Cagliari, Sardinia: a visitor guide

Visit Cagliari

Cagliari is an important city in the south of Sardinia. It is the capital city of the island.

Discover Cagliari

Italy This Way review: although Cagliari has rather less important sites and monuments than several Italian cities, it is still an impressive destination that you will want to visit as you explore the island.

The city for visitors can be thought of as divided in two separate parts, although the two are of course connected by many streets. The more recent part of the town is along the coast and next to the marina, while the historic centre of the town is behind this, at the top of a steep hill.

The city also continues several kilometres to the north of here, and this is where many of the commerces of the town are situated, although this area is of less interest to visitors.

Bastion of Saint Remy in Cagliari

Cagliari marina

You will probably arrive in this part of Cagliari so start with a walk around the port area of the town. There are no great sites here, but the walk around the marina is very pleasant and you have various places with nice views across the city.

The buildings along the road next to the marina are also impressive, some with balconies on the upper levels and arcades at the ground level.

The most imposing of the buildings is the Palazzo Civico di Cagliari, dominated by two towers and carefully restored. This art deco building acts as the town hall for Cagliari. On the corners of the building you can see the statues with heads, representing the moors, the symbol of Sardinia.

The Palazzo Civico can be visited and during your visit, as well as the architecture, you can see several interesting artworks.

After exploring this area of Cagliari, if you follow the main road between the marina and the old town (along Via Regina Margherita and Viale Regina Elena) you will see another imposing monument, the Bastion of Saint Remy, with very large terraces.

Although it is on the site of part of the 16th century defences that once protected the town, the monument we see today was built in the neo-classical style at the end of the 19th century, principally to enjoy the far-reaching views across the town and the sea.

From here you can continue along Via Regina Elena to reach the old town, or take the Via del Fossario : the second of these is more attractive but there is a lift on Viale Regina Elena, a short walk down the hill from the Regina Elena car park, which is free to use and will save your legs a part of the long walk up the hill - very useful if you have restricted mobility or you are pushing a pram! From the terrace at the top of the lift you have very far reaching views across Cagliari.

Cagliari old town

The heart of the old town in Cagliari is around Piazza Palazzo, a small square surrounded by beautiful buildings. Most of the important monuments in the old town are next to or close to this square. There are also cafes in the square where you can enjoy your coffee break.

The most important monument overlooking the square is the cathedral of Cagliari. This is an interesting cathedral with 12th century origins - see Cagliari cathedral for information.

Just to the right of the cathedral, the Palazzo di Città was the town hall until the beginning of the 20th century. The current palace was built in the 18th century and has a beautiful arched stone entrance, and several pilasters. An earlier town hall stood on the same site from the 13th century, and was visited by Emperor Charles V in 1535.

While here you should also take the time to explore some of the smaller streets that lead away from the square.

Further north in the town centre you can see the Roman Amphitheatre of Cagliari. There is a charge to enter but most of the amphitheatre can be seen from outside the fence. Although it is quite interesting, the amphitheatre is substantially less complete than others you can see in Italy and the south of France.

If you are spending a few days in Cagliari you will find other places of interest, such as the public gardens, the necropolis of Tuvixeddu, with burial chambers from the carthaginian and Roman eras, as well as the fortress of Sant'Ignazio, a short distance south of the town centre and with lovely views across the sea.

Another interesting monument is the ancient church called the Basilica of San Saturnino. The church is next to a necropolis and dates from the 6th century or earlier. It is small but charming and it is interesting to see such an ancient structure.

Attractions nearby

Although Cagliari is not a beach resort, there is a beach about five kilometres from the town at Spiaggia del Poetto. This sandy beach is several kilometres long, and has a good choice of bars as well as toilets etc. so it is a popular choice with both residents and visitors. Be aware that the beach is quite exposed so is often quite windy and the waves can be quite high, but otherwise it is a good choice for sunbathing and swimming.

There is a small beach closer to the town centre, at Spiaggia di Giorgino, but this is small and crowded and not in the best location so you will probably prefer to take the time to get to Spiaggia del Poetto.

You can find more local travel ideas in the Sardinia guide.