Spiaggia di Porto Rafael, Mediterranean beach in Porto Rafael, Italy

Spiaggia di Porto Rafael is a beach in the comune of Palau, on Sardinia's northern coast about 270 km southwest of Rome, in the province of Olbia-Tempio. The site faces the sea in a mild climate, with average temperatures ranging from about 8 °C in January to 27 °C in August and roughly 879 mm of rain a year.

The beach took shape in 1960 when a Spanish nobleman established this coastal settlement on northern Sardinia's shoreline. What was once a quiet mooring ground for fishing and trading vessels gradually transformed into a seaside destination.

The beach serves as a gathering place where locals and visitors move between the water and the nearby cafes throughout the day. It represents a way of life centered on the sea and the simple pleasure of coastal living that defines this corner of Sardinia.

You can walk to the beach from the main square of the village, where shops and cafes line the path down to the shore. Basic facilities like showers and restrooms are scattered along the waterfront, making it easy to refresh after swimming.

The beach sits at the foot of the village founded in 1960 by the Spanish nobleman Rafael Neville, after whom Porto Rafael is named. From the shore the view takes in the granite islands of the Maddalena archipelago, the same pink rock that forms the headlands around the bay.