Cala Goloritzé

Goloritzé is the most graphic cove in Sardinia: an aguglia — a needle of rock — standing clear of the cliff, an arch at the water's edge, and pebbles so pale the sea above them turns almost fluorescent. From the water it reads as one composition; from the beach you shoot up the spire and use the arch as a frame.

Getting there is the decision. A boat from Santa Maria Navarrese or Cala Gonone takes an hour or so and can only anchor offshore — the last stretch is by tender or by swimming. On foot it is about an hour down from the Su Porteddu trailhead on the Golgo plateau, and rather longer back up, on rock, in heat.

The cove is a protected site with a daily visitor cap and a small entry fee, and the numbers are enforced in high season. Book or check the day before, and treat this as a session you plan around rather than add to another one.