Cagliari Between History, Nature and the Sea

Wetland, Garden and Coast

Molentargius Park is a protected wetland covering more than 1,600 hectares. It lies mainly within the municipalities of Cagliari and Quartu Sant’Elena, with smaller sections in Selargius and Quartucciu. As a regionally protected natural area, the park also holds the status of a Site of Community Importance, a Special Protection Area and a wetland of international importance. It is particularly characteristic as a breeding ground for greater flamingos and a habitat for numerous other wetland bird species.

Another green side of the city can be found in the Botanical Garden of Cagliari. It covers approximately 5 hectares and is located in the lower part of the Valle di Palabanda. On the coast, Poetto Beach lies on the Golfo degli Angeli along the central-southern coast of Sardinia. Above the Marina Piccola harbour basin, the beach is dominated by the promontory of the Sella del Diavolo. The Poetto waterfront offers a wide range of services, including bathing establishments, diving centres and sailing schools.

Architecture and History in the Cityscape

The Bastione di Saint Remy is an important monument and exhibition space in the historic centre of Cagliari. It was built on the ancient defensive walls of Cagliari’s medieval fortifications. The Roman Amphitheatre of Cagliari takes you even further back in time. It is considered the most significant of the public buildings of Roman Sardinia. Large sections of the seating rows, the arena, several corridors and other associated service rooms were carved into the natural rock. Its estimated capacity was around 10,000 spectators.

The Phoenician-Punic Necropolis of Tuvixeddu is the largest in the entire Mediterranean region. It preserves rare examples of Punic wall paintings of North African character, including the Tomba del Sid and the Tomba dell'Ureo. The Cathedral of Santa Maria was built in the 13th century in the Pisan Romanesque style. In addition, the Basilica di San Saturnino represents an early Christian complex from the 5th century, which includes an adjoining Christian necropolis.

Hills, Paths and Views

The Sella del Diavolo is a popular excursion destination just a few steps from Cagliari city centre and is also suitable for night trekking. At the same time, it provides shelter for rare birds such as peregrine falcons, kestrels and Sardinian partridges, as well as foxes and wild rabbits.

From the summit of San Michele Hill, the view extends across Cagliari and its surroundings, the harbour, the Santa Gilla pond, the peaks of the Sette Fratelli, the coast of the Golfo degli Angeli and the elevations along the edge of the Campidano plain. The park on the hill covers approximately 250,000 square metres of meadows and pine forest, as well as paths for jogging and physical activities. Once the work has been completed, the Castello di San Michele will provide space for exhibitions, conferences and other cultural events.

Planning Information

Even for individual attractions, it is worth taking a close look at their respective status. The Necropolis of Tuvixeddu has an upper path that rises from the small green theatre to a viewpoint on the hilltop. At the Roman Amphitheatre, partial visits were possible from 3 August 2017: a path allowed visitors to view the monument directly, while the arena and underground rooms could not be visited. The bell tower of the Cathedral of Santa Maria was temporarily closed.

When choosing a hotel in Cagliari, you can align your priorities with these different themes: culture and archaeology lead to the Bastione di Saint Remy, amphitheatre, Tuvixeddu, cathedral and Basilica di San Saturnino; interests in nature and the coast focus on Molentargius, Poetto, Sella del Diavolo and San Michele.

Discover More Places

If you would like to compare other places in addition to Cagliari, here are the nearest destinations: Soleminis, La Maddalena, Escalaplano, Ballao, L'annunziata, Flumini, Muravera and Domus De Maria.

For the higher-level travel overview: Cagliari.