The 13 best things to do in Cagliari, Sardinia

First and foremost, the capital city of Sardinia is a port – the fourth biggest in Italy – and the gateway for thousands of sunseekers bound for the island’s dreamy beaches. The center of Cagliari is arranged like an amphitheater around the port’s comings and goings, and the city’s stacked streets reveal views of sparkling water and cruise ships moving in and out of the bay.

Nowhere else on the island are you so aware of the sea – the glint and dazzle of the sun on the waves, glimpses of blue at the end of every alley, and salt always in the breeze. Tunisia is closer than Rome here (you can feel it in the balmy climate) and Cagliari’s centuries-long strategic importance is evident in the city’s layer-cake of urban archaeology.

The royal capital of Sardinia until 1848, Cagliari grew prosperous under a string of rulers, from the Phoenicians and Byzantines to the Tuscany-based Republic of Pisa and the Spanish Kingdom of Aragon. Unfortunately, Allied forces rained down bombs on the city in 1943, destroying nearly 75% of its baroque architecture – reconstruction efforts were not always picturesque, but enough of the old city remains to give a sense of its heyday. 

Modern Cagliari is impressively cosmopolitan and open-minded. Its massive university, dating to 1626, welcomes thousands of Erasmus students every year, and the city’s cafes and restaurants brim with multilingual chatter, while the underground cocktail scene is as vibrant as they come.

Before you head off to enjoy Sardinia’s ancient sites and sparkling sands, here are the best things to do in Cagliari. 

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1. Tour the center of Cagliari on a three-wheel scooter

To get to the heart of Cagliari’s urban spread, take a tour with Ape Lisetta. Owner Alberto will take you whizzing up and down Cagliari’s narrow medieval streets in a cute little Piaggio Ape – a three-wheeled autorickshaw-like scooter. It’s a bit like taking a city tour on a fairground ride – ridiculously good fun and a great way to get an overview of a geographically challenging urban environment. 

Ape Lisetta’s historic Cagliari tour gives a great overview of four of the city’s most interesting neighborhoods. Boarding in Marina, you’ll zip uphill through Stampace’s church-filled labyrinth and into the citadel of Il Castello, following its winding streets to the marble-clad Cattedrale di Santa Maria and the Bastione di Saint Remy before finally passing through the fearsome portcullis of the Torre dell’Elefante and dropping into the flower-filled streets of Villanova.

Planning tip: As well as the historic center tour, Ape Lisetta also runs trips to the Calamosca lighthouse, Poetto beach and the Molentargius salt marshes, where Alberto knows exactly where to find the shy, pink flamingos that stalk the wetlands.

2. Get a history lesson at the Cittadella dei Musei

Cagliari’s main museums are gathered together in the Cittadella dei Musei, which was once the royal arsenal and foundry. The citadel is the most fortified location in the city and it was cleverly adapted to accommodate the capital’s five civic museums. 

The highlight is the three-story Museo Archeologico Nazionale, which tells the island’s epic 7000-year-long story. Stars of the show include rotund, cryptically smiling mother goddesses from the Middle Neolithic period, and cabinets of characterful bronzetti (bronze figurines) depicting nuraghi hunters, archers, wrestlers, priests and shamans. Also look out for the mysterious giants of Mont’e Prama, the oldest monumental sculptures in the Mediterranean. 

Other museums in the complex include the Ethnographic Museum, which has a beautiful collection of textiles and jewelry, and the pinacoteca (art gallery), with some golden Spanish retablos (altarpieces). 

Planning tip: The Cittadella dei Musei complex includes a fascinating museum of anatomically accurate wax sculptures of dissected human cadavers, made by Clemente Susini for Cagliari’s medical university.

3. Spend a morning at the market

Cagliari’s Mercato Civico di San Benedetto is one of the largest covered markets in Europe, with over 200 stalls piled high with fresh produce and specialty foods from the island. Stalls sell copious amounts of cheese and the aroma of robust pecorino, origin-protected Fiore Sardo and ricotta salata (a hard version of ricotta) fills the market hall.

Come early to see the best spread at the market’s fishmongers; they set up just after dawn when the day's catch arrives from the fishing boats. In between browsing the stalls and enjoying tastings and a bit of banter with the stallholders, pause at I Cherchi (stall 194) for a platter of delicious cheeses and a glass of wine.

Planning tip: If you’re self-catering and in the market for supper ingredients, you’ll get the best deals close to closing time around 2pm. 

4. Discover baroque Cagliari on a walk around Stampace

First established by the Pisans in the 13th century, the central district of Stampace is a warren of church-studded alleys, huddled below the castle’s eastern ramparts. Begin a walking tour of this historic part of town in Il Castello at the Bastione di Santa Croce, from where you can look out over the neighborhood and the now-overgrown remains of the city’s Roman amphitheater.

