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Foreign. I was born and raised in Sardinia and I still call it home. I am the mastermind behind the Sweetly Sardinia Travel blog and now the Sweetly Sardinia Podcast, where each week I will bring you the best of Sardinia and share my most useful tips that will help you plan a memorable trip to my wonderful island. On today's episode, I'm going to focus on a specific destination that you really should not miss during your trip to Sardinia. And this is my hometown, Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia and one of the three airports on the island where you can fly or one of the harbors where you can dock. Cagliari is often overlooked in favor of other more famous places to visit in Sardinia. You know, the beaches, obviously, but really, you should not miss the opportunity to explore the capital city. It's a wonderful place. It has a lot to see, a lot to offer, and it's got a very unique local vibe that you will definitely enjoy. And the best part of it is that it can be visited in any season. Everything is open. It is quite a fairly, quite a big size city, you know, by. By Italian standards at least. And it's just a unique place. It's. I always say it's one of the most underrated cities in the country. Of course, this is where I'm from. I was born here, I was raised, I spent 10 years overseas. But this is where I came back because this is where I want to live my life now. Cagliari. As I said, it's a wonderful city to explore. Let's look into the best things that you should do in Cagliari when you're here. Explore the historical center. Cagliari is divided into four historic Castello, Stampache, Villanova. Incidentally, this is where I live and, and Marina. Castello is a hilltop citadel where you will see domes, palaces, towers where the aristocracy used to live in medieval times. And it's a maze of really narrow alleys, old buildings that look like they're gonna fall apart any minute, but which always hide a treasure. One of the spots that you really want to see in Castello is Via Stretta. It's a really teeny, tiny narrow alley. There isn't much to it, it's just fun to see. Located in Castello, there are two watchtowers that were built by the Spanish rulers in the 14th century. Torre di San Pancrazio and Torre delle Elefante. The Torre di San Pancrazio, San Pancrazio tower is the highest point in the city. If you manage to go up, you will enjoy the most beautiful views of the city as well. Going, moving on. Another thing that you will want to do in Castello, visit the Cathedral of Cagliari and finally go for a walk around the Santa Croce bastions. The Santa Croce bastions in Via Santa Croce provide one of the most incredible sunsets spots in the city. Now, if you want, you can just go for a walk there, but if you prefer, you can also have a drink. And the best place for that is Cafe Libarium Nostrum, to which we normally refer here as Libarium. They have really nice cocktails, a good selection of wines and beers. It's a really lovely spot that we locals enjoy and also tourists now. So second thing that you need to do in Cagliari is visit the archaeological sites. We have so many scattered around the city. The most important one is by far the Roman amphitheater that was built in the 2nd century AD and it was entirely carved in the rock. Now, during Roman times, you could get an idea of how important the city was by the number of people that the theater could hold and call. Theater could hold up to 10,000 people. Until a few years ago, it was still used for shows. Then they decided to stop this and to make sure that it's just a tourist attraction. It's just a nice place to visit. Another place that you will want to visit is Tuvigue du Necropolis. Now, Tuvis do Necropolis is located slightly outside the historic center, just outside the district of St. Stampa. And it's a burial ground that dates back to Phoenician times. And then it went in the hands of the Punics. And then again it was used by the Romans. As many other places in Sardinia, you can see layers of history. Here it's free to visit. There are panels that can explain a little bit of what you're seeing. If you can, try to hire a guide for your visit because it makes the experience so, so much better. Remember how I mentioned the district of Castello? That's where one of the best museums in Sardinia is located. The Museo Archaeologico Nazionale, the Archaeology Museum of Sardinia. Now, this museum has an amazing collection of bronze figurines that give you a taste of the nuragic civilization of Sardinia. It's also where you will find a few of the Monteprama Giants. Now, the Monteprama giants are gigantic statues that were once of the most incredible archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. They were discovered by pure chance by people working in the fields of Monte Prama near Cabras in the urban area of Oristano and they hold so much mystery. So make sure to go to this museum to visit and see what this statues are all about. Also in the district of Castello I mentioned before, we have the cathedral. Now, the cathedral was built in the 13th century in Roman and Gothic style, but then the facade was changed in the 18th century to give it a more baroque style. It's just. And now the facade was once again dismantled and replaced by a Neo Romanesque style in 1931. So it's a mixed of styles. They also have. They also have a crypt that you can visit, which is really, really beautiful. And there's a lot of art inside the church. Another church that I always love to visit is Basilica di Bonaria. Now, Basilica di Bonaria is slightly outside the center of Caleri. It's perched on a hill, the Bonaria Hill, from where you can overlook the sea, you can actually see, see the church on a walk along the harbor of Cagliari, the Porticholo, which we call Suzuku. It really is beautiful. And annexed to the church there is a historical monumental cemetery, Bonaria Cemetery, which is scattered with impressive statues by Sardinia's most famous artists, such as Sartorio, for example. So make sure to visit other churches that you should consider visiting. San Michele Church, San Saturnino Basilica, Sant Efficio Church. I also recommend