Cagliari

Cagliari's Castello quarter sits on a limestone ridge behind Pisan walls and towers, with the Torre dell'Elefante and Torre di San Pancrazio of the early fourteenth century open to climb; the stone is pale and the terraces look out over the port and the lagoons. The national archaeological museum holds the bronzetti, small nuragic bronze figures of warriors, chiefs and boats made in the second and first millennia BC. On the city's edge, the Molentargius and Santa Gilla lagoons hold a breeding colony of greater flamingos, which established itself in the 1990s and now numbers thousands within sight of apartment blocks.

History

Beneath the modern city lies a continuous record of settlement, and a legend told by the Latin writer Gaius Julius Solinus says Caralis was founded by Aristaeus, son of Apollo and the nymph Cyrene, who brought hunting and farming to Sardinia (Wikipedia, Cagliari).

What you'll find

• The Castello walls - Pisan towers and bastions on a limestone ridge.
• The nuragic bronzetti - small prehistoric bronze figures in the museum.
• The city flamingos - a breeding colony in lagoons at the urban edge.
• The Poetto beach - a long city beach below the salt pans.

When to go

April to June and September to October; summer is very hot. Flamingos are present year-round with numbers peaking in spring and autumn. Museums close Mondays.

Things to know

The Castello is a steep climb, though lifts and a funicular help. Summer heat is severe. Lagoon paths are exposed with little shade.

Nearby

Nora lies south-west; Villasimius is east along the coast.

Key facts