The Porto Paglia beach is one of the most well-known in the municipality of Gonnesa, situated along the western coast of sud Sardegna. This is the first area of the sandy arch of the Golfo di Gonnesa which extends to the north of Funtamare. This stretch of sandy coastline is preceded by a section of high coastline, whose cliffs are made up of sandstone fossil dunes, amassed by the wind and shaped by the fluctuations in the sea level during the Pleistocene period (approx. 12,000 years ago).
The Porto Paglia beach is sandy with a cream-coloured, mid-fine sand grain with hints of pink, due to the interspersed minerals from some sporadic rocks.
The seabed quickly rises, and the beach becomes exposed to the waves of the Mistral wind, which blow in high, forcefully and violently against the shore. This often makes swimming there dangerous.
Behind the beach is a hillside area, with the peak of Punta di Sa Intilla (170 m a.s.l.), covered in Mediterranean shrub, which provides protection against the eastern winds.
To the south of the beach, along the road, you come to the ancient tuna fishery which has been restored and is open to the public. It was built in the second half of the 1700s and was operational up until 1974. It has now been restored together with the old fishermen’s houses and turned into a residential complex.
South of the beach, you can visit the “Tuna fishery’s small church”, built right on the rocks and often washed by the coastal storm waves.
There is a place to eat on the beach and you can also hire equipment here.
The oasis is part of the Site of Community Importance (SCI) “Da Is Arenas a Tonnara (Marina di Gonnesa)” (ITB042250), regulated by the Rete Natura 2000.
