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The Saint Remy bastion, with its staircase and arch, in Cagliari's Castello districtRyan Hodnett · CC BY-SA 4.0

Itinerary · 2 nights

Two nights in the south of Sardinia, a day in the city of bastions and another on the sea of Capo Carbonara.

First night in central Cagliari, a day of Castello, flamingos and Poetto, second night in Villasimius and a sailing day around Isola dei Cavoli, with Porto Giunco on the way back.

Leaves from Cagliari · 0 min

Part of Cagliari and Sardinia's South Coast

The planMap1. When to go2. How you travel3. Where to stay4. Where to eatQuestions
Duration2 nights, Friday to Sunday
From SpainFlight to Cagliari, direct from Barcelona and Seville
Sailing boat€80 adults, lunch included
CarOnly on the last day, for Villasimius
Best timeMay, June and September

The plan

The plan, hour by hour

Designed to arrive in Cagliari on Friday night and fly out on Sunday night, from May to September, when the sailing boat runs. On Saturday you do not need a car; you pick it up on Saturday afternoon to sleep in Villasimius and have the port to hand on Sunday.

Friday

  1. 121:00Arrival in Cagliari

    Train from the airport to the centre and a night at the Regina Margherita.

Saturday

  1. 109:00Castello

    Up the Saint Remy stairway, the Pisan towers of San Pancrazio and the Elephant and the Santa Croce bastion. Free.

  2. 212:30Lunch at the Antico Caffè

    Culurgiones or fregola at the 1855 café, at the foot of the bastion.

  3. 315:00Molentargius flamingos

    CTM bus PF to the salt pans. Free; bring binoculars.

  4. 417:00Poetto

    A walk to the beach and a swim if it is hot. Back to the centre on line PF.

  5. 520:00Dinner at Luigi Pomata

    Red tuna from Carloforte facing the port. Book 24 hours ahead.

  6. 622:30Car to Villasimius

    A little over an hour to Hotel Mariposas. If you prefer not to drive at night, pick up the car on Sunday at 8:00 and go straight to the port.

Sunday

  1. 109:30Sailing boat Matilda II

    Meet at pier M of the port before 10:00. Beach, Isola dei Cavoli with a climb to the lighthouse, snorkelling at the Madonna del Naufrago and Sardinian lunch on board. €80. Back at 16:30.

  2. 217:00Porto Giunco

    Pinkish sand, shallow water and the flamingos of the Notteri pond. Climb the tower if you have the energy.

  3. 319:30Back to the airport

    A little over an hour by car to Cagliari-Elmas.

The south of Sardinia has two faces that are well seen over a weekend. One is Cagliari: a capital with a walled quarter, a nineteenth-century café, flamingos in the salt pans and eight kilometres of urban beach. The other is the sea of Villasimius, the Capo Carbonara marine protected area, with Isola dei Cavoli and pale-sand beaches. With two nights you do both: the first in the centre of Cagliari, the second in Villasimius, to sail on Sunday without an early start.

How do you get there from Spain?

Fly to Cagliari-Elmas (CAG), with direct flights from Barcelona and Seville. From the airport to the centre, a train of about six minutes for €1.30. On Saturday you do the city on foot and by bus. On Saturday afternoon you pick up a hire car: Villasimius is a little over an hour away, and on Sunday night you drive back to the airport in it.

Where to stay?

AccommodationWhereWho it suits
Hotel Regina MargheritaCentral Cagliari, between the port and CastelloTo get around the city on foot
Hotel MariposasVillasimius, beside Simius beachA garden pool and the harbour nearby

The first night, at the Hotel Regina Margherita, a four-star a short walk from the station and from the Saint Remy stairway. The second, at the Hotel Mariposas, a family hotel in Villasimius with a pool, breakfast included and Simius beach a few steps away.

Where to eat

Three different tables. The Antico Caffè is the city's historic café, open from seven in the morning to two at night. Luigi Pomata is the tuna dinner, in the Michelin guide; closed on Sunday. On Sunday you eat on board the sailing boat: malloreddus, pecorino, wine and myrtle are in the price.

What if you change a day?

Nora and Chia. If the sailing boat does not sail because of the wind, swap Sunday for the ruins of Nora and the beach at Su Giudeu, on the other side of the gulf.

Map

The stops, in order

What to do Eat 88 €Stay Services

Plan the trip

Cagliari and Sardinia's South Coast, step by step

Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.

  1. 11. When to go
  2. 22. How you travel
  3. 33. Where to stay
  4. 44. Where to eat

When to go

When to go to Cagliari and Sardinia's South Coast

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Best timeGood timeLow season

How you travel

The same break, your way

The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.

Fly to Cagliari and drive the coast

The airport is Cagliari-Elmas (CAG), with direct flights from Barcelona and Seville; from other Spanish cities you have to change. It is right next to the city: the train reaches the centre in about six minutes. For Cagliari you do not need a car; for Nora and Chia, an hour away, and for Villasimius, a little more, hire one at the airport.

