# A walk through Castello, Cagliari's walled quarter, from the Saint Remy bastion

What to do en Cagliari and Sardinia's South Coast · Cagliari and Sardinia's South Coast

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/sardinia/cagliari-south-coast/things-to-do/castello-and-saint-remy-bastion · Revisado: 2026-11-13

- Duración: 2 h 30
- Temporada: All year
- Para quién: All ages

Walk · 2–3 h · Free · All year

Castello is the upper quarter of Cagliari, the one you see from the port with its pale stone walls. The Pisans fortified it in the late 13th century as a citadel on the hill, and for centuries it was the fortified district of the city, with the Marina, Stampace and Villanova quarters at its feet. Today you explore it on foot, along narrow streets that are flat once you are up, with viewpoints over the gulf on almost every side.
Where to climb up
Start at Piazza Costituzione, at the foot of the Saint Remy bastion. It is the most spectacular way in: a monumental flight of steps with arches leading to the Umberto I terrace, an open promenade above the rooftops of Villanova and Marina, with the port and the salt pans in the distance. The bastion is not medieval: it was built in the early 20th century on the old bulwarks of Sperone and Zecca, and takes its name from the Baron of Saint Remy, the island's first Piedmontese viceroy.
The Pisan towers
From the terrace, continue north through the streets of Castello. Four towers of the medieval wall remain. The oldest is the Sperone tower, or degli Alberti, from 1293. The two famous ones are the Tower of San Pancrazio, from 1305, beside the Porta Cristina, at the highest point of the quarter, and the Elephant Tower, built two years later, which takes its name from the small statue of an elephant placed on a corbel on the seaward side. Both are attributed to the architect Giovanni Capula.
Next to San Pancrazio is the Cittadella dei Musei, which occupies the old royal arsenal of 1727. If you want to go into a museum, check opening hours and prices on its website beforehand: we have not checked them for this entry.
The Santa Croce bastion at sunset
Return along the west side to the Santa Croce bastion, opposite the basilica of the same name. It was built during Viceroy Dusay's term, between 1491 and 1508, and Jacopo Fratino gave it its pentagonal shape. Today it is where the people of Cagliari go up to watch the sun set over the port and the Santa Gilla lagoon. From there you can go down to Stampace or return by the same streets to Saint Remy.
When and how
The full walk takes two or three hours at an easy pace. The climb is the only tiring part; up top it is almost all flat. Go early or late in the day: at midday the bastion and the stone streets build up a lot of heat in summer. Do not drive up: the quarter has limited traffic and parking is difficult. From the port and the station it is a ten- to fifteen-minute walk.

## Cómo llegar y contacto

- Coordenadas: 39.2163, 9.1144

## Cerca de aquí

- [Antico Caffè](https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/sardinia/cagliari-south-coast/where-to-eat/antico-caffe), a 129 m
- [Hotel Regina Margherita](https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/sardinia/cagliari-south-coast/where-to-stay/hotel-regina-margherita), a 241 m
- [Ristorante Luigi Pomata](https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/sardinia/cagliari-south-coast/where-to-eat/luigi-pomata), a 260 m
- [Flamingos in Molentargius Park, the old salt pans between Cagliari and Poetto](https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/sardinia/cagliari-south-coast/things-to-do/molentargius-flamingos), a 2.4 km
- [Poetto Beach, eight kilometres of sand beneath the Sella del Diavolo](https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/sardinia/cagliari-south-coast/things-to-do/poetto-beach), a 4.5 km

## Consejos

### Start at Saint Remy
The flight of steps is the most comfortable and the prettiest way up.

### Finish at Santa Croce
It is the sunset viewpoint.

### Shoes with grip
The stone of the streets is slippery.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### How much does it cost to visit Castello?
Nothing. The streets, the towers from outside and the bastions are public.

### How long does it take?
Two or three hours to walk it at an easy pace, more if you go into a museum.

### Can you go up with a pushchair?
Yes, but the Saint Remy steps and the stone slopes make it heavy going; a baby carrier is better.

### Which towers should you see?
San Pancrazio, from 1305, and the Elephant Tower, from 1307, both Pisan.

Destino: [Cagliari and Sardinia's South Coast](https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/sardinia/cagliari-south-coast.md)