Situated in the western Mediterranean, south of the French island of Corsica, Sardinia's dazzling white sands and clear blue waters make it one of Italy's most beautiful islands.
Sardinia's Capital
Cagliari means castle in local dialect, and the hilltop fortress dominates within the walled medieval quarter, still lively today. In the busy streets below, visit the Cattedrale di Santa Maria, and then enjoy the buzz of Piazza Yenne and the Santa Chiara market. The public gardens, an ideal resting-place, are also home to the Galleria Comunale d'Arte, containing modern, contemporary and Sardinian art.
East of the city is a saline lagoon complete with resident flamingoes, close to the slightly-faded style of Poetto beach.
Sardinia's Beaches
Sardinia is also rich in natural beauty, with holm oak forests, the canyon of Golo Su Gorropu, and walking trails to discover inland. The stunning coastline is best known for the rich playground of the Costa Smeralda, but head instead for the solitude of the cliffs of the Golfo di Orsei, or the secluded bays of the Costa del Sud. Explore Costa Verde's sand dunes, wind surf on the island's north coast, or dive for shipwrecks, submerged caves, and underwater ruins.
Sardinia's Attractions
Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Cagliari
Standing in Piazza dell'Arsenale, the Archaeological Museum's extensive collection ranges from early Neolithic to Roman times. Around four hundred superb bronzetti (bronze figurines) provide an insight into Sardinia's pre-Carthage nuraghic culture, complemented by the Giganti di Monte Prama, two metre-high stone nuraghic sculptures.
Santuario & Basilica di Nostra Signora di Bonaria
Pilgrims travel from around the world to this fourteenth-century Gothic church to pray to a statue of Mary and Jesus, said to have saved Spanish sailors.
In thanks, the conquistadors named Argentina's capital Buenos Aires after Bonaria, with both meaning good air. Roughly a kilometre from Cagliari, this historic seat of the Mercedari monks was once a fortress as well, but only a few features remain today.