Descend via the Torre dell’Elephante – one of only two Pisan-era towers still standing in the city – to popular Piazza Yenne. Grab coffee at Ex Tipografia before diving onto Via Azuni to discover the honey-colored baroque facade of Chiesa di Sant’Anna, impressively restored after the bombing of WWII. 

Next, loop round to the Chiesa di Sant’Efisio, in whose crypt the steadfast saint was imprisoned. It contains a statue of Efisio by Giuseppe Lonis, Stampace’s answer to Caravaggio. Drop into the Cripta di Santa Restituta, originally a place of pagan and then clandestine early Christian worship before becoming a vital air-raid shelter during WWII (note the wartime graffiti on the walls).

Wander back to Via Azuni and go west to reach Chiesa di San Michele, a baroque jewel with glitzy Neapolitan and Genoese influences. Admire the facade and polychrome marble chapels, then duck beneath the Pisan-era Torre di Sperone (from 1293) and head down to pedestrianized Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Double back and up Via Sant’Ignazio da Laconi to finish in the lush, subtropical haven of the Orto Botanico, one of Italy’s loveliest botanical gardens.

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Planning tip: For a recharge on Corso Vittoria Emanuele, drop into the Framento pizzeria or the Old Square pub. 

5. Admire the artistry of the Cattedrale di Santa Maria 

Cagliari’s graceful 13th-century cathedral stands proudly on Piazza Palazzo, but its neat exterior is mostly a modern imitation, with the exception of the square-based bell tower. The clean Pisan-Romanesque facade was added between 1933 and 1938 in an attempt to return the church to its Gothic origins, following a radical makeover in the 17th century.  

Inside, the original Gothic church has all but disappeared beneath a rich icing of baroque decor. Bright frescoes adorn the ceilings, and the side chapels spill over with exuberant sculptural whirls and flourishes. 

The Cappella di San Michele is perhaps the most baroque space of all, with an ornate depiction of a serene-looking St Michael casting devils into hell. At the central door, note the two stone pulpits, which originally formed a single structure in Pisa’s Duomo before being relocated to Cagliari in 1312.

Planning tip: Go beneath the altar to view the Santuario dei Martiri (Sanctuary of Martyrs), a rock-carved chamber containing the relics of 179 Christian martyrs. 

6. Get your art fix by the castle

The prettiest building on Il Castello’s sun-drenched Piazza Palazzo is the pastel-pink Palazzo di Città. This was Cagliari’s City Hall from the 14th century until 1896, and it now houses an interesting and accessible museum hosting exhibitions of photography, film and graphic art – recent shows have included a retrospective of Robert Capa’s groundbreaking war photography.

It’s also worth seeking out the Galleria Comunale d’Arte in the pretty Giardini Pubblici below the castle. Housed in a fine neoclassical building that used to be the royal gunpowder magazine, the gallery has an intriguing collection of artworks by Sardinian artists. 

Planning tip: Check out The Sleepers by sculptor Mimmo Paladino in the fountain outside the Galleria Comunale d’Arte, then seek out Francesco Ciusa’s emotionally impactful sculptures inside.

7. Climb Cagliari’s medieval towers

For a grand view over Cagliari, ascend the Pisa-era Torre dell’Elefante, built in 1307 as a defense against the Aragonese. Named after the sculpted elephant by the portcullis, the 42m-high tower was once adorned with severed heads by the city's Spanish rulers. The crenelated upper storey was added in 1852 and used as a prison for political detainees. Climb to the top for far-reaching views over the city’s rooftops to the sea.

Rising above the skyline by Il Castello's northeastern gate, the 36m-high Torre di San Pancrazio is the twin of the Torre dell’Elefante. Completed in 1305, it is named for the same saint as London’s St Pancras Station. It is built at the city’s highest point and commands expansive views of the Golfo di Cagliari. 

Planning tip: There are also excellent views from several of the castle bastions, particularly the Bastione di Santa Croce and the Umberto I terrace at the Bastione di Saint Remy.

8. Grab a colorful cocktail

Cagliari has a lively bar scene, and cocktails and island wines are the preferred tipples, alongside the ever-popular Aperol spritz. Start a night out at Sabores, a top-class wine bar and deli, with knowledgeable staff who’ll recommend great wine to go with your snack plates. Cocktail lovers frequent Spirits Boutique, where Emilio Ronchino’s artisan vermouths and gins weave their way into creative cocktails (the tropical Negroni is highly addictive).

