Is Arutas: The Quartz Sand Beach
What passes for sand at other beaches is, at Is Arutas, made of tiny, rice-grain-shaped quartz pebbles – a geological one-off on the west coast of the Sinis Peninsula.
Location & getting there
Is Arutas lies on the Sinis Peninsula, about a 20-minute drive from Oristano. The beach is easy to reach by car, with several car parks right along the access road.
The quartz sand
The small, sometimes pink-tinted quartz grains formed over millennia through the erosion of granite and quartz rock. They feel different from ordinary sand and shimmer differently depending on the light.
Swimming & surroundings
The water is clear and deep blue, with the seabed dropping off more steeply in places than at flat sandy beaches. Nearby you'll find more beaches on the Sinis Peninsula, as well as the archaeological site of Tharros.