Sardinia in May Day 3: Beaches Cala Brandinchi, Cala Lu impostu, La Cinta di San Teodoro

The following morning we are back at Cala Brandinchi. I’ll repeat the information about the parking in case you didn’t read the previous post: the car park is used by visitors both to Cala Brandinchi and Lu Impostu beach. Once again, it is still free mid-May, the normal price seems to be 2.50 euros per hour. Both beaches are very close, if the car park is empty, and you can park right up near the end. It’s just before nine o’clock and the car park is nearly empty, as is Cala Brandinchi, fortunately. We walk right to the far end, which works this time of the year – normally there’s a another car park that end, but it’s still closed - so hardly anybody there, and sit down to admire the view and the water. Of course I venture in, to the top of my legs, because it really is cold, but great for ‘wading’. The sea is shallow for a long way out. 

After, I sit in the sun to warm up and then we go to explore Lu Impsotu beach. It’s a lot longer and emptier than Brandinchi, and there’s the wetland area or ‘stagno’ landside. The sea has the same superb colours and the view is perhaps even better, especially looking north. 

We stop for a tarallo at the far end, but in the shade it’s windy and cold. At about midday we head back for ‘pecora’ for lunch which I cooked the night before. The pecora, which could be translated as mutton, but that doesn’t do it justice, was slow-cooked with myrtle leaves and rosemary and is tender and tasty, the best thing we’ve eaten on this trip in Sardegna so far.

After a rest, we drive to San Teodoro, well just before. The car park for La Cinta beach costs 1.50 euros per hour in May, but just a little further up the road on the right from the roundabout, taking the first right, there's a large free car park. We park there. La Cinta is spectacular. Clear white sand, blue sea (it's difficult to get creative about beaches in Sardegna, they're all beautiful.) 

Let's say the other main characteristic here is 'long', and reasonably walkable, although the beach slopes a little towards the sea so I wear my walking sandals. We walk and walk, and stop for a rest in the shade of a tree and walk and walk, until we reach the water coming out of the stagno behind, which together with the rocks, stops us. Andrea chats to a local man, I wade back and forth in the water, it's totally transparent, like all the seawater along this coast. Then we walk back, about 7 kilometres the return trip with a total of perhaps 30 minutes actually sitting down - so much for the relaxing afternoon, but it was fabulous. The weather is ideal, a cool breeze, not strong enough to disturb, sunny but not too hot.

Back in the car and on the way back to the main road we notice the yellow Coldiretti flags on the left. A fruit and vegetable stall. The owner is very friendly. We buy lettuce, which he harvests for us while we wait, fennel, honey of Eucalyptus and Asphodelus and he offers Andrea a drink of the typical Sardinian liqueur  - myrtle. After another stop at a supermarket for some bread we are back at home in under 10 minutes.