La Pelosa is 27 kilometers from us, half an hour by car. It’s one of the most photographed beaches in Italy, and that comes at a price: since 2020 you can only get in by booking, and in summer the spots run out.
Every year some of our guests set off without knowing this and have to turn back. That’s why we wrote this page.
Booking
From May 15 to October 15 access is limited to a fixed number of people. Outside this period you can enter freely and there’s nothing to pay.
Here’s how it works for the 2026 season.
- 1,500 people enter each day, not one more
- The ticket costs 3.50 euros per person
- Children under 12 don’t pay and don’t need to be included in the booking
- One booking covers a maximum of 4 people
- Each account can make only one booking per day
The 1,500 spots are split into two groups. Five hundred can be booked at any time, even months in advance. The other thousand open up at nine in the morning two days before: if you want to go on Friday, they become available on Wednesday at nine.
The fixed-date ones disappear fast. In July and August, if you book in June, you risk finding the first free spot in September.
Where to book
On the official website spiaggialapelosa.it. There’s also an app called La Pelosa, for Android and iPhone.
You register with an email and password, choose the day, and from that moment you have thirty minutes to pay. If you don’t pay within half an hour the booking is cancelled and the spots become available to others again.
After payment you receive a QR code. You show it at the entrance and get a biodegradable wristband, a different color depending on the day of the week.
Watch out for sites that aren’t the real one
There are unofficial portals selling entry to La Pelosa for more than ten euros. The Municipality of Stintino has warned that the only authorized channel is spiaggialapelosa.it.
If you’re paying more than 3.50 euros per person, you’re on the wrong site.
If you arrive without a booking
You won’t get in. Checks run from eight in the morning to six in the evening and apply to everyone, even those arriving on foot or by bicycle.
After six in the evening, though, you can enter without restrictions. If you’re in the area in the late afternoon of a full day, that’s the window.
Parking is a separate payment
This is the misunderstanding that upsets the most people. The beach ticket and parking are two separate payments. Having paid for parking doesn’t entitle you to enter, and vice versa.
The blue-line paid parking runs along the avenue and near La Pelosetta. Rates change by month and by day.
- June and September: 1.50 euros an hour on weekdays, 2 euros on Saturday and Sunday
- July and August: 2 euros an hour on weekdays, 2.50 on Saturday and Sunday
You pay from eight in the morning to eight in the evening, holidays included. At night it’s free. The meters accept coins and cards, or you can pay with EasyPark or MooneyGo.
Further away, toward Capo Falcone, there are free unpaved parking areas. Walking a few extra minutes saves you money.
Without a car
There’s the ARST 727 bus line, which connects Sassari, Porto Torres and Stintino and runs all the way to the La Pelosa terminus. The schedule changes every summer, so check the ARST website before counting on it.
From Stintino to the beach it’s three kilometers, also rideable by bicycle. But even by bike you need a booking.
Rules on the beach
There are only a few, and they’re enforced. Barracelli (local wardens) and municipal police patrol the avenue and the sand.
- Towels can’t be laid directly on the sand. You need a mat underneath. Vendors along the road sell them for a few euros. The rule exists because a towel carries away sand when you shake it out
- Feet must be rinsed before leaving. There are 24 foot-washing stations on the boardwalks. Soap or shampoo is forbidden
- No smoking on the sand. It’s allowed in designated areas, on the boardwalks and on the avenue
- Taking sand, stones and shells away is forbidden
- Dogs can’t come onto the beach from eight in the morning to eight in the evening
Fines for these rules range from 25 to 500 euros. Taking sand away is a different matter: that falls under the Navigation Code and can reach up to 3,000 euros.
What you’ll find on site
There are restrooms and showers. If you have the ticket you use them for free, otherwise it’s 50 cents for the restrooms and 60 cents for the shower.
Sunbeds and umbrellas are rented from the authorized beach clubs. They can’t be booked online: you need to show up in person early in the morning. The price is set on site, and in high season it isn’t low.
There’s no natural shade. If you don’t rent one, bring your own.
Kiosks and bars are nearby, with the prices you’d expect from a beach like this. Many people bring their own water and lunch, and cooler bags are allowed.
When to go
The difference between a great day at La Pelosa and a wasted one comes down to two things: the time and the wind.
