September is one of the best months to look beyond Sardinia’s headline beaches. La Pelosa remains reservation-only through October 15 in 2026, and its September places are in heavy demand: on September 15, the official booking system showed no daily availability for September 15, 16 or 17, while the advance allocation for the rest of September was already sold out. If the goal is space rather than a famous name, the smarter strategy is not to hunt for a mythical “secret beach” but to choose Sardinia’s longer, wilder stretches of coast where visitors naturally spread out.
No beach can honestly be guaranteed to have “no tourists,” especially on a sunny weekend. And access rules can change. But Sardinia still has places where the experience is very different from joining an online queue for one of the island’s most photographed coves.
Why La Pelosa is not a spontaneous September beach
La Pelosa in Stintino is one of Sardinia’s most recognizable beaches, and the access system now extends well beyond the traditional August peak. For the 2026 season, booking is compulsory from May 15 through October 15, with a maximum of 1,500 reservable places per day.
The allocation is divided into 500 places that can be booked in advance and 1,000 released two days before the desired date. The daily booking fee is €3.50 per person, with children under 12 excluded from the reservation requirement. Access controls operate from 08:00 to 18:00.
The important September lesson is that “shoulder season” no longer automatically means spontaneous access to Sardinia’s most famous beaches. The official system showed the advance quota sold out throughout September when checked on September 15, while the short-notice allocation for the next available dates had also run out.
That is not a reason to resent visitor limits. La Pelosa is a fragile, heavily visited environment. It is a reason to broaden the map.
Scivu: three kilometres of Costa Verde instead of one tiny cove
Scivu is the kind of beach that makes the anti-overtourism strategy obvious. On the Costa Verde in south-western Sardinia, it stretches for about three kilometres, backed by dunes, Mediterranean vegetation and reddish rock rather than a dense line of hotels.
The official Sardinia tourism portal describes it as isolated, far from inhabited centers and relatively difficult to reach. That inconvenience is part of its appeal. Once on the sand, the scale gives visitors room to spread out in a way that is impossible at a tiny Instagram-famous cove.
Scivu is not completely without facilities: there is parking, a refreshment point and seasonal beach equipment services. The beach is reached from the parking area along a boardwalk through the dunes and vegetation.
The tradeoff is the sea. The Costa Verde faces the open western Mediterranean and can be rough, with waves and currents that deserve respect. A quiet beach is not automatically a safe swimming beach. On mistral days, come for the landscape and sunset rather than assuming conditions will suit a relaxed swim.
Piscinas: choose seven kilometres of sand
North of Scivu, Piscinas is one of Sardinia’s great landscape beaches. The official tourism portal describes a golden beach extending for around seven kilometres, backed by enormous dunes that can reach about 60 metres in height.
This is not the Sardinia of manicured beach clubs and compact turquoise coves. The approach passes through the old mining landscape around Ingurtosu before reaching a broad, exposed coast. The journey itself discourages some casual day-trippers.
For travelers obsessed with having a few metres of sand to themselves, length matters. Even when other people are present around the main access area, a huge beach creates more opportunity to walk away from the concentration of umbrellas.
Again, the western sea is the caveat. SardegnaTurismo explicitly warns that the Costa Verde sea is rarely calm and that persistent wind can create long, high waves. Check conditions before swimming and do not confuse an empty shoreline with low risk.
Portixeddu: a long beach with a village nearby
Portixeddu is a useful compromise for travelers who want breathing room without feeling completely cut off. Between the Costa Verde and Sulcis areas, near Buggerru and Fluminimaggiore, the beach extends for more than two kilometres and is backed by a pine forest.
The regional tourism portal specifically highlights its size and depth as reasons visitors can find tranquility. Unlike a truly remote cove, there are restaurants and accommodation nearby, plus a beach kiosk and seasonal equipment rental.
That makes Portixeddu particularly practical in September, when some remote seasonal services elsewhere may begin reducing their hours. You can stay near Buggerru, spend the day on a long open beach and still have a town and restaurants within easy reach.
