Attractions in Cagliari
Most tourists from Norway come to Sardinia enough to enjoy the sun and beaches. But if you visit Cagliari then you should definitely bring some history, culture and various other attractions.
Cagliari is not a small town at all. And this applies to both population and perimeter. So of course there are many attractions and sights here. Some of the most famous sights in Cagliari are:
Churches of Cagliari
As always in larger Italian cities, there are plenty of beautiful churches to admire, both inside and outside. The most famous church is the cathedral of Cagliari. The address is Piazza Palazzo in the fortress district north of Bastione di Saint Remy.
The cathedral is called St Mary’s Cathedral, or Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta e Santa Cecilia which is the cathedral’s proper name. The cathedral has a neo-Gothic facade after its restoration in the 1930s. When the church gained its status as a cathedral in 1258, it looked completely different on the outside. The interior is magnificent and well worth a visit.
In the street Via Domenico Alberto Azuni, just north of the central train station in Cagliari, you will find the church of St Anne (Chiesa di Sant’Anna), see picture first in the article. The foundation stone of the church was laid in 1785, but was not put into use until 1818 and was completed only in the 1930s. The church is a great symbol of Baroque style and architecture and its tower represents an eye-catching distinction between the Stampace district and Cagliari’s old town.
The Amphitheater and the Roman ruins
The amphitheater was built about 2000 years ago and you are lucky to see a concert here in the summer. The Roman Amphitheater in Cagliari is located northwest of the city center, above the beautiful Botanical Gardens of the city. The amphitheater is partly built in nature and partly in white limestone that was transported here.
Keep in mind that in this amphitheater there have been battles between humans and animals, and gladiators in between. Today there are no such matches, but you can see concerts here from time to time. Fortunately, we now say. The address is Via Sant’Ignazio da Laconi.
Botanical Garden
The Cagliari Botanical Garden, not far from the amphitheater, provides peace of mind and beautiful flowers and plants to the eyes. This is one of the most beautiful botanical gardens in Italy! It was inaugurated in 1866 and offers a variety of beautiful plants and flowers.
The botanical garden is closed Saturdays and Sundays. On weekdays there are opening hours from 0900 to 1800, but in the period October to March there are limited opening hours, (closes 1330). The address is Via Sant’Ignazio da Laconi 9-11.
The view from Bastione di San Remy
Stroll to the Cagliari castle area and visit Bastione di San Remy for a drink and enjoy the view. The area also offers a museum and a cathedral, and more.
Archaeological Museum
If you are interested in history then visit the archaeological museum in Cagliari. There are objects from the Phoenicians and Roman times among many others.
The port area
Marina in Cagligari is one of the four historic districts of Cagliari and may have primarily a number of shops and eateries as its contribution. This is a multi-ethnic district and the diversity makes the area exciting to visit. Near the harbor you can see a number of beautiful buildings, with perhaps the town hall as the foremost.
The Cagliari Palazzo Civico (City Hall) is a marble building that blends local building traditions in Sardinia with the Art Nouveau style. The address is Via Roma, 145.
The city beach of Cagliari
The big B city beach is Il Poetto Beach and it is only two kilometers from Cagliari town center. Il Poetto is a very nice beach. Great place to be on a hot summer day.
Tourist in Cagliari
Most tourists fall for Cagliari and its charm. This ancient city, originally founded by the Phoenicians, is inhabited by genuinely nice people and offers itself in buckets and buckets. And if you as a tourist have taken the trip from the coast northeast of Sardinia with all its exclusive resorts and hotels, and where three thousand dollars a day for two sunbeds and a beach umbrella hardly makes anyone smile, then the city appears as something genuine longed.
Your first meeting with the city will either be the international airport just outside the city center, the large port with ferry connections to and from Palermo in Sicily, Civitavecchia or Tunisia. Or it will be the just right big Stazione Ferriovaria di Cagliari train station that welcomes you with its old steam locomotive exhibited.
Cagliari is no small town, at least not to any extent. It extends far east, west and north. If you are unsure where your hotel is, feel free to take a cab. Outside the train station you have both a taxi station and a bus station.
Just outside the train station is the Via Roma parade street. From this street you have the city’s four historic districts on the upper side, and the port area and the Mediterranean on the opposite.
Day time in Cagliari
If the sun shines in Cagliari, and it usually does, it is the natural choice to visit a beach. From the bus station there are buses in a row to one beach more beautiful than the other. If you are willing to spend an hour on the bus, you can visit Italy’s most beautiful beaches at Chia.
However, the easiest way is to take the short bus ride to Cagliari’s own city beach. It is enormous, at least 8 kilometers long, and consists of fine-grained sand and perfectly fine bathing water. During the joint holiday, you will far from be alone here. During the shoulder season, however, it will be far less crowded with people, with the exception of weekends and any official holidays.
Poetto Beach consists of divided areas with private beaches and public beaches respectively. These options come in a row. The advantage of the private beaches is that you have access to parasols and sun loungers. You will also find guards keeping the beach tidy, and bathing clubs serving drinks, food and sunscreens and other accessories. And not least, clean toilets. Such private bathing clubs are often expensive to frequent in Italy. But the Poettos beach prices do not scare. It’s definitely worth the money you ask us.
If you want to try other “city beaches” than Poetto, you can take a taxi to Calamosca beach (spiaggia di Calamosca). Or Sella del diavolo a few hundred meters further away. These beaches are located in the district of Calamosca almost at the southern tip of the province of Cagliari. It is not advisable to go here. It is far and far away from the sights. Believe us, we’ve walked from here to Poetto beach and we won’t repeat it.
Calamosca offers significantly more intimate beaches than Poetto. Just remember that they fill up quickly in high season, so come early. During the summer holidays there will also be a kiosk where you can buy drinks and some snacks. And there is a hotel nearby that has a restaurant. Calamosca Beach is also perfect for snorkelling with its azure bathing water.
Afternoon in Cagliari
Cagliari has a variety of options for tourists. Whether you are looking for a better meal, looking at art and culture or are a history buff, you will find something that fascinates you in Cagliari. Most of all, we find it enjoyable to walk around the narrow (and cool) streets of the four historic districts of the Old Town and look at the public life. There are plenty of bars and eateries, shops and exotic rarities in the form of colors, smells and specialty shops.
The obvious first choice is Bastione di Saint Remy and the square of Piazetta David Herbert Lawrence with its famous “bar” CaffĂ© degli Spiriti. This is the place to relax with an Aperol Spritz or a glass of wine, beer or coffee. Feel free to grab a snack and enjoy the breathtaking views or look at the public.
The name of the place comes after the author David Herbert Lawrence, and often called simply Lawrence of Sardinia. He has written many and many things about Cagliari and Sardinia, and then gladly about how his wife immediately fell in love with the city.
Love was multifaceted and included everything from Via Roma’s splendor to the viewpoint of Bastione di Saint Remy where you look all the way to the Poettos beach or the boats in the harbor, and find the romantic by the flamingos flying high in the sky above you, while the couple lovers wander closely around the shopping street Via Manno.