Sardinia: how to move around the island and what to see in Cagliari

Sardinia is a dream island. Many Italians come here on vacation for the whole of August to swim in the crystal clear water and sunbathe on the best beaches. This special region doesn't miss foreigners' attention, because although Sardinia is part of Italy, the locals proudly call themselves sardi and speak the local dialect. In the summer months, it’s more difficult to meet local residents among a huge number of tourists, but what happens on the island during other seasons? Travellizy Team has figured it out.

How to get to Sardinia

Sardinia is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and it will be more convenient to get to the island by plane from European cities or by ferry from the popular cruise port of Civitavecchia (about 80 km from Rome). The three main cities where tourists begin their journey through Sardinia are Cagliari in the south, as well as Alghero and Olbia in the north.

How to navigate around Sardinia

The most perfect way to travel around the island is to rent a car or arrive with your transport on a ferry, but such a ticket will cost much more than a usual one. Car rental will cost from € 50 per week during the off-season, but if you add insurance, gasoline, toll roads and parking costs, the amount can increase up to 10 times, so you should consider this when planning your budget.

What to do, if you don't have the opportunity to rent a car? When drawing up the route, consider other types of transport, for example, combine a train and buses. There is a railway on the island, so you can comfortably travel from south to north and back, but it is better to study the map of local routes in advance and be prepared for the fact, that regional trains can get out of schedule and not always succeed in following the plan. Unfortunately, getting to the most beautiful places in Sardinia without a car will be quite difficult and long, so you risk spending most of your vacation in cities.

What to see in Cagliari

Let's start the route from Cagliari. It’s a cozy port city, so we recommend you immediately walk along the promenade, admire the sea and snow-white yachts, and if you are lucky enough, you can even see dolphins near the coast!

Climb the stairs to the Bastion of San Remy, one of the main attractions of the historical center with the best view of the city, take a walk past the Cathedral and the Shrine of Our Lady of Bonaria. At sunset, there are completely different, but no less magical views.

If you look for a true local atmosphere, come for lunch or dinner to Trattoria Lillicu. The institution operates according to the time traditional for Italy: from 13:00 to 15:00 in the afternoon and from 20:30 to 23:00 in the evenings, and it specializes in fish dishes and seafood.

For those who love hiking, we recommend a walk to Cape Sella del Diavolo and be inspired by the fabulous panorama, which is breathtaking. Fans of nature, history and archaeology will especially like it, because there are the remains of a small fort built during the Second World War on the top of the cape as well as the tower of St. Elias, built back in 1292.

If you look for beach activities, go to Poetto Beach, Cagliari's main city beach with an eight-kilometer coastline. In the off-season, you will have the opportunity to see this beach in all its beauty, because it is crowded with vacationers in summer, which is not surprising. Poetto Beach is perfect for those who want to combine a beach holiday with an active pastime - boat rental, diving, surfing and kitesurfing lessons, a sailing school, kayaking, beach volleyball - all this is available for vacationers.

Another amazing place in Cagliari is the Regional Park of Molentargius, which was the richest Sardinian basin for the extraction of sea salt. The uniqueness of this place is in the presence of reservoirs of both fresh and salt water. About 230 species of birds are registered in Molentargius, but the most famous inhabitants, for the sake of whom travelers from different parts of the world come here, are pink flamingos. The park is open from 07:00 to 18:00 from October 16 to February and from 06:30 to 21:00 from March to October 15. The entrance is free.

Hiking, beaches or cities with a historical heritage - whenever you decide to visit Sardinia, you won’t be bored!

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