Tonnara trades the protected coves and lagoons of Bonifacio's eastern shores for something rawer: unobstructed Mediterranean, a beach that curves toward Sardinia's shadowy profile, and weather that changes by the hour. The sand is coarser here, mixed with shell fragments that crunch underfoot, and the water darkens quickly from jade to indigo as the bottom drops away. When the maestrale blows, whitecaps race toward shore and the beach empties; when it stills, you'll float in bathwater and watch ferries trace the horizon line.
“The unobstructed western exposure delivers the region's most dramatic sunsets directly over open water toward Sardinia.”
Credit: FlickrPlage de la Tonnara — photo by marc.desbordes
The beach takes its name from the old tuna fishery that once operated offshore, and you can still see stone remnants at the northern end, half-claimed by tide and barnacles. Families spread out along the center, where the sand broadens and a few seasonal umbrellas offer relief, but the real draw is the openness—no islands blocking the view, no jetties or marinas, just sand, sea, and sky in three clean bands. You'll walk the waterline and find driftwood, sea glass worn smooth as soap, and the occasional shard of amphora clay that makes you wonder about Phoenician cargo ships.
Sunset is the main event. Couples and solo travelers arrive an hour before dusk, claiming spots on the upper beach where the sand stays dry, and watch the sun flatten into an orange disk before sliding beneath the sea. The light turns the water to hammered bronze, and the Sardinian coast becomes a charcoal smudge. You'll leave in twilight, still tasting salt on your lips.
