White Beaches in Italy, where you can find the Caribbean in the Mediterranean

Sardinia easily takes the crown when it comes to dreamlike sea. Not to be missed is Is Arenas Biancas, south of Cagliari, with its expanse of white sand, a vivid blue seabed and dunes covered in greenery behind it. Not far away is also the pond of Is Brebeis where you will catch a glimpse of flamingos.

Flamingos can also be seen near the Baia di Chia in the Gulf of Angels. Its almost pinkish sand and crystal clear sea make it a true paradise. On the south coast you can also find the beach of Tuerredda in an inlet with iridescent blue water and fine, powdery sand.

But when you get to Cala Goloritzé in Baunei, Ogliastra, your heart will skip a beat. It can only be reached by footpath or by sea, and is completely wild because it has no facilities and is guarded by a 143-metre-high rock pinnacle. The dazzling beach, the turquoise sea and a surreal silence make it a place frozen in time.

The whiteness of the sand combined with the deep blue of the water is a sight that can also be seen at Cala Brandinchi in San Teodoro. It is no coincidence that this place is also called 'little Tahiti'.

Another sliver of the Caribbean lies to the north, in the Gulf of Asinara. This is La Pelosa beach, one of the most famous in Sardinia.

On the Emerald Coast, on the other hand, the record is held by the Principe di Arzachena beach with its sand and granite seabed that makes the water glisten.

The Spiaggia dei Conigli (Rabbit Beach) in Lampedusa is the most Caribbean-like beach in Sicily. Here the white sand is lapped by a sea that seems to merge with the sky. It has been voted Italy's most beautiful beach several times and it is no coincidence that sea turtles also choose it for their nesting grounds.

Near San Vito Lo Capo is the wild Cala del Bue Marino surrounded by a deep blue sea. It is much less crowded than the main beach, which nevertheless commands attention with its 3 km of white sand in the shadow of Monte Cofano: a breathtaking setting.

On Lipari, the white colour of Acquacalda beach is due to the presence of pumice. Diving into this sea is like plunging into the purest blue, lit by the glitter of the very pale sand.

At Mazara del Vallo is Tonnarello beach, a long stretch of white sand no less than 8 km long. Less expansive but no less magical is the beach of Fontane Bianche near Syracuse, with its clear sand and transparent sea.

It is in Salento that the beaches in Apulia most resemble the white Caribbean stretches of sand. Punta Prosciutto near Porto Cesareo is a haven of fine sand, azure sea and wild dunes. And it is a favourite with windsurfers and kitesurfers.

The beach of Pescoluse has often been referred to as the 'Maldives of the Salento' thanks to its transparent seabed and fine sand, with dunes covered in white lilies.

At Marina di Ugento, the white beach plunges into a sea that turns from sky-blue to turquoise until it fades into deep blue as you move further away from the coast. It is another of Puglia's places to note on the map. It is located halfway between Gallipoli and Santa Maria di Leuca.

Moving on to the Gargano, the must-see place is the Baia delle Zagare: it almost looks like a postcard, set as it is among white cliffs, caves and sea stacks. The water here is crystal clear, with a soft, sandy seabed. You can reach it from the road connecting Vieste and Mattinata.

Calabria boasts almost 800 km of coastline and is home to many idyllic beaches.

Among the most beautiful are those of Capo Vaticano and particularly the Riaci beach along the Costa degli Dei. It is a strip of white sand with rocks emerging from the water in iridescent colours. On clear days, you can even see the Aeolian Islands from here.

Just below Tropea, looming from the top of the rock on which it stands, is the white beach of Marasusa. The seabed here is always transparent. Another destination not to be missed in Calabria is the Costa degli Aranci.

Caminia beach is embraced by two cliffs full of caves and surrounded by greenery, on which the white of the sand and the blue of the water stand out.