What to do in Cagliari

CAGLIARI

Cagliari is the capital of Sardinia and the biggest city on the island. It has a population of approximately 300,000 people and, like Rome, was built on seven hills. Sardinia was ruled by several different civilizations (Phoenician, Roman, Pisan, Spanish...) over the millennia and Cagliari reflects this; though nominally an Italian city, it feels more like Barcelona than Florence.

GETTING AROUND

The three oldest part of the city are centred around the main port. Castello is the old fortified section where the Spanish rulers used to live during the 15th century; the native Sardinians lived in the town below, either in the portside alleys of Marina or the back roads of Villanova. Legend holds that Sardinians were only permitted in Castello for business during daylight hours; if they were found there after dark, they would be thrown from the battlements of Torre dell' Elefante or Torre di San Pancrazio!

View from under the Torre dell'Elefante

CASTELLO

Apart from the great views from the Castello battlements, there are many artisan workshops that can be visited in the narrow streets and alleys. La Cattedrale di Santa Maria e Santa Cecilia is worth a look; from here, you can stroll down to the Bastione di Santa Croce which is a beautiful terrace overlooking the city.

The terrace at Bastione di Santa Croce

The terrace is dominated by the aforementioned Torre dell' Elefante, formerly one of Castello's main entrances and named because of the tiny carved elephant on one of the walls. While in Bastione di Santa Croce, take a spritz at the Caffe Libarium, which is also a good spot for an after-dinner cocktail.

Caffe' Libarium's terrace

From the Torre dell' Elefante, take Via Università towards Bastione di San Remy. These old battlements have been turned into a wide terrace which hosts an artisan craft market in the evenings and occasionally, impromptu tango sessions! The centerpiece of the terrace is the impressive set of steps going down to Piazza Costituzione.

Turn right at the base of the steps and you will come to an old bar/cafe called Tramer, which traditionally has the best croissants in town!

If you just cross the road at the base of the steps, you will see one of Cagliari’s oldest (and fanciest) bars, Antico Café.

MARINA

Go down from either of the Bastioni towards the sea and you will find yourself in Marina. This is where most of Cagliari's nightlife is to be found. There's a lovely square called Piazza Savoia filled with cafés and restaurants; during the summer evenings, the square often hosts free jazz concerts. Like Castello, Marina is a rabbit-warren of narrow alleys that can initially be a little disconcerting. The main pedestrian street is Via Sardegna which crosses from the wide avenue of  Largo Carlo Felice to the bottom of Via Regina Margherita; there are many trattorias along here, many of which specialize in seafood but also serve the famous Sardinian piglet! More details on the Where to Eat in Cagliari page

MONTE URPINO

This is Antonella's neighborhood, about twenty minutes walk from the old city. The park of Monte Urpino is one of the seven hills of Cagliari and a great spot to come if you're looking for a little greenery amidst all the beaches and historical buildings! The top of Monte Urpino offers a wonderful view of the city to the east (especially at sunset) and Poetto, and from which you can see all the way across from Castello to Sella del Diavolo.

Jamie enjoying his first walk in Monte Urpino

POETTO

Stretching more than 8km from the Sella del Diavolo (the Devil's Saddle) to Quartu Sant'Elena, this is where the majority of Cagliari residents spend their summers. Most of Poetto is cut off from the city by a series of lagoons (formerly mined for salt, they are now nature reserves)  making it conspicuously free of high-rise developments. There are a number of bars and nightclubs along Poetto, particularly in the south-western half, but - after a series of new zoning laws - there are far less than before.

The Sella del Diavolo, seen from Monte Urpino