Cagliari

Cagliari (Sardinian: Casteddu, "castle"; Latin: Caralis) is the capital city of the Italian island of Sardinia.

Understand


Cagliari is an Italian metropolitan city and the capital of an autonomous region of the island of Sardinia. The city has about 155,000 inhabitants (2015), while its metropolitan area (including 16 other nearby municipalities) has more than 431,000 inhabitants (2017).

Tourist information


You can download audio and PDF guides from the Cagliari tourist website organized by 6 walking tours.

Ground connections

 * By train

A number of taxi companies serve the airport.
 * By taxi

The airport is on the SS130 road.
 * By car

By bus
While ARST is the main regional bus service provider to the city, a few other companies are also operate in the region. Notably, Turmo Travel runs buses to Olbia (and the airport) and Santa Teresa Gallura.


 * Services

By car
It is really difficult to get parking and drive in rush hour even if the road network has been improved.

The city center has several limited traffic zones (ZTLs): Marina, Castello, Villanova, Stampace Alto, and Stampace Basso (maps and hours). There's also a limited traffic zone in Poetto (map).

See
The best thing is to walk through the old city and discover it. Almost everything you have to see in a quick visit of Cagliari can be reached on foot. Plus there are some spectacular views, for example of the Gulf of Cagliari seen from the old city that are best seen from points that are not reachable by car.

Old town
The core of the old town is the Castello district which lies on top of a hill facing the Gulf of Cagliari.



The towers were built in the 13th century during the Pisan domination of the city.
 * Pisan towers

Beaches
The best beach is the 8km-long Poetto Beach. You can get here by buses PF, PQ, 3P, and 9P. The beach is divided to the free parts and the beach clubs, the latter charging you with an entry fee but rent umbrellas, deck chairs, etc. Prices are around €3/entry, about €12 for an umbrella, a deck chair and a sun bed. The club beaches clean the sand each night and provide you with showers and toilets.

Other

 * Football: Cagliari Calcio were promoted in 2023 so they now play in Serie A, Italy's top tier. Their home ground is Unipol Domus or Sardegna Arena (capacity 16,400) 2 km south of town centre.
 * Flamingoes: Cagliari is the only city in the world visited by migratory flamingoes. The wild birds can be seen in the salty and shallow Saline di Quartu Sant’Elena every summer. A nature reserve has been created alongside these artificial salt pans with paths that allow viewing of the flamingoes.

Buy
Most of the shops are concentrated in a couple of areas: Via Roma and Largo Carlo Felice, the pedestrian roads Via Manno and Via Garibaldi, and the part of town around Via Alghero, Via Paoli and Via Dante. Lots of beautiful shops are concentrated in these areas which could remind you of Copenhagen's Strøget.

Eat
There are many of restaurants in the old town area, mostly along via Sardegna and via Napoli. A dinner for two with a little house wine will set you back €40-70.

Mid-range


There are a few places to enjoy lunch salads at the Piazza Yenne and wonderful Gelaterias if you don't want to eat too heavily during the day. These places double up as decent eateries by night.

Sleep
The whole area around Cagliari gives host to a number of accommodation options including the Forte Village, and Le Meridien Chia Laguna on the white sandy beaches of Chia.



Cope
Wear comfortable shoes. The old town of Cagliari is somewhat hilly, so you will be walking uphill or downhill most of the time.

There are clean public toilets in the building on the Pontile Sanita ferry wharf, near the bus terminal.

Stay safe
Cagliari is a very safe city both day and night. Visitors will be very unlikely to have any issues providing they follow the same precautions they would at home. The only suspicious place is around the main bus/train station, where homeless people linger.

Connect
As of June 2023, Cagliari has 5G reception from all major Italian telecom carriers. Wifi is ubiquitous in all public spaces, cafes, hotels, and transit.

Go next

 * Barumini for the Su Nuraxi the only in Sardinia
 * Alghero, also known as Barcelonetta (Little Barcelona), is a pretty city with a strong Catalan influence, and is also known for its beautiful beaches and very good food at reasonable prices (4-hr bus trip from Cagliari).