going to the Santa Recituta crypt. This particular spot is included in the guided tour of Cagliari Underground, which is a truly interesting tour that walks you through the history of the city. From the bombings of World War II, during which people had to move into the tunnels under the city. And then takes you back in its history all the way to when, you know, to the Roman times. So it's a. It's a quite interesting tour. I've taken it myself. I really liked it. I recommend it. I told you before about the views from Santa Croce that are special at sunset, but there are many other places in Calliari where you can go for. For just incredible views. I love the views from the Bastione di San Remi. The Bastione di San Remy is one of the most important landmarks in the city. You will come across it at some point during your visit. It connects two major shopping streets, Via Garibaldi and Via Manno. It's in the center of it, in Piazza Custituzione. You walk up this flight of stairs and the views are just impressive. Make sure to go. Now, let's talk about something a bit more fun and more contemporary, especially for Food lovers, you have to visit our market. San Benedetto Market is an incredible place where you can shop for food and you can get a few things to try. You know, I love the cheese section. You get to try all the pecorino cheese, which is delicious. And you know, if you want to look at what we eat on a regular basis, go downstairs to the fish market because, oh my God. Okay, the smell can be overpowering. But just the scene is so unique. You know, people screaming, I want this fish. I'm selling it for this, this price. You know, it's definitely one of the missable things to do in Calleri. Then talking about markets, try local food. Oh, the food scene in Cagliari is unique. I have a bunch of recip restaurants that I really, really love and that I can recommend. If you want to try traditional Sardinian food with a bit of a modern twist, you should go to Chiaroscuro by Marina Ravarotto. She is a local chef from Nuoro, actually a different city in the center of Sardinia in the mountainous region. And she makes, she cooks amazing food. So make sure you go and try our local staples. Other places I love Stella Marina di Monte Cristo. Now, this is a more of a budget friendly place. My parents go all the time. It's located in the Marina district and it has a strong focus on seafood and fish. You don't go there expecting to see a menu. The menu will never come. You just, you know, sit down and eat whatever they bring you. It's just fun and it's very budget friendly. As I said, if you go there, make sure you tell them that you got the tip of Claudia, daughter of Franco, Tavani and Marcella. They're my parents. They go there all the time. Now, if you want to try something a bit more fun, especially if you're traveling with kids that maybe picky, go to Bombas, literally Bomb. But Bombas, it's in the Castello historic district in Via Universita. They make burgers with a twist and they only use local ingredients. And the potato chips are just the best ones in the city. Now, if you are in Cagliari in May, specifically on the 1st of May, what you want to do is attend the Santa Fizio parade. It's the most important religious celebration in Sardinia dedicated to Santa Fizio, the most venerated saint, which apparently got Sardinia rid of the plague in the 17th century. And that parade has been going on ever since. You will see people from a variety of small towns and villages in Sardinia parading along the Streets of Cagliari in traditional costumes, with horse pulled carriages, people on horses. It's just a show and it's incredible. Make sure to go spend a day at the beach. Okay? So remember how I told you that people ignore Callleri because they prefer going to the beach? Well, we have beaches in Cagliari. Yes, we do. We have Poeto beach, which is our most famous beach. It's a very long stretch of sand with clear waters and there is a running and biking trail right next to it. It gets really crowded during the summer months. It's packed with small restaurants, kiosks, places where you can rent umbrellas and sunbeds for the day, gelato places. And you can easily go there by public transportation. So, you know, it's just. There's no excuse not to go. We go there throughout the year, so we go there. I go there in the winter months to run because just, I. I just love it there. It's really a nice area to also stay in Cagliari. There are some really good hotels. The second largest beach in Cagliari is Kalamosca. It's a small cove on the other side of the Devil's Saddle. Alto. Talk about it in a moment. And it also has nice clear waters. There's a kiosk and you can reach it by public transportation. It's a bit more sheltered from the wind compared to Puerto Beach. Obviously we have more beaches that you can visit just in Cagliari, but these are the two most important ones. Speaking of beaches, I need to mention a boat tour. Now, of course, being this Sardinia, you will want to join a boat tour if you're visiting in the summer. And there is one that I have in mind that makes four stops along the Devil's Saddle where you can jump in the water to swim and snorkel is just fantastic. Another thing I recommend for the sporty ones, you should hike or kayak around the Devil's Saddle. The Devil Saddle we refer to in Sardinia as Sela del Diabolo. It's a promontory that stretches from the city and right on the Gulf of the Angels. The Gulf of the Angels. And it can be accessed by a hiking trail that starts behind the beach of Kalamosca. So you know, you can get to the trailhead by public transportation from the center of Cagliari. Or the other thing that I recommend doing is a kayak expedition. Now you can rent kayaks around, you know, Poeto beach and just kayak yourself. But I recommend going on a guided tour. That's what I did last summer when my friend visited and we learned so much about the history of the city, the nature of the city. It's just a great thing to do. Now. The company I used for my kayaking tour was bcap. They have excellent guides. It's very safe. They will not let you go in the water if there is any risk at all. The best time to go on a boat tour is on a kayak