For a Mediterranean beach paradise this summer look no further than Sardinia's wealth of wide sands and clear waters.

It's no surprise the picture postcard sea scenes attracts swathes of tourists and a generous helping of the jet set too, but the island's president Renato Soru has done his best to preserve the pristine landscape with a ban on all new buildings within two kilometres of the coast.

This preservation order means Sardinia still boasts some of the most stunningly untouched seascapes, with Spiaggia della Pelosa one of the island's best.

An hour's drive from Alghero on the north-west coast, its crescent of white sand and shallow emerald water is guarded by an historic stone watchtower.

Don't expect to enjoy the scene by yourself - the beach is a hotspot for Italian holidaymakers - but views across to Piana island and its bigger national park neighbour Asinara make the sharing worthwhile.

Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is surrounded by Corsica, the Italian Peninsular, Tunisia and the Balearic islands.