For a drink with ambiance, head to Vineria Villanova, located in the pretty Villanova area, with outdoor seating on a buzzing piazza dotted with palm trees. Or there’s Le Terrazze di Calamosca, the prettiest terrace in Cagliari, overlooking the cove of Calamosca. Drinking here is all about the view, so book ahead to secure a space at sunset.

Planning tip: On drink menus, look out for the local digestif, mirto, made from the berries of the myrtle plant.

9. Soak in the beauty of the botanical gardens

Cagliari’s Orto Botanico has been bringing beauty to the center of the city since 1858. This is one of Italy’s most respected botanical gardens, filling 5 hectares with 2000 species of flowering plants, shrubs and trees. Leafy arches lead to trickling fountains and gardens bristling with palm trees, cacti and ficus trees with huge snaking roots.

Look for specimens from as far afield as Asia, Australia, Africa and the Americas, growing alongside local carob trees and oaks. Dotting the gardens are a Punic cistern, a Roman quarry and an aqueduct – reminders of the area's long history. 

Planning tip: Behind the gardens are the dusty ruins of the city’s Anfiteatro Romano, which once had room for 10,000 spectators. It’s a crumbling ruin today, but enough remains to make it worth paying the small entry fee.  

10. Enjoy laid-back lido life at Poetto

East around the rocky Promontorio di Sant’Elia headland – also known as the Sella del Diavolo (Devil’s Saddle) – the beach suburb of Poetto forms an integral part of Cagliaritani life. Full of 19th-century Liberty-style villas facing the beach, this seaside hangout is lined with beach clubs, bars, chioschi (kiosk restaurants) and food trucks, plus the much-loved Bobocono ice cream parlor.  

Depending on the wind and weather, the beach can either be a vision of Caribbean blue sea and white sand, or strewn with seaweed. Regardless, this is a significant social hub that teems with teens and university students posing and partying in the summer. During the season, the nightlife dials up at Il Lido Discoclub and the Opera Beach Arena concert venue. 

The busiest stretch is at the southwestern end of the strip near Marina Piccola; lidos here are often booked out in summer. Head east if you’re looking for more space. Get to Poetto in 10 minutes from Piazza Giacomo Matteotti on the PF or PQ buses.

Planning tip: Combine a trip to Poetto with a hike up the Sella del Diavolo. The trail starts behind the Hotel Calamosca, climbing steeply to a gorgeous viewpoint and the remains of an Aragonese tower. 

11. See flamingos at Parco Naturale Regionale Molentargius

Inland from Poetto is an unexpected slice of nature. The Parco Naturale Regionale Molentargius is a former site for salt extraction that today provides a valuable nesting ground for pink flamingos, purple herons, egrets and other migratory birds. The saline marshes cover 1600 hectares, and the best time for flamingo sightings is from May to June, when you may see flamingo hatchlings. 

Planning tip: You can explore the peaceful trails of the Parco Naturale on foot, on an organized tour (easy to arrange in Cagliari) or by bike – hire them at the main park office. 

12. View Cagliari from the water

When you’re done looking out from Cagliari toward the sea, head out into the bay for views in the other direction. Alma Sailing Charter offers three-hour cruises from Cagliari to Calamosca, Cala Fighera and the Sella del Diavolo, with swimming stops along the way. Based at Marina Piccola, sailing charter company Sailover offers full-day sailing excursions that include lunch and visits to quieter coves along the coast. 

Planning tip: If you’d rather move under your own steam, Xardinia runs fantastic sea kayak tours to otherwise inaccessible coves around Cagliari, with stops at pretty swimming spots.

13. Attend the Feast of St Ephysius

The biggest event on the festival calendar is the Festa di Sant’Efisio from May 1 to May 4, when locals honor their promise to thank Cagliari’s patron saint annually for sparing the city from the plague in 1652. The procession is the largest in Sardinia and the longest in Italy – pilgrims take four days to cover the return trip to Nora, where St Ephysius was beheaded in 303 CE, starting from the saint’s namesake church in Cagliari. 

The festivities start on May 1 with a morning mass at Chiesa di Sant’Efisio, before the saint’s jewel-laden effigy is placed in a gold-plated tracca (ox cart) and paraded through the streets over a carpet of pink petals. Thousands of Sardinians congregate on foot and horseback, dressed in extraordinary traditional costumes, to join the parade. The festival has taken place every year since 1652, including during WWII, when celebrants navigated through the bombed-out ruins of their city. 

Planning tip: For the best views, book parade stand seating in Cagliari well ahead through Box Office Sardegna.

This article was adapted from Lonely Planet’s Italy guidebook, published in April 2025.