes it special and why you should visit, you are in the right place. Continue reading to find out more about Porto Giunco and how to make the most of it.

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Everything You Need To Know About Porto Giunco, Villasimius

Porto Giunco Beach

Porto Giunco is one of the many beautiful beaches of Villasimius, and part of the Protected Marine Area of Capo Carbonara, 86 square kilometers of protected marine territory with incredible marine life, which is one of Sardinia’s prime diving spots.

With so much marine life, it’s obvious that Porto Giunco is a great place for snorkeling and diving – in fact, you will find a few diving schools in Villasimius that will organize expeditions to the Protected Marine Area, including visits of the nearby Isola dei Cavoli.

The shallow waters of Porto Giunco make it an ideal spot for families with children, and to practice sports such as kayaking, SUP, or for simply renting a pedalo to explore the area. On windy days – usually in the winter – Porto Giunco is a great spot for surfing.

At the back of the beach, a lagoon – the Stagno di Notteri – is home to pink flamingoes and other species of migratory birds. At its back, you will find Mediterranean shrub – with juniper, lentisk and an eucalyptus grove.

Scattered along Porto Giunco beach you will find several kiosks where you can get a bite and a drink and rent any sort of equipment you may need for the day – SUP boards, kayaks, pedalos, as well as umbrella and sun beds.

The Aragonese Tower of Porto Giunco

Southwest of Porto Giunco beach there is a 9-meters tall Aragonese tower – the Tower of Porto Giunco, which was built in the 17th century in order to guard the island from pirates and other enemies. It is a bit of a walk to get there, but the trail is easy to follow and the views of the beach and of Capo Carbonara up there make it truly worth it.

How to get to Porto Giunco

Porto Giunco can be easily reached by car from Villasimius. Follow the signs to Via degli Oleandri, where there’s the tourist harbor, and from there to Porto Giunco. Once there, there is a massive parking lot (you will have to pay by the hour) and various spots to access the beach.

Alternatively, you can get to Porto Giunco by shuttle bus from the center of Villasimius.

A useful hack to make the most of Porto Giunco

As I have just said, Porto Giunco has several access points. Typically, families with children and large group of friends tend to place their umbrella in the vicinity of the trails that lead to the beach, so that those areas are usually the most crowded. For a quieter spot, walk towards the center of the beach – the small effort to get there will pay off as you’ll have more space and it’s not nearly as crowded.

Other nearby beaches

There are many other incredible beaches near Villasimius.

The most scenic one is by far Punta Molentis, in the Protected Marine Area and accessible to no more than 500 visitors per day. Other than that, you can opt to go to Campus, a great spot loved by locals, or the nearby Cuccureddus beach, which is however harder to access. Other gorgeous beaches are Campulongu, a perfect place to seek shelter on a windy day, and the nearby Spiaggia del Riso. Finally, Cala Caterina is a very scenic spot; Timi Ama, Simius Beach and Porto Sa Ruxi (which like Punta Molentis limits the number of visitors) are also worth a visit.

Where to stay to easily access Porto Giunco

Porto Giunco can be visited on day trips from Cagliari. Yet, the easiest access point is Villasimius or – further away – Costa Rei. Both places have a great selection of accommodation options. These are some I have researched for you:

HOTEL SIMIUS PLAYA – A great hotel with spacious, comfortable room and quick access to the beach. Some rooms have wonderful sea views.
S’ARENADA HOTEL – A small family run hotel with just a handful of rooms, decorated in classic style and all very comfortable.
HOTEL VILLAS RESORT – One of the best luxury resorts in Sardinia, it’s at easy distance from Santa Giusta, Costa Rei’s prime beach, and at about 20 minutes drive from Porto Giunco.

Make sure to also read my post The Best Hotels In Villasimius.

Important information for people visiting Sardinia beaches

Sardinian beaches are gorgeous and you will surely want to do your best to keep them so. Whichever beach you are visiting in Sardinia – including Porto Giunco – make sure to observe a few basic set of rules.

Bring a straw mat and place it on the sand before you lay down your towel – this is a requirement only in certain beaches, but you may want to do it anyways. It’s done in order to avoid bringing sand away from the beach with your towel.
If you are a smoker, don’t drop cigarette butts in the sand.
Shake your feet of any excess sand before leaving the beach.
Shells, stones and sand belong to the beach – make sure not to take any, because if you are caught with it, you will have to pay a fine. Curious to know what happened to a French couple that stole sand in Sardinia? Read here.
Trash cans are normally scattered along the beach for small trash. Bring large items back home and dispose of them properly, following local rules for recycling.
Familiarize yourself with dog friendly beaches. Unfortunately, Porto Giunco is not one of them.

A Useful Guide To Porto Giunco, Sardinia