Cala Vedella

The water is the first thing you see: clear, blue and flat in the shelter of the cove, with white villas stacked on the hillsides around it. A boardwalk leads down to the sand, and the beach has the bustle of a small town — jet skis and boats out on the bay, families and ball games on the sand, cafés and restaurants lined up behind it.

The swimming is easy. The sea stays calm, it is still warm in October, and the rocks at either end of the beach are good for snorkelling; you can walk the full length of the sand right to where it meets the rock.

Stay into the evening. The cove opens to the west, and the sun goes down over the water at its mouth, with the restaurants still open behind you.

• The beach is quiet first thing in the morning and fills steadily until, by lunchtime, there is no free space around you.
• The car parks nearest the beach fill up; the overflow parking on top of the hill is a 15-minute walk down, and the same climb back.
• There are no public toilets or drinking-water taps near the beach; bring water or use the cafés, which take cards.
• Jet skis and boats use the bay, so keep an eye out when swimming away from the shore.
• The calm water and the cafés make it an easy beach for families with children.

The bus stop named Cala Vedella sits about 100 m from the beach, so arriving by bus leaves only a short stroll to the sand.

By car, two car parks lie about 120 m and 160 m away, with street parking around them as well. They fill up, and when they do the next option is the parking on top of the hill, a 15-minute walk down to the beach — and the same walk back uphill at the end of the day. A boardwalk carries you the last stretch down onto the sand.

Best: early morning for space on the sand, and the evening for the sunset.

Avoid: the middle of the day in summer.

The beach is quiet first thing and fills steadily towards lunchtime, while the cove opens to the west, so the evening light runs straight down the bay; the water is still warm in October, when the island is quieter.