Download Port Map and Information

Via
Content provided by
'
Concierge close up: Cagliari, Sardinia
Cagliari (pronounced Cahl-yah-ree) is Sardinia’s capital and largest city; it contains the island’s principal
art and archaeology museums as well as an old cathedral and medieval towers that have lofty views of the
surrounding sea, lagoons, and mountains. Though blissfully uncommercialized for the most part, the nearby
coast does have pockets of development that have sprouted as tourism has found a niche. To the southwest,
Pula is an inland town within easy reach of both good beaches and the excavated ruins at Nora.
Lago
Omodeo
San
Salvatore
Sorgono
S. Giovanni
Cabras
di Sinis
Tharros
Oristano
San
Pietro
Costa Verde
Ingurtosu
Arborea
Grotta di
San Giovanni
Iglésias
Portoscusa
Carbonia
Sant'
Antioco
SS126
0 10 miles
0 15 km
SS131
Guspini
SS195
Giara di
Gesturi
Su
Nuraxi
Strada Carlo Felice
Domusnóvas
SS130
see detail
Pula
SS195
Isili
Golfo di
Cagliari
Mediterranean Sea
Tonara
Aritzo
Lago di
Barumini Flumendosa
San Sperate
Nora
Sta. Margherita
di Pula
Dolianova
Cagliari
Villasimius
Capo
Boi
Fonni
Tortoli
Costa
SS125
Rei
Capo
Carbonara
Golfo di
Orosei
Baunei
Arbatax
Southern
Sardinia
Viale
Trieste Trieste
V.
Bosco
Don
Via Via La
Maddalena
Maddalena
Viale
S. Ignazio da Laconi
Via G. Mameli
Pza. d.
Carmine
Porto
Via Sassari
Pza.
Matteotti
Via Ospedale
V. D.A. Azuni
Via G.M. Angioi
Lgo. Carlo Felice
Via Roma
Calata Via Roma
V. Cammino N.
V. Manno
V. Buon Cammino
Orto
Botanico
Museo Pza.
Archeologico
Arsenale
Bastione
Santa Croce
Corso Vittorio Emanuele
Train
Station
Bus
Station
Anfiteatro
Romano
Torre
dell’
Elefante
Pza.
Yenne
Genovesi
dei
V. Martini
Pza.
Palazzo
Viale
Viale Regina
Margherita
Margherita
Elena
Castello
Duomo
Regina
S.
Via
Terrazza
Umberto I
Pza.
Costituzione
Giovanni
G.
Via
Via S.
Garibaldi
0
1/8 mi
Pza.
Amendola
0
1/8 km
Via
Ottone Bacar
edda
Lucifero
Via S. Sonnino
Cagliari
Sights
Cagliari. Sardinia’s capital has steep streets, impressive Italianate
architecture, and churches in differing styles. Cagliari
is characterized by its busy commercial center and waterfront
with broad avenues, as well as by the typically narrow
streets of the old hilltop citadel (called, simply, Castello). An
ongoing revitalization effort, which has restored the nobility
of several medieval landmarks, has done little to alter the
appealingly dilapidated feel of the old town. Medieval Spanish
conquerors from Aragon as well as Pisans and Piemontese
all left their marks, and grand, decaying castles, floodlit by
night, overlook the old center’s winding streets and bustling
port from far above.
Anfiteatro Romano. ($) This theater dates from the 2nd
century ad. The well-preserved amphitheater arena—complete
with underground passages and a beasts’ pit—is evidence
of the importance of this Roman outpost. EViale
Fra’ Ignazio.
Castello. On the narrow streets of the quarter below the
Duomo humble dwellings still open directly onto the sidewalk
and the wash is hung out to dry on elaborate wrought-iron
balconies.
Duomo. Cattedrale di Santa Maria, also known as the
Duomo, was begun in the 12th century, but major renovation
in the 17th century and reconstruction during the mid-
1930s have left little of the original medieval church. The
tiers of columns on the facade resemble those of medieval
Romanesque Pisan churches, but only sections of the central
portal, the bell tower, and the two side entrances are from
the 13th century. EPiazza Palazzo off Via Martini.
Museo Archeologico. ($) Ideally, begin your visit to Cagliari
at the archaeological museum within the walls of a castle
erected by Pisans in the early 1300s to ward off the Aragonese
and Catalans (attacking from what is now Spain). Among
the intriguing artifacts are bronze statuettes from the tombs
and dwellings of Sardinia’s earliest inhabitants, who remain a
prehistoric enigma. Ancient writers called them “the nuraghic
people,” from the name of their curious stone dwellings, the
nuraghi, which are unique to Sardinia. Archaeologists date
most of the nuraghi to about 1300–1200 bc, the same time
the ancient Israelites were establishing themselves in Canaan.
ECittadella dei Musei, Piazza Arsenale.
Terrazza Umberto I. This monumental neoclassical staircase
and arcade were added in the 19th century to the Bastion
KEY: $ Admission charged E Physical address s Mailing address

of St. Remy (built by the Spaniards 400 years earlier). The
great views of Cagliari, and a number of coffee shops, bars,
and restaurants, make this a good place for a break after
visiting the Castello quarter. EPiazza Costituzione.
