I’ve got another awesome beach in Sardinia for you today. It’s got gorgeous baby blue water, a fun hike to get there, and that ‘out in the wild’ feeling. I mean that in the sense that it’s not an overly commercialized beach with restaurants and beach umbrellas to rent. It’s just a beach on a beautiful island. Here’s a guide on how to hike to Cala Napoletana with options for two different trails to get there. One is straightforward and easy, and one is a little more adventurous so there’s something for everyone.
Here’s How To Hike To Cala Napoletana In Sardinia
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FAQ for Cala Napoletana in Sardinia
Where is it located?
Island of Caprera, Sardinia.
What type of trail is it?
There are two trails I’m going to discuss. You could choose one and do it as a point to point trail or take one there and the other on the way back to do it as a loop.
What skill level is needed?
When I explain the two trails, we’ll call one the main trail, which is a beginner trail. We’ll call the other the long trail and it’s intermediate – more explanation on what makes it intermediate below.
How long does it take to hike there?
For the main trail, about 30 minutes to an hour each way depending on your pace. It’s hard to gauge the long trail because I stopped to swim along the way, but at a guess, I’d say at least 2 hours each way.
What facilities are available?
Small parking area. No food or drink vendors and no toilets.
If you want to get a snack afterward, I recommend I Mille Bar Paninoteca.
How much does it cost?
Free.
Is it kid-friendly?
The main trail – yes. As always it depends on your kids – it’s not something I can answer for you. Use this guide and your best judgment to decide what is best for your family.
What should you bring with you?
- Good walking shoes (if you’re new to hiking, I recommend the New Balance Minimus)
- Lots of water
- Snacks or lunch
- Waterproof camera (I use this one and this floaty selfie stick
) - Lightweight towel
- Sun protection
- Snorkel gear
)
How to get to Caprera
To get to Caprera, you need to take a ferry to La Maddalena, then drive across to Caprera.
There’s no public transport to get to this beach, so you’ll need a car.
To get the ferry, just get a ticket from the booth in town – it just across from the port and you can use ‘Maddalena Lines – Palau‘ to find it.
The tickets are cheaper if you buy them the day before.
After you have your ticket, you simply go across to the port and drive on the boat when it’s ready.
Before you drive off the boat, set your GPS for ‘Becco Di Vela‘ to make it a smooth exit.
Where to park for Cala Napoletana
Since you cannot drive to Cala Napoletana, it’s best to use ‘Becco Di Vela’ in Google Maps to get you to the parking area. Basically, you just follow the main road there until it ends.
There’s a small parking area at the start of the trail otherwise, if that’s full, you will just need to find parking along the street and walk down to the trail.
It’s very popular, so best to go early to get a spot.
The road is a little narrow, so if you park on the side of the road, just make sure your car is completely off the road.
This is the end of the street that you park on. Walk left for the main trail or the trail straight ahead (on the right of this pic) for the long trail.
How to hike to Cala Napoletana
Main trail
To hike the main trail, you’ll see a road to the left of the end of the parking lot. Follow that until you get to the sign which has a trail to the right.
The main trail – path 14 – is the easier of the two and it’s the one most people take to get there.
Signs at the start of the main trail
Keep an eye out for mountain goats along the way
Long trail
To hike the long trail, you walk straight ahead where the road ends and follow it over the rocky trail.
The long trail is a little more difficult and longer.
There are a couple of things to be aware of with this trail that make it a little more difficult than the first one. The first is that that it is a little longer so you are hiking in the heat for a longer time compared to the main trail.
The other thing that makes it more difficult is that it is not quite as well signed or maintained in some areas. Since there are a lot of mountain goats all over the island, it’s easy to get a little off track by following a mountain goat trail instead of the hiking trail.
As long as you use your Google Maps (or whatever map app you use) to keep an idea of which direction to head, it’s no problem.
In terms of terrain and hiking skills, it’s easy because there’s no steep cliffs or ropes to climb or anything like that.
I actually ended up doing this trail by accident and was glad I did because I ended up finding some secluded swimming spots along the way.
Start of the long trail
Signs to follow on the trail
A secluded swimming spot along the long trail
What to expect at the beach
All-round gorgeousness.
It’s certainly worth the hike when you get to the beautiful blue water of Cala Napoletana.
There’s a small beach area where you can put down your towel. If you want to sit in the shade, it’s best to bring an umbrella because it’s quite open.
The water is really calm and the bay area is shallow and sandy so it’s a great spot for kids.
I snorkeled all around the edges to the other bay areas and there wasn’t that much in the way of wildlife, but it was nice to be swimming in such pretty, clear water.
Safety tips for hiking to Cala Napoletana
It’s open to the elements so really important to protect against the sun. Bring plenty of water with you as well as snacks or lunch to sustain you because there’s nowhere to buy anything there.
The trail is rocky so wear good shoes and go at your own pace.
As always, hike to your limits, check the weather forecast before going out, and use your best judgment.
Where to stay in Sardinia
I recommend staying in Palau because it makes it easy to get the ferry to La Maddalena.
I stayed at Grand Hotel Palau and definitely recommend it. It’s a gorgeous hotel in a quiet area with amazing breakfast views. Most importantly, staying there made it easy to get the ferry to visit the islands because it was so close to the port.
If you prefer staying somewhere else, I recommend doing a quick search on Booking.com which is what I use to find accommodation.
Other Italy travel guides you might enjoy:
- A Detailed Guide On How To Get To Cala Coticcio In Sardinia, Italy
- What You Need To Know For The Tre Cime Hike And Caves
- All The Details About How To Visit The Saturnia Hot Springs In Tuscany
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