The treasure hunt

But for those arriving from the north, perhaps after visiting Capo Comino, or coming from the south, after having crossed Cala Liberotto, the Berchida junction is not to be missed: how could you drive for so many kilometres without seeing the sea?

You can hardly describe yourself as a traveller if you limit yourself to only imagining this place which is well hidden among pastures and stony ground. Those four kilometres of gravel and dust will quickly be forgotten as you reach a hidden treasure at the end of the road. Breathe in the seductive air laden with cistus and mastic surrounded by dry stone walls, migrating flocks and endless hedgerows.

Here is Berchida beach, which in a few years has gone from grazing land for herds of cows to a blue and green flag award holder for cleanliness, with crystal-clear water, pine forests and dunes. It might sound clichéd, but those who make it will inevitably feel as though they have been rewarded for their patience. It goes without saying that this reward is best enjoyed on quiet days: Berchida has achieved unexpected fame as a symbol of uncontaminated sea.

Although it is true that the strip of sand is vast and the space between the pines and bushes is welcoming, the water is all too inviting in August. So it is better to look out over this wonder during late spring or summer, accepting that the waves refreshed by the Mistral wind are a reward only for the most fearless. Those who feel the cold will be comforted only by the kiss of the sun at the break of dawn from around Easter.

Small comforts will probably be lacking so early in the day: no cool drinks unless you have come prepared with water in a thermos, and no beach snacks other than the sandwiches made at the last village market.

So when a gust sprays us with a caress of foam, or a whirlwind fills our hair with fine sand and we have no choice but to laugh, we cannot help but think of Berchida as a jewel hidden among the stones, revealed only to the most daring, a truly divine little paradise.