Cala Coticcio

Cala Coticcio is the most celebrated cove in the Maddalena archipelago — a narrow inlet on the southeastern tip of Caprera sheltered by wind-sculpted granite boulders, with water so clear and brilliantly coloured that photographs look like they have been digitally enhanced. It is not easily reached: you need either a 45-minute walk from the nearest road (a rough track through maquis), or a boat. Both are worth it.

The cove is small, which means it gets crowded in July and August. The best strategy is to arrive by water early in the morning before the day-trip boats arrive, or in the late afternoon after they leave. Snorkelling is excellent around the granite outcrops. There are no facilities — bring water and food.

beaches caprera swimming
A story
Cala Coticcio has been nicknamed "the Tahiti of the Mediterranean" — a marketing epithet that would normally invite scepticism, but in this case the water genuinely is that improbable shade of turquoise. The colour comes from the bright granite sand reflecting through shallow, exceptionally clear water that has limited exposure to river runoff or coastal development. The granite boulders surrounding the cove act as natural windbreaks and concentrate the reflected light.