Porto Pinetto: Between Dunes, Lagoons and Rocky Coastline

Porto Pinetto is a seasonal coastal settlement with a strong tourism focus. The low-lying, sandy in places coastline, the wetland and the rocky sections give the area several distinct faces. For you, this creates a destination where beaches, nature observation, water activities and coastal history can be combined with different focuses.

Between Dunes, Lagoons and Rocky Coastline

The Natura 2000 SCI ITB040025 “Promontorio, dune e zona umida di Porto Pino” also includes the interconnected coastal system of Porto Pineddu. The coastal system of Porto Pineddu includes a rocky stretch of coastline between Porto Pinetto and Paris Sarri. The protected area around Porto Pineddu includes coastal lagoons, shifting dunes and fixed coastal dunes as habitats.

Porto Pinetto is located on the coastal wetland system of the Stagno di Is Brebeis and beside the Porto Pino fish-farming facility. Those who do not want to view the coast solely as a bathing beach will also find a water-dominated setting here, with lagoons and a fish-farming landscape providing a tangible point of reference.

Beach and Practical Information

In 2025, Porto Pinetto in Sant’Anna Arresi is listed as a bathing-water site under the name Porto Pineddu. Near the group of houses lies a small beach known as Spiaggia dei Francesi or Sa Bua. Access is via Via Porto Pinetto and then left onto Via del Ginepro; after approximately 800 metres, an open area preceded by several buildings leads to the beach path.

Snorkelling, Caves and Coastal Trails

A snorkelling route begins at Porto Pinetto beach and follows the cliff to an accessible cave with two openings admitting light. Inside the cave is a narrow rock pillar, with a gap between its sides only wide enough for a finger. The route passes through a narrow, pyramid-shaped entrance to Grotta Viola, where hard corals occur exclusively in violet.

Another prominent landmark is the approximately 14-metre-high Grotta dei Baci at the eastern tip of the bay. A coastal hiking trail is connected to Porto Pinetto and runs along an unpaved road. When planning, it is therefore important to distinguish between the unpaved surface of the coastal trail and the water-level route of the snorkelling trail.

Traces of Coastal Defence

Porto Pinetto is also known as Candiani; the name derives from the ruins of a military battery dedicated to Admiral Candiani. At Punta Menga, at the end of the Porto Pineddu promontory, stand the ruins of a coastal defence battery against ships dating from the Second World War. For visitors interested in cultural history, this provides a tangible connection to coastal defence.

When planning your accommodation, you can choose the focus that best suits you: the beach and bathing waters, lagoons and dunes, snorkelling destinations, coastal hiking or military coastal history.

Discover More Places

You can also access these places when planning your trip: Bacu Abis, Maladroscia, Sant'anna Arresi, Gonnesa, San Giovanni Suèrgiu, Matzaccara, Narcao, Santadi.

For the broader travel overview: Carbonia-Iglesias.