Enchanting porphyry cliffs embrace a hamlet that was once a fishing village and today a tourist resort in the Trinità d'Agultu and Vignola area. The landscape looks like a postcard and the name comes from the Isola Rossa, or Red Island, an islet 500 meters from the coast. The town’s houses and the sea are separated by a long stretch of soft sand with a light colour, with golden reflections and pebbles near the shore, Spiaggia Longa. The sea will delight you with its emerald green hues and transparency, with a shallow sandy bottom in the first stretch. Further offshore it becomes rocky and is a favourite of snorkellers for the great variety of fish that call it home. But there is more to do than just exploring the seabed: you can rent canoes, pedal boats, rafts and jet skis and even go water skiing, while from the nearby port you can go explore the Gallura coastline and the Maddalena archipelago.
The beach hosts a dive centre, restaurants, everything you’ll need for a day at the beach, and not far away is an aquatic park. The quality of the water, the level of environmental awareness and services offered have earned the beach the Blue Flag award of quality, conferred upon it by the FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education).
The area north of the beach – adjacent to the little tourist harbour – is also called “the harbour beach” and is separated from Longa beach by outcrop of red rocks. The southern exposure it enjoys allows it to be particularly sheltered from the winds, especially from the mistral. It has a cream-colored sandy bottom with some flat rocks. You can alternate beach time with a stroll through the streets of the village of Isola Rossa, where you will find eateries overlooking the coast, shops and local craft boutiques. The coast’s sentinel is a 16th century Spanish tower built of red granite, at the foot of which you can gaze out at a wonderful panorama all the way to Asinara.
From the promontory that houses the village are a variety of hiking trails leading to hidden coves. To the north, the first “must” stop is the bay of La Marinedda, set between red granite cliffs and graced with white sand and crystal clear waters. Further along are the natural pools of Cala Canneddi and Cala Rossa, followed by the sheltered, romantic cala Li Tinnari, not far from Paradiso, whose name says it all.