The time
From half past ten onward the parking lot is full and so is the beach. If you’re coming in August, either arrive by eight or half past eight, or go after six in the evening once the checks are over.
The month
June and the first half of September are the best times. Fewer people, warm sea, and spots are still available. In September the water is warmer than in June.
In April, May and October it’s a lovely place for a walk, but some services are closed and the water is cool. On the plus side, outside May 15 to October 15, there’s no charge and no booking needed.
The wind, which almost no one explains
The prevailing wind here is the maestrale, which comes from the northwest. La Pelosa is protected by Isola Piana and the small island with the tower, so it stays calm when the maestrale blows. That’s why you always see it in photos with still water.
The problem is the grecale, which comes from the northeast. With that the water ripples, turns cloudy and washes posidonia seagrass onto the shore. The beach is still beautiful, but not the one from the photos.
The practical rule for this coast is simple:
- With the maestrale head to the Stintino side: La Pelosa, Le Saline, Ezzi Mannu
- With the scirocco or levante head to our side, the Nurra: Porto Palmas, Argentiera
Check the wind the evening before on Windfinder or Windguru and decide in the morning. That’s what we do.
If it’s all booked up
It happens, especially in July and August. These are the alternatives we recommend to our guests.
Staying around Stintino
La Pelosetta is right next door, faces the same tower and the same island, and is smaller and quieter. Le Saline is long, white sand, mostly unassigned, and never fills up like La Pelosa. Ezzi Mannu has shallow water and works well with children, even though you can see the power plant behind it. Cala Lupo is stones and rocks, good for snorkeling and almost always empty.
On our side, much closer
Porto Palmas is a few minutes from here. A crescent bay, light sand with small pebbles, shallow sandy bottom, a large parking area and a snack bar. It’s better sheltered from the maestrale than the other beaches on this side. When La Pelosa is full, that’s where we send people.
The Argentiera beach is 12 kilometers away, two dark-sand crescents inside the old mining village. It’s not the place for a classic beach day, but it’s worth the visit.
Rena Majore is 7 kilometers away, the closest of all. Fair warning though: from the parking lot there’s a steep path of fifteen to twenty minutes. There are no facilities. With small children or with an umbrella and cooler bag it’s tiring.
What’s around
The Pelosa tower is the one you see on the small island in front of the beach. It dates from the 1500s and you can swim to it from La Pelosetta. Many people do.
The Falcone tower sits atop the headland, reached by a trail through the scrub, and from up there you can see Asinara, Isola Piana and Capo Caccia.
Asinara is a national park and you get there by ferry. From Stintino you leave from Porto Nuovo and arrive at Fornelli in under half an hour. From Porto Torres you arrive at Cala Reale in about an hour and a half. Cars can’t be brought over: on the island you get around on foot, by bike, by bus or by jeep. Organized excursions leave from Stintino and need to be booked.
Stintino village was founded on August 14, 1885, when the inhabitants of Asinara were relocated here. There are two harbors, traditional lateen-sail boats, and the tuna fishing museum on Via Lepanto, which tells the story of tuna fishing in the gulf. The food is good, seafood especially.
Quick questions
Is it worth it, with all the crowds and what you have to pay?
It depends on when you go. At noon on Ferragosto (August 15) it’s crowded and you’ll feel like you paid to stand shoulder to shoulder. At eight in the morning in late September it’s a different story. The sea is the one from the photos, but only if you pick the right moment.
Is there shade?
No, there’s no natural shade. You either rent an umbrella from the beach clubs, or bring your own.
Are there restrooms and showers?
Yes. If you have the ticket you use them for free, otherwise it’s 50 cents for the restrooms and 60 cents for the shower.
Is the water always shallow and calm?
Shallow, yes, for dozens of meters. Calm almost always, except when the grecale blows from the northeast: then it ripples and turns cloudy.
Can you reach the tower?
Yes, by swimming from La Pelosetta. The tower is on the small island in front of the beach and many people go there.
Can you go snorkeling?
Yes, but you need to go further out where the seabed drops. Wear water shoes, there are rocks and sea urchins.
Can you bring a dog?
Not from eight in the morning to eight in the evening. Outside those hours, yes.
Is it free in low season?
Yes. Outside May 15-October 15 there’s no booking and no ticket.