tour is usually in the morning. The tours leave around nine, when the water is nice and calm. Or they have tours at sunset, which is really great. Did you know that we have pink flamingos in Sardinia? And we have a lot of them living in Caglari. So you can come to Sardinia for bird watching and you don't even have to have to get out of the city. Head to Molentargios Nature Reserve. It's an oasis where pink flamingos and a bunch of other birds in town live. One of the best things that you can admire during the summer months is the pink flamingos fly over the skies of Cagliari at sunset, moving from one lagoon to the other. It's just so peaceful and so beautiful to see. Speaking of Molentargio's nature reserve, I thought that another thing that you may want to do while you're in Cagliari is visiting a park. There are many parks in Cagliari. My favorite is probably Monte Urpino. This is a pine grove with a small pond at the center. It's really close to where my high school used to be. So remember that whenever I left school in the spring months, I would just go there to hang out with my friends. Then there is Monte Claro, which is on a quieter, lustrous area of the city. And I also like the Giardini Publici, which is between the districts of Villanova and Castello. And within the Giardini Publici, you will also find a gallery, an art gallery that is really fun to visit, really interesting to visit, with lots of art and lots of statues by Sardinian artist Sartorio. Now, if you want to mix a bit of history, a bit of botanical knowledge with a nice park to spend some time, you can go to the Botanical Gardens. It's one of the oldest botanical gardens in in Italy. And it really is a special place to visit. There's even a punic cistern and the ruins of a Roman quarry inside. Another spot I enjoy visiting is Castello di San Michele, a fortification that is located on top of a hill overlooking the city. It dates from the 10th century and then it became the Residence of the Carrots family, one of the most important and powerful families that ever dominated in Sardinia in the 14th century. Now the castle has been completely renovated in recent time. It doesn't really have much going on inside, but they often hold special exhibit that you can see. The latest one I went to was one on Pinuciosciola, One of Sardines most prominent artists of contemporary times. Now Calgary has a lot of nightlife to offer for the young ones. So let me mention that I am probably too old to go to a club, but there's a lot of bars and you know, you don't even have to do anything special to just get a dose of good time. The best districts for nightlife are La Marina and Stampache. Specifically go along with Corso Vittorio Manuele Secondo Corso Vittoriole ii, where there are so many bars and pubs and small restaurants where you can have a drink and meet your friends. Now these are my favorite bars in the city. I love Florio. It's an easygoing bar in the Villanova district. Remember, it's where I live and one of the prettiest squares in Caleri. If you want to listen to live music, mostly jazz, but also rock. Outside of the city center, there's B flat in Via del Pozzetto. It's easy to get there by public transport, don't worry. Then we have to mention going on a day trip out of the city. One important thing that I have to say say is that Cagliari is a great base to explore southern Sardinia. It's so easy to get around from here, you know, you. You want to visit Barumini, the Sunuraji ruins. You want to visit the archaeological site of Nora, you want to visit the wineries. It's great to do it from here, you know, it's. Everything is within easy driving distance. You can just drive for an hour and anything is going to be right there for you. Now let me mention my favorite day trips from Cagliari. I'll start with one that I particularly enjoy. Serdiana Wineries in the village where my mom was born and raised. Still have relatives there and they do wine tasting at various wineries. Cantina Argolas is my favorite. They also have a beautiful church, Santa Maria di Siviola, which is where my parents got married, also where my sister got married, also where all my cousins and aunts got married. So you know, there is a connection here. And it's a countryside church located in the middle of nowhere, which is usually just open for events. Just go check it Out. And if you hadn't had enough of the pink flamingos in Calgary, you can visit Sustani Salihu, the salt pond in Serdiana countryside. Next to Serdiana, you can visit another beautiful Romanesque church, San Pantaleo in Dolianova. It's really, really pretty. But there are more places that you can visit easily from Calgary. Now I mentioned Sunuragi of Barumini, which is Sardinia's most impressive archaeological site. It's a UNESCO heritage site not far from it. For those of you who are traveling with children or just love nature and wildlife, make sure to go to the Giara plateau Alto Piano della Jarra. It's where one of the last few species of wild horses in Europe are living. Cavallini della Jarra. They're tiny horses, they're beautiful to see. Now you can explore on your own in the Jarrah Plateau, but I recommend hiring a guide because this is the best way that you to see the actual wildlife. And you know they have English speaking guides, so don't worry about it. Another place that you can visit on a day trip from Cagliari. Oh gosh, let me think. I want to say Porto Flavia, one of the most interesting mining sites in Sardinia is located in the Sulchis region, about an hour, an hour and 15 minutes drive from Caleri. If you're visiting in the summer, you can pair your visit with a day at Mazua Panditsucaru beach, which is a beautiful, gorgeous beach. Now you can only visit the Porto Flavia mine on a guided tour, but it's easy to book. You can do it online. You will need a card to get there, but it's totally, totally worth it. I will give you my recommendation for the best G tours in Caleri in the description of this podcast, so make sure you read that and next time we're going to talk about another city in Sardinia that I truly, truly love. Alghero. Now, if you enjoy this podcast, make sure to give it a five star review and until next time, goodbye.