Torre di San Pancrazio. ($) The 1305 tower, part of the
imposing medieval Pisan defenses, is just outside Cagliari’s
archaeological museum, and it marks the edge of the Castello
district. You can climb up the tower for a fabulous panorama
of the city and its surroundings. Curiously enough, the tower’s
back wall is missing, which allows you to see the series of
wooden stairs and landings inside without climbing a step.
EPiazza Indipendenza.
Torre dell’Elefante. ($) The twin to the tower of San
Pancrazio stands at the seaward end of Cagliari’s bastions.
Built in 1307, it was used as a prison in the 1800s. EVia
Università.
Nora. ($) The narrow promontory outside Pula was the
site of a Phoenician, then Carthaginian, and later a Roman
settlement. An old Roman road passes the moss-covered
ruins of temples, a Roman theater, and an amphitheater
now reserved for summer music festivals. Nora was a prime
location—the Phoenicians scouted for good harbors, cliffs
to shelter their craft from the wind, and an elevation from
which they could defend themselves against attack. Extensive
excavations have shed light on life in this ancient city from
the 8th century bc onward. You can make out the channels
through which hot air rose to warm the Roman baths; note
the difference between the Carthaginians’ simple mosaic pavements
and the Romans more elaborate designs. If the sea is
calm, look under the clear waters along the shore for more
ruins of the ancient city, submerged by earthquakes, rough
seas, and erosion. Guided tours begin on the hour. j3 km
(2 mi) south of Pula.
Sant’Efisio. The little Romanesque church at the base
of the Nora promontory plays a part in one of the island’s
most colorful annual events. A four-day procession during
the Festa di Sant’Efisio accompanies a statue of the saint all
the way from Cagliari and back again, culminating in a huge
parade down Cagliari’s main avenue. If you’re in Sardinia
from May 1 to May 4, don’t miss it. j3 km (2 mi) south
of Pula P070/9208473 CApr.–Sept., Sat. 3–6, Sun. 9:30–1
and 3–7:30; Oct.–Mar., Sun. 9:30–noon and 3–5.
Pula. Resort villages sprawl along the coast southwest of the
capital, which has its share of fine scenery and good beaches.
Home to one of Sardinia’s most magnificent stretches of
coastline, Pula offers white-sand beaches, turquoise waters,
placid coves, and powdery dunes. Beaches and lodging catering
to summer crowds are concentrated 4 km (2½ mi) south
of Pula, a little more than 1½ km (1 mi) south of Nora, in
a conglomeration that makes up the town of Santa Margherita
di Pula.
Museo Archeologico Comunale. ($) The small archaeological
museum has finds from excavations of a site at Nora,
including amphoras, anchors, and inscribed stones, mostly
dredged up from the sea. ECorso Vittorio Emanuele 67.
San Sperate. Walls throughout this small town 20 km (12 mi)
north of Cagliari have been brightened with murales (murals)
by local artists and some well-known Italian painters. The
murals were begun in 1968 and continue to be expanded,
transforming the entire town into an open-air art gallery.
Sardinian Cuisine
Sardinian cuisine is sharply divided between hearty, meatbased
dishes from the interior and Mediterranean seafood
fare with Catalan and North African influences along the
coast. Meat dishes are most commonly veal, roast agnello
(lamb) and agnellino (baby lamb), or porcheddu (roast suckling
pig, most often available at Easter). Cavallo, or carne
equino (horsemeat), is also a common specialty of Sardinia;
it’s generally served in the form of a bistecca (thin steak),
which can be a bit chewy, but when properly grilled, also
intensely flavored and delicious. Homemade pastas might be
topped with a wild boar sauce. Finally, Italy’s original, and
best, pecorino cheese, made from sheep’s milk, comes from
the rugged slopes of the interior.
Looking for the unusual Try the ricci (sea urchins), which,
unlike the Japanese uni, are served atop pasta. Bottarga,
another prized Sardinian product, is a dried, cured tuna roe
that’s best when shaved off a block directly onto spaghetti or
with butter on crostini (thin slices of toasted bread). Foreign
conquerors left their legacies of bouillabaisse (known here as
zimino), paella, and cuscus (couscous), also called cashkà.
Native pastas include malloreddus (small shells of bran pasta
sometimes flavored with saffron), culurgiones (the Sardinian
version of ravioli), and maccarones de busa (thick pasta
twists). And crispy bread called pane carasau (carta di musica
in Italian) is typical island fare. Prized around Italy, and
around the world, is Sardinia’s amaro di corbezzolo, a honey
with a bouquet and taste primordially foresty, slightly bitter,
and dazzlingly complex. It’s made by bees that suck nectar
from a plant known as arbutus, the tree strawberry.
Shopping
Cagliari’s two best shopping streets, full of boutiques, clothing
stores, and such, are Via Manno and Via Garibaldi, just
up from the port. ISOLA (EVia Bacaredda 184 bVia Santa
Croce 37/41) is a government-sponsored exhibition of artisan
crafts; most of the work is for sale.
Beaches
Poetto Beach. Considered the hottest spot to relax in summer,
Poetto Beach stretches from Cagliari to Quartu Sant’Elena
and is lined with cafés, restaurants, shops, and parks. From
the beach, you can admire the red flamingos that nest in the
marshy reeds of the nearby Molentargius pond. j Take the
Viale Diaz from Cagliari to the Viale Poetto.
© 2010 Fodor’s Travel