Cidade Turismo
Italy
Sardenha

Sardenha · Italy

Sardenha

Large island in the middle of the Mediterranean, with clear waters, nuraghes from the Bronze Age, the Cagliari of the Castello, the Alghero of Catalan heritage and the Costa Smeralda.

Ilhas

In the photo: Cala Goloritzé and the needle of Punta Caroddi, Baunei, Sardenha

Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.

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Get to know the place

A region to enjoy
at your own pace.

Sardenha (Sardegna in Italian) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean, west of the Italian peninsula and south of Corsica. It is an autonomous region, with its capital in Cagliari, and has its own language, sardo, which appears on signs alongside Italian. In Alghero a Catalan dialect is still heard, a legacy of centuries of Aragonese rule.

The island preserves thousands of nuraghes, stone towers raised by the Nuragic civilization in the Bronze Age. The best-known complex is Su Nuraxi, in Barumini, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997. Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Romans left towns such as Nora in the south, and Pisa, Aragón and the Casa de Savoia left their mark on Cagliari and Alghero.

The coast is the main reason to travel. In the south, Cagliari has the Poetto, an urban beach of about 8 kilometers. In the northwest, Alghero lies close to the Capo Caccia headland and the Grotta di Nettuno, and the beach La Pelosa, in Stintino, has limited access in summer. In the northeast, Olbia is the gateway to the Costa Smeralda and the La Maddalena Archipelago.

Distances are large: from Cagliari to Olbia it’s about 270 kilometres by road. For this reason, travelers with few days usually choose one or two bases, and a rental car helps a lot to reach beaches, archaeological sites and viewpoints.

This destination brings together 3 cities: Cagliari, Alghero, Olbia.

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One destination, many paths

The cities on this trip

Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.

Where Sardenha is
CagliariAlgheroOlbia

Contornos: ISTAT, limites administrativos 2026, CC BY 4.0. Adaptação do Cidade Turismo.

How to get there: Sardenha

✈ Aeroporto di Cagliari-Elmas Mario Mameli (CAG), in Elmas · 7 km to Cagliari

Check before buying. From mainland Italy, the quickest route is a domestic flight to Cagliari (CAG), Alghero (AHO) or Olbia (OLB). There are also ferries from Civitavecchia, Livorno and Gênova to Olbia, from Civitavecchia and Gênova to Porto Torres, and from Civitavecchia to Cagliari.

Suggested arrival point: Cagliari

Cagliari
Sardenha · Sardenha Capital Suggested arrival point

Cagliari

Capital of Sardinia, on the Gulf of Cagliari, in the south of the island. The city climbs limestone hills up to the Castello, a walled district founded by the Pisans in the 13th century, with the Cattedrale di Santa Maria and the Bastione di Saint Remy. Below are the port, the Basilica of Bonaria and the Museo Archeologico Nazionale. To the east lie the Poetto beach and the Molentargius lagoons, with flamingos. It is a base for visiting Nora and Su Nuraxi di Barumini.

The local experience

Things to do in Sardenha

Basilica di San Simplicio
Olbia · Sardenha · Church

Basilica di San Simplicio

Romanesque granite church from the 11th and 12th centuries, the oldest and most important temple in the northeast of Sardenha, built over an ancient burial area.

Castello
Cagliari · Sardenha · Historic neighborhood

Castello

Walled neighborhood atop a hill, founded by the Pisans in the 13th century, with medieval gates, towers, the cathedral, the Palazzo Regio and viewpoints over the port and the lagoons.

Centro storico di Alghero
Alghero · Sardenha · Historic neighborhood

Centro storico di Alghero

Old town surrounded by walls and Catalan–Aragonese towers overlooking the sea, with stone streets, signs in Italian and Catalan and a promenade along the bastions.

Bastione di Saint Remy
Cagliari · Sardenha · Lookout

Bastione di Saint Remy

Neoclassical bastion with stairways and a monumental arch that link Villanova to the Castello; at the top, the Terrazzo Umberto I has views over the port, the Marina and the lagoons.

See 15 more places in Sardenha
Cattedrale di Santa Maria
Alghero · Sardenha · Cathedral

Cattedrale di Santa Maria

Alghero Cathedral, begun in the 16th century, with an octagonal Gothic–Catalan bell tower, a Renaissance interior and a 19th-century neoclassical façade.

Museo Archeologico di Olbia
Olbia · Sardenha · Museum

Museo Archeologico di Olbia

Ship-shaped museum on the islet of Peddone, next to the old harbor, presenting Olbia's history from the Phoenicians to the Romans and the remains of Roman ships found in the harbor.

Cattedrale di Santa Maria
Cagliari · Sardenha · Cathedral

Cattedrale di Santa Maria

Cathedral of the Castello, of Pisan origin from the 13th century, with a Baroque interior, the Aragonese chapel and a crypt of sculpted chapels; the current façade imitates that of the duomo of Pisa.

Grotta di Nettuno
Alghero · Sardenha · Cave

Grotta di Nettuno

Sea cave at the base of Capo Caccia, with stalactites, an underground saltwater lake and columned chambers; access via the Escala del Cabirol stairway or by boat, depending on the sea.