  • Getting thereCagliari-Elmas (CAG), direct from Barcelona…
  • Getting aroundOn foot around Castello, Marina…
  • Where to stayHotel Regina Margherita, in the…
  • ServicesAirport train to the centre

Getting there

  • Cagliari-Elmas (CAG), direct from Barcelona and Seville
  • Trenitalia train from Elmas Aeroporto station to the centre, about 6 minutes and €1.30
  • Taxi to the centre from €17 by day

Getting around

  • On foot around Castello, Marina and the port
  • CTM buses PF and PQ to Poetto, €1.30 ticket
  • Hire car at the airport for Nora, Chia and Villasimius

Where to stay

  • Hotel Regina Margherita, in the centre, a stroll from the station where the airport train arrives
  • Hotel Su Giudeu, in Chia, an hour by car, for the beaches
  • Hotel Mariposas, in Villasimius, for the sailing boat and Porto Giunco

Services

  • Airport train to the centre
  • CTM buses to Poetto

How much does it cost?

People2
Nights2

Approximate, for 2 people and 2 nights: staying, eating and getting around there for each way of travelling. Getting there is not included.

Where to stay

Where to stay if you're flying

We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel

The lobby and reception of the Hotel Regina Margherita© Hotel Regina MargheritaHotel

Hotel Regina Margherita

Four stars · 100 rooms · Between the port and Castello · Spa and gym · Small garage

Why we like it: Four-star, hundred-room hotel in the centre of Cagliari, between the port and Castello, with a bistro, spa, 24-hour gym and a small garage.

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Aerial view of Su Giudeu beach, with the lagoon behind and the dunes© Hotel Su GiudeuSmall hotel

Hotel Su Giudeu

18 rooms · A few steps from Su Giudeu · Garden and bar with a terrace · Free parking · From age 10

Why we like it: Small 18-room hotel in Chia, about 500 m from the sea and a few steps from Su Giudeu beach, with a garden, a bar with a terrace and free parking.

View details
Aerial view of the Hotel Mariposas with the pool and garden© Hotel MariposasSmall hotel

Hotel Mariposas

Pool and garden · Buffet breakfast included · Junior suites for four · Free parking · Simius beach nearby

Why we like it: Family-run hotel in Villasimius, opened in 2007, with a pool in a tropical garden, breakfast included and Simius beach a few steps away.

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Services for this trip

Cagliari-Elmas airport train to the centreTrenitalia train between Elmas Aeroporto station and Cagliari station · about 6 minutes · €1.30
CTM buses to PoettoCTM lines PF and PQ from the centre of Cagliari to Poetto · 90-minute ticket €1.30 · card payment on board

Where to eat

Where to eat in Cagliari and Sardinia's South Coast

The Antico Caffè terrace at night, with lit tables beneath the venue's sign© Antico Caffè

Antico Caffè

Restaurant · Cagliari · €€€€

What to order: at midday, the culurgiones ogliastrini with potato, mint and pecorino (€14) or the fregola with lobster sauce (€18); for dessert, the sebada with strawberry-tree honey

Open every day from 7:00 to 2:00. Cover charge €2.50. Book by phone or email.
The terrace of the Luigi Pomata restaurant, with awnings, plants and laid tables© Luigi Pomata

Ristorante Luigi Pomata

Restaurant · Cagliari · €€€€

What to order: the Fuori Tonno menu (€90), all bluefin tuna; a la carte, the hand-cut bluefin tuna tartare (€24) and the linguine alla Nicolo with the house tuna reserve (€24)

Closed on Sunday and Monday at lunchtime. Book at least 24 hours ahead. 8% service charge; the cover charge, bread and water are included.
The Don Carlo restaurant with a view of the sea in the bay of Nora© Sant'Efis Hotel

Ristorante Don Carlo

Restaurant · Pula · €€€€

What to order: at midday, the handmade fregola cooked like a risotto with prawn sauce or the culurgione that meets the sea; for a main course, the barely seared bluefin tuna cube, and seadas for dessert

Also open to guests from outside the hotel. Booking advisable. The website does not publish opening hours or season.

Tips

Worth knowing first

  1. 1
    Book the sailing boat beforehand

    There are forty places at most.

  2. 2
    Saturday dinner

    Luigi Pomata is closed on Sunday: Saturday is your night.

  3. 3
    Travel light

    You change hotel and go by train, bus and car.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How many nights do you need for Cagliari and Villasimius?

Two for the city and a day at sea; with three or four you add Nora and Chia.

Do you need a car?

Only to go to Villasimius. The city is done on foot and by bus.

How much is the sailing boat?

€80 per adult and €70 for ages 2 to 12, with lunch included.

When should you go?

From May to September, when the sailing boat runs; best in May, June and September.


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