Porto Giunco and the Notteri Pond’s wetland lie in the area of Villasimius, on the southeastern coast of Sardinia.
The beach extends for about a kilometre, separated from the nearby beach of Simius by the Serra ‘e Morus promontory (also known as Monte s’Arena).
The sandy shore has fine, white clear sand, while its seabeds are low and gently slope out to sea. On either side of the beach and in the central-norther part, granite rock reefs emerge. They are a clear colour and act as a barrier against the accumulation of sand blown by the wind.
The beach has an extensive dune system especially in the southern part, where herbaceous and bush species grow, such as juniper and Mastic tree. These dunes are also the habitat of different small animals, such as the wild rabbit.
The Notteri Pond extends out behind the beach and is a wetland of significant natural importance. Here you can observe a variety of aquatic bird species including the pink flamingo.
This site is part of the Capo Carbonara protected marine area. It was also the subject of research in two different protection projects in the LIFE+ Nature & Biodiversity programme, devised to protect the dune habitat and the Posidonia oceanica meadow.
The beach has bathing facilities, kiosks and restaurants.
As well as falling within the protected marine area, it is also part of the Site of Community Importance (SCI) “Isola dei Cavoli, Serpentara, Punta Molentis e Campulongu” (ITB040020), regulated by the Rete Natura 2000.