Porto Cervo
Olbia · Sardenha · Port

Porto Cervo

Harbour village created in the 1960s as the center of the Costa Smeralda, with Mediterranean stone-and-plaster architecture, a yacht marina, the church Stella Maris and nearby beaches.

Arcipelago di La Maddalena
Olbia · Sardenha · Park

Arcipelago di La Maddalena

Granite archipelago off Palau, a national park since 1994, with dozens of islands and coves of clear water; the main island and Caprera can be reached by ferry and bridge, the others by boat.

Capo Caccia
Alghero · Sardenha · Lookout

Capo Caccia

Limestone promontory that closes Porto Conte bay, with cliffs over the sea, a lighthouse, viewpoints toward the island Foradada and access to the Grotta di Nettuno.

Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Cagliari
Cagliari · Sardenha · Museum

Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Cagliari

The main archaeological museum of Sardinia, in the Cittadella dei Musei, with nuragic bronzes, Phoenician, Punic and Roman pieces and the stone statues of Mont'e Prama.

Complesso nuragico di Palmavera
Alghero · Sardenha · Archaeological site

Complesso nuragico di Palmavera

Nuragic village from the Bronze Age between Alghero and Porto Conte, with a two-tower nuraghe, a wall and the meeting hut, with a stone bench and a model of a nuraghe.

Santuario e Basilica di Nostra Signora di Bonaria
Cagliari · Sardenha · Church

Santuario e Basilica di Nostra Signora di Bonaria

Religious complex atop the Bonaria hill: a 14th-century Catalan-Gothic sanctuary housing the image of Sardinia's patroness, and a Neoclassical basilica facing the port.

Poetto
Cagliari · Sardenha · Beach

Poetto

Urban beach of Cagliari, with about 8 km of sand between the Sella del Diavolo and Quartu Sant'Elena, kiosks, establishments and the Molentargius salt pans behind.

Spiaggia della Pelosa
Alghero · Sardenha · Beach

Spiaggia della Pelosa

White-sand beach with shallow, clear water at the northwest tip of Sardenha, in Stintino, facing the Torre della Pelosa and the island Asinara; in summer access is limited and by reservation.

Parco naturale regionale Molentargius-Saline
Cagliari · Sardenha · Park

Parco naturale regionale Molentargius-Saline

Protected wetland area between Cagliari, Quartu and the Poetto, with lagoons, old salt pans and colonies of pink flamingos, crossed by walking and cycling trails.

Su Nuraxi di Barumini
Cagliari · Sardenha · Archaeological site

Su Nuraxi di Barumini

The best-known nuragic complex in Sardinia, a UNESCO World Heritage site: a stone fortress from the Bronze Age surrounded by a village of huts, about 60 km from Cagliari.

Area Archeologica di Nora
Cagliari · Sardenha · Archaeological site

Area Archeologica di Nora

Ruins of a Phoenician, Punic and Roman city on a headland by the sea, near Pula, with a Roman theatre, baths, mosaics and the temple of Tanit, about 40 km from Cagliari.

Before you go

Practical information

A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.

When to go

From May to October for the beach. July and August are the warmest and busiest months, with higher prices. June and September usually offer good sea for swimming and fewer people. Sightseeing boats usually operate from April or May to October. In winter, from December to February, the coast has mild weather, but many beach services close.

The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.

How many days to stay

One week allows you to see two regions of the island, for example Cagliari in the south and Alghero or Olbia in the north. With 10 to 14 days you can go around the island, with time for beaches, Su Nuraxi, Capo Caccia and a boat trip in La Maddalena. With 3 or 4 days, it’s best to stay in just one region.

Which city to stay in

In Cagliari, the historic neighborhoods Marina and Stampace are close to the station and the port, and the Castello has views from above; the Poetto is the option for those who want the beach. In Alghero, the walled historic center and the Lungomare make everything walkable. In the northeast, Olbia is convenient because of the airport and the port; Palau is the base for La Maddalena, and the Costa Smeralda, with Porto Cervo, Cala di Volpe and Baja Sardinia, concentrates high-end accommodation.

Respect the place

Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.

Get your questions answered

Frequently asked questions about Sardenha

Do you need a car in Sardenha?

It helps a lot. Trains and buses link the main towns, but beaches, nuraghes and viewpoints are often far from bus stops, and frequency drops outside the summer. With a car, leave it outside historic centers: Cagliari and Alghero have ZTL, a limited-traffic zone closed to non-local cars.

Which airport to choose: Cagliari, Alghero or Olbia?

It depends on the region. Cagliari (CAG) serves the south, including the capital, the Poetto, Nora and Su Nuraxi. Alghero (AHO) serves the northwest, with Capo Caccia, the Grotta di Nettuno and Stintino. Olbia (OLB) serves the northeast, with the Costa Smeralda and La Maddalena. You can arrive at one and depart from another.

How many days to set aside for Sardenha?

At least 5 days for one region, a week for two, and 10 to 14 days to circle the island. Road distances are long: Cagliari to Olbia takes about 3 hours by car.

Is it possible to see Sardenha on a day trip from Rome?

It’s not ideal. The flight is short, but adding airport time and transfers leaves little time. To make it worthwhile, book at least three nights in one of the towns.

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