The path from the parking clearing winds through thickets of mastic and lentisk, their resinous perfume thickening in the midday heat. When the trail opens onto Cala Serena, you're met by a narrow crescent of coarse sand cradled between rust-streaked granite headlands. Aleppo pines lean over the eastern edge, their shade a refuge when the sun climbs high.
“One of Caprera's least-developed coves, where coastal trails and swimming intersect without a single commercial footprint.”
Sea-foam edge on volcanic black sand
Wade into water so transparent you can count pebbles three meters down. The seabed here slopes gently, striped with ribbons of posidonia that sway in the current. Damselfish dart between the boulders that tumble into the shallows, their scales flashing violet and yellow. Bring a mask: the rock gardens at either end of the cove shelter octopus, wrasse, and the occasional moray tucked into crevices.
After your swim, follow the coastal footpath north toward Cala Coticcio. The route hugs the cliffs, offering views across the Bocche di Bonifacio to Corsica's chalk-white limestone. By late afternoon, the light turns the granite amber and the water shifts from cobalt to jade. Pack out everything you carry in—there are no bins, no kiosks, no lifeguards. Just you, the rocks, and the offshore breeze.
