La Pelosa
OVERRATED

Italy · Stintino, Sardinia · #7 of Italy's ten by fame

La Pelosa

1,500 reservations a day, a QR code, and a mat under your towel.

How we rated it: entry is capped and booked in advance, which takes it down one. Photo: Tommie Hansen · CC BY 2.0

The hang

La Pelosa is Sardinia's booking-required beach. From May 15 to October 15, 2026, entry needs a reservation, with 1,500 places a day at €3.50 a person; 500 can be booked at any time and the rest open two days ahead, and you show the QR code at the entrance. You also need a beach mat under your towel, and fines run from €25 to €500. Paid parking is about €2 an hour, capped at €20 a day. It is about 50 minutes' drive from Alghero. We measured 417 metres of sand.

The real intel

Status, dated 2026: Reservation required May 15 to October 15, 2026: 1,500 places a day, €3.50, QR-code entry (official booking site).

Best months · warmest sea
July (26.1 °C), then August and September. Coolest: January (14.7 °C). One year of data, 2025.
Best months · emptiest
Outside May 15 to October 15, when no reservation is needed. Inside it, the cap is 1,500.
Getting there
About 50 minutes' drive from Alghero on the SP42 and SP34 northbound.
Cost reality
€3.50 a person a day by reservation. Parking about €2 an hour, €20 a day at most.
The catch nobody tells you
Reservation, QR code, a mat under your towel and fines of €25 to €500 for getting the rules wrong.

The year at La Pelosa

Warmest sea in July. Fewest wet days in June. Pick your fight.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sea (°C)
14.7
14.8
14.9
16.2
19
24.4
26.1
25.6
24.6
22.7
19.9
16.9
Air (°C)
13.8
13.3
14.1
15.4
18.2
23.4
25.2
24.7
23.3
20.6
16.9
14.7
Sun (h/day)
7.8
9.1
9.8
10.3
12.8
14.5
13.7
12.7
10.9
9.1
8.2
6.6
Rain (days)
9
6
16
7
4
0
3
3
5
10
16
12

One year of data, 2025, from Open-Meteo at this beach's coordinates. A rain day is 1 mm or more. The red bar is the month to aim for in each row.

The neighbours

5 beaches within 6 km, as the gull flies.

  1. 539 mLu Forrazzu66 m of beach, measured. Not rated yet.
  2. 589 mIl Gabbiano293 m of beach, measured. Not rated yet.
  3. 1.1 kmSpiaggia l'Ancora163 m of beach, measured. Not rated yet.
  4. 2.8 kmCala Lupo63 m of beach, measured. Not rated yet.
  5. 3.5 kmSpiaggia D’Azzena51 m of beach, measured. Not rated yet.

Straight-line distances from the mapped beach shapes (OpenStreetMap). Roads are longer, and in Bali they are much longer.

The crowd

Incredibly popular, and busy in peak season even with the cap.

The receipts

Beach-chair rental, small beach bars and paddleboard hire on the sand.

The facts · we measured

Length
417 m
Mean width
34 m
Area
14,162 m²
Warmest sea (2025)
26.1 °C in Jul
Coldest sea (2025)
14.7 °C in Jan
Sea by month, °C
Jan 14.7 · Feb 14.8 · Mar 14.9 · Apr 16.2 · May 19.0 · Jun 24.4 · Jul 26.1 · Aug 25.6 · Sep 24.6 · Oct 22.7 · Nov 19.9 · Dec 16.9

Questions people ask

Do you need to book La Pelosa beach?

Yes, from May 15 to October 15, 2026. There are 1,500 places a day at €3.50 a person, booked on the official site; 500 can be booked any time and the rest two days ahead.

Why do you need a mat at La Pelosa?

The rules require a beach mat under your towel, and fines run from €25 to €500 depending on the violation.

Sources

More beaches

Praia de Odeceixe

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Praia de Odeceixe

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Cala Goloritzé

opposite

Cala Goloritzé

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