Putzu Idu

Backed by a motley set of holiday homes and beach bars, Putzu Idu's beach sits in the north of the peninsula. It's a picturesque strip of sand that's something of a water-sports hotspot with excellent surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing. To the north, the Capo Mannu promontory is scalloped with a tantalising array of more secluded beaches and battered by some of the Mediterranean's biggest waves.