In the print dialog pick “Save as PDF” to keep it on your phone. A5 makes a pocket booklet; A4 suits a desk printer.
Voykit pocket guide · Italy
Porto Pino
Half-day to one day: beach, dunes and a walk to the pink-sand cove. Not a base — sleep in Carbonia or Sant'Antioco.
Porto Pino is a beach-and-dunes pocket on the southwest Sardinian coast, known for its white and pink sand, clear water, and a pine forest. It has no real town centre — a few seasonal bars and a campsite. The draw is the beach itself and the short walk to Spiaggia dei Pini. Most visitors come by car from Carbonia (15 min) or Sant'Antioco (20 min) for a half-day or a full day. There is no bank, no supermarket and very limited accommodation.
- Country
- Italy
- Best months
- May–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (crowded, hot, peak prices)
- Stay
- 0 (day trip) nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless are widely accepted in cities; small cafés, markets and rural places may prefer cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget €30–50 (fuel, picnic, parking) · Mid €60–100 (lunch at a beach bar, dinner in Carbonia) · High €120+ (rental car, restaurant meals, accommodation in Carbonia) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- TIM, Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad sell prepaid SIMs in shops and at airports; a passport and an Italian tax code (codice fiscale, issued in-store) are needed.
- Emergency
- Police 112 · Fire 115 · Ambulance 118 · Coast guard 1530
- Plugs
- Types C, F, L · 230 V · 50 Hz · Italian type L plugs have three pins in a row; most sockets also take two-pin Europlugs (C), and bivalent sockets take Schuko (F).
- Tipping
- Bar: Leave €0.10–0.20 of change on the counter if you like.; Restaurant: Coperto or service may already be on the bill; leave €1–2 a person or round up for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day.
- Water
- Tap water is safe unless signed otherwise; Rome's nasoni fountains run all day. Restaurants serve bottled water (naturale or frizzante) unless you ask for tap (acqua del rubinetto).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a beach kiosk | €1.50–2.50 |
| Panino (sandwich) | €6–10 |
| Beer (330 ml) | €3–5 |
| Parking (all day, peak season) | €5–10 (check) |
| Sunbed and umbrella (if available) | €15–25 per day (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CAG · Cagliari Elmas
- About 1 h by car via SS130 and SP73
Typical fares
- Cagliari → Porto Pino by car
- about 1 h, €10–15 fuel (check)
- Carbonia → Porto Pino by car
- about 15 min, €3–5 fuel
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Car essential. The beach has a large free car park (check for seasonal overflow). On foot: the Spiaggia dei Pini is a 10–15 min walk from the car park along a sandy path.
See and do
Known for
- White and pink sand beach
- Spiaggia dei Pini (pine-tree cove)
- Dune system and pine forest
- Crystal-clear water
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Carloforte | Car to Calasetta (25 min), then ferry (30 min) | About 1.5 h |
| Arbus | Car via SS126 and SS197, about 1 h 15 min | About 1.5 h |
| Isili | Car via SS130, about 1 h | About 1.25 h |
Sleep
- Carbonia
- 15 min drive; hotels and services; best base for a night.
- Sant'Antioco
- 20 min drive; island town with more accommodation and restaurants.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Goodbye | Ciaochow |
| Thank you | GrazieGRAHT-see-eh |
| How much is it? | Quanto costa?KWAHN-toh COH-stah |
| Where is the beach? | Dov'è la spiaggia?doh-VEH lah spee-AH-jah |
| Can I pay by card? | Posso pagare con carta?POH-soh pah-GAH-reh kon KAR-tah |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say buongiorno (until mid-afternoon) or buonasera on entering shops and bars; avoid: Walking in and pointing without a greeting
- Cheek kisses: Two kisses, right cheek first, among friends; follow their lead; avoid: Kissing strangers or in business settings
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders and knees in churches; avoid: Beachwear, bare chests and flip-flops away from the beach
- Queues: At delis and pharmacies take a number (numerino); avoid: Assuming the crowd at a bar counter is chaos — pay at the till first where asked
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated and ask for the bill; avoid: Splitting a bill item by item with a large group
- Conversation: Food, football and family are safe openers; avoid: Mafia jokes and north–south stereotypes
- Dinner at a home: Bring pastries, wine or flowers (not chrysanthemums, which are for funerals); avoid: Refusing seconds too firmly
Scams and watch-outs
- No ATM, no supermarket in Porto Pino; bring cash and supplies.
- Pink sand is fragile: do not take sand away (protected dune system).
- Summer weekends: car park fills by 10:00.
- No lifeguard on all stretches; swim with care.
Very safe. The main risks are sunburn (no shade on the beach), dehydration (bring water) and jellyfish in late summer. Check local signage for warnings.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Porto Pino yet. Suggested stay: 0 (day trip) nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- White and pink sand beach
- Spiaggia dei Pini (pine-tree cove)
- Dune system and pine forest
- Crystal-clear water
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Porto Pino, revision 3478796 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=3478796
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/porto-pino). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.