Liscia Ruja

Over half a kilometre of fine white sand makes Liscia Ruja the longest beach on the Costa Smeralda, in the Arzachena comune on Sardinia's north-east coast. Its clear water, dune vegetation and coastal setting distinguish it among the beaches of the Costa Smeralda.

Why it matters

Scale is the argument here. The regional tourism portal measures more than 500 metres of coastline and ranks Liscia Ruja as the largest and best-equipped beach of the whole Costa Smeralda, with white sand and exceptionally clear water. Paid bathing establishments and broad stretches of open sand coexist along the beach. In summer the municipal page describes luxury yachts riding at anchor offshore, a reminder that this gulf is one of the Mediterranean's most watched stretches of water — yet the sand keeps its public, family-facing character.

What to notice

Begin with the backdrop, because it is unusual for a beach this developed. Thick Mediterranean scrub runs behind the sand, and the municipal portal names the species: strawberry trees, cistus and juniper, with pioneer dune plants such as sea daffodil and marram grass holding the sandy strip in place. The water follows the classic Costa Smeralda sequence — transparent over the shallows, deepening offshore — and the page notes the beach is sheltered from westerly winds, which keeps it swimmable on days when exposed coves elsewhere are choppy. Walk to the southern end and the coast changes register: the regional portal lists Petra Ruja and Razza di Junco as the neighbouring beaches, and the red rocks of the first appear within walking distance along the sand.

Context and history

Liscia Ruja closes the southern end of the gulf that also holds Grande Pevero and the Costa Smeralda's best-known bays, and the regional portal's beach sequence — Grande Pevero, Romazzino, Liscia Ruja and their neighbours — maps how the resort coast was organised around a chain of distinct sands rather than one continuous promenade. Dune vegetation and coastal scrub remain part of the landscape alongside the beach's developed sections.