The seabed becomes deep relatively quickly and strong currents can occur. When the north-westerly mistral is strong, the beach attracts surfers. Families seeking shallow, protected water should choose their day carefully.
Cala Domestica: beautiful, but do not call it secret
Cala Domestica, just south of Buggerru, is often included in lists of “hidden” Sardinian beaches. That label is misleading. It is a well-known and spectacular inlet with parking, a camper area, an access boardwalk, a refreshment point and a campsite nearby.
What makes it worthwhile in September is the setting rather than secrecy. High limestone cliffs frame a sheltered sandy bay, while remains of Sardinia’s mining history survive around the cove. A tunnel on the right-hand side leads toward a smaller inlet known as La Caletta.
Current SardegnaTurismo information lists admission to Cala Domestica as free. Unlike La Pelosa, the official regional page does not describe an advance beach-reservation system. That makes it a much easier spontaneous day-trip option, but it can still attract plenty of visitors on warm days.
Go early or later in the afternoon if you want the cliffs and water without the busiest central hours.
Porto Ferro: the spacious option near Alghero
Travelers staying around Alghero do not need to drive all the way to Costa Verde to find a beach with more breathing room. Porto Ferro, about 20 kilometres from Alghero, forms a broad bay with roughly two kilometres of amber-to-reddish sand between Mediterranean-covered headlands.
Its dimensions are the key advantage over smaller Riviera del Corallo coves. It is well known locally, not a secret, but a long beach can absorb visitors far better than a narrow cala.
Porto Ferro is also exposed to wind and swell, making it popular with surfers. Check the sea before choosing it for swimming, particularly when the mistral is active.
For someone based in Alghero who wants a spontaneous September beach day without chasing a reservation, it is one of the most practical alternatives.
The best anti-overtourism trick is not publishing another “secret beach” list
There is a contradiction in searching for “secret beaches with no tourists” online. Once a tiny cove becomes a viral recommendation, its limited space can be overwhelmed very quickly. Sardinia’s environmental access controls at places such as La Pelosa, Cala Coticcio and other sensitive destinations exist partly because concentrated demand has real consequences.
A better approach is to look for capacity rather than secrecy. A two-, three- or seven-kilometre beach on the west coast can provide a quieter experience without directing another wave of visitors toward a fragile unnamed cove.
It also means accepting a less polished version of paradise. Costa Verde can involve longer drives, rougher roads, fewer services, stronger wind and a more powerful sea. Those characteristics are exactly why it has not developed like Sardinia’s busiest resort coasts.
September helps, but choose the day as carefully as the beach
Early September still feels like summer in much of Sardinia, and famous beaches can remain busy. Later in the month, visitor pressure generally eases, but weather becomes more variable and seasonal services may reduce hours.
Weekdays are usually a better bet than weekends for a quiet atmosphere. Arriving in the morning also gives more flexibility with parking and lets you assess wind and sea conditions before committing to a full day.
Use the weather forecast actively. A strong mistral can make the west coast spectacular but uncomfortable or unsafe for swimming. On those days, a more sheltered coast may be the better choice even if it attracts more people.
Do not assume that “no reservation” means “no rules.” Parking regulations, protected dunes, marine areas, temporary safety restrictions and municipal ordinances still apply. Never drive onto dunes or vegetation to create your own parking space, and do not remove sand, shells or stones.
Where to go if La Pelosa is sold out
If you are staying in north-west Sardinia, start with Porto Ferro for the easiest spacious alternative near Alghero. If you have a car and want a genuinely different coastal experience, head south-west and build a day or two around Buggerru, Portixeddu, Scivu and the wider Costa Verde.
Cala Domestica gives you the dramatic cove experience without the same advance-booking model as La Pelosa, while Scivu and Piscinas offer something more valuable than a “secret”: enough landscape to stop worrying about securing the exact square metre seen on Instagram.
That is the better version of anti-overtourism travel in Sardinia. Do not ask which tiny beach everyone else has somehow missed. Ask which part of the island has enough space, natural character and alternative places to explore that one famous beach does not determine your entire day.
