An easy bus ride from the centre, Cagliari's fabulous Poetto beach extends for 7km beyond the green Promontorio di Sant'Elia, nicknamed the Sella del Diavola (Devil's Saddle). In summer much of the city's youth decamps here to sunbathe and party in the restaurants and bars that line the sand. Water sports are big and you can hire canoes at the beach clubs. To get to the beach, take bus PF or PQ from Piazza Matteotti.
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Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Santuario & Basilica di Nostra Signora di Bonaria
2.19 MILES
Crowning the Bonaria hill, around 1km southeast of Via Roma, this religious complex is a hugely popular pilgrimage site. Devotees come from all over the…
2.78 MILES
Cagliari’s graceful 13th-century cathedral stands proudly on Piazza Palazzo. Except for the square-based bell tower, little remains of the original Gothic…
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2.89 MILES
Of the four museums at the Cittadella dei Musei, this is the undoubted star. Sardinia’s premier archaeological museum showcases artefacts spanning…
15.95 MILES
Clad in thick forest, the mountain massif known as the Monte dei Sette Fratelli dominates the remote Sarrabus area. Its granite peaks and woodlands…
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2.82 MILES
This hilltop citadel is Cagliari’s most iconic image, its domes, towers and palazzi, once home to the city’s aristocracy, rising above the sturdy ramparts…
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2.75 MILES
This vast neoclassical structure, comprising a gallery space, monumental stairway and panoramic terrace, was built into the city's medieval walls between…
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20.59 MILES
If you embark on just one excursion from Villasimius, make it the 15-minute drive south to Capo Carbonara, a protected marine park. The promontory dips…
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19.98 MILES
The pick of Villasimius' spiagge (beaches), Cala Giunco is a vision of beach perfection: a long strip of silky white sand sandwiched between tropical…
Nearby Cagliari attractions
1. Parco Naturale Regionale Molentargius
0.99 MILES
The protected reed-fringed wetlands of the Parco Naturale Regionale Molentargius lie slightly east of Cagliari towards Quartu Sant’Elena. A housing estate…
2. Santuario & Basilica di Nostra Signora di Bonaria
2.19 MILES
Crowning the Bonaria hill, around 1km southeast of Via Roma, this religious complex is a hugely popular pilgrimage site. Devotees come from all over the…
2.35 MILES
One of the oldest churches in Sardinia, the Basilica di San Saturnino is a striking example of Paleo-Christian architecture. Based on a Greek-cross…
2.42 MILES
Cagliari's seafront boardwalk offers breezy views back to the Marina district as it hugs the waterfront from Molo Ichnusa to Su Siccu. It's a relaxed…
2.45 MILES
Below this baroque church is a 6th-century crypt where the tomb of the early Archbishop of Cagliari, St Lucifer, rests. In earlier times the area had been…
2.51 MILES
Housed in Cagliari’s 18th-century mattatoio (abattoir) – hence the sculpted cow's head over the entrance and around the internal courtyard – Exmà is a…
2.73 MILES
A small strip of park in the shadows of the Castello's mighty walls, this 500m-long green space is home to seven works by leading Sardinian sculptor…
2.75 MILES
This vast neoclassical structure, comprising a gallery space, monumental stairway and panoramic terrace, was built into the city's medieval walls between…