One Day in Cagliari, Sardinia for Culture and History
- Maria DiCicco
- Nov 5, 2025
- 8 min read
Updated: Mar 25
Whether you arrive in Cagliari by ferry boat, cruise ship, or passing through en route to other island attractions, the Sardinian city is full of culture and history to discover.
Below, find underground historical sites in Cagliari, natural attractions, old town sites, walking areas and more.
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The Perfect Day in CagliariWhether you are traveling to Cagliari with kids, a multi-generational family situation, as a couple or solo, all of these great attractions in Cagliari will call to you. An ideal day in Cagliari will include:
Learn about these attractions and more below! Need a place to stay for one day in Cagliari? Here are my picks: |
Underground History in Cagliari
There is quite the fascination with catacombs and ancient necropoli around Sardinia, and you can easily find yourself stumbling in the dark through crypts and creepy tunnels. Cagliari has no shortage of offerings for this, too!
Cripta di Santa Restituta
Part of the Cagliari Underground Tour, the Crypt of Santa Restituta is one not to be missed. The stone passageways are spooky fun for families with kids, and the stories of lives lost in this place are sobering yet interesting to read.
We were fortunate to listen in on the Sunday mass while we were underground, hearing the almost ghostly sounds of the choir singing above us in the church, echoing through the chamber walls. Very unique experience!
Find the crypts behind the Chiesa Collegiata di Sant'Anna, accessible at a street level entrance (not in the church!).
Museo del Tesoro e Area Archeologica di Sant'Eulalia
Underneath the Chiesa di Sant’Eulalia church, discover more underground history on elevated pathways. Your ticket also includes a visit to their in-depth museum. Be sure to see some of the artwork upstairs.
We found this self-guided tour to be worth a look, especially interesting as our first museum in Sardinia. Understand more about the island's past, and the people who lived there through ample signage (in English!) and an audio tour, if you choose to download it at the entrance.
Access the museum by entering the church up the main entry steps, or there is a convenient entrance directly behind the building.
Rifugio Anti Aereo Don Bosco
This hard to access area served as an underground bomb shelter for WWII. Now, it is only possible to see it as part of an arranged tour.
Natural Attractions in Cagliari
Conti Vecchi Saltworks in Cagliari
For something different, take the Cagliari Salt Flats Train and Tour to visit the local salt pans of the Santa Gilla Basin.
This tour was quite unique, having been to much more basic salt flats in both Malta and Mexico. It started with a visit to the old office buildings, and they provided an incredible introductory video explaining the history of the salt flats.
Interestingly enough, the Conti Vecchi saltworks were constructed to ward of malaria from all of the mosquitos near Cagliari. The men in Sardinia were said to be some of the smallest in Italy due to malaria, with small chest sizes making many of the men ineligible to enlist in the military. Really interesting!
After the video, which shared the happy history of the salt village and led into the war time upset, we eventually got out to see more antiques and video explanations before hopping on a train around the saltworks.
The train was an enjoyable and informative ride, and we did see the production end to end - including pink pools and salt mountains.
On the tour you may even spot flamingos too!
I highly recommend this tour, which can be booked online in advance through their website. Plan for 2+ hours, as the tour itself is 2 hours - plus you need to leave time to browse the souvenirs!
Cagliari Botanical Gardens
A peaceful walking place, the Botanical Gardens are great for a stroll in a natural setting.
Old Town Cagliari Things to Do and Historic Sites
Cattedrale Di Santa Cecilia
This stunning cathedral has incredible interiors worth a visit to see. Be sure to enjoy a visit to the lower level of the cathedral, where you'll find a gorgeous crypt. Note that this crypt is not like the ones mentioned above (mostly stone and cold tunnels), this crypt is a further extension of the ornate church above.
Necropoli di Tuvixeddu
The largest Phoenician-Punic necropolis in the Mediterranean rests here, surprisingly close to the city center. Visit on a guided tour for the best historical anecdotes, but there are a few parking spaces onsite/nearby if you have a car and want to explore on your own.
We found this to be an absolutely gorgeous stop for our one day in Cagliari itinerary. The green spaces and flowers greeted us with warmth, while the ancient tombs filled us with wonder and awe.
It was kind of poetic - the contrast of life and death in this place.
Truly a magnificent place even just for a stroll, we spent more time than I would have expected (close to an hour!). Take your time looking at the variety of tombs, some which you can get very up close to.
If not already familiar with the surprising amount of wild herbs in Sardinia, step up close to smell the fragrant wild rosemary, growing larger than I could have ever imagined rosemary could grow.
With super clean bathrooms and wide open spaces to breathe in fresh air (not to mention great views of the water), this is on my 'must-see' list in Cagliari.
Admission is free and the site is open year-round to visit these fascinating ancient tombs.
Castello di San Michele
This castle above the city is best viewed from the exterior, with some reviewers claiming that the inside isn't really worth the admission fee. If you have a car, I suggest making the time to visit, otherwise this is rather far from the city (especially if you are on foot!).
Bastione di Saint Remy
This scenic overlook serves as a great point of the city to soak in the sweeping vistas, and take a moment of pause (you are going to need it if you entered by way of the primary steps!
When we visited there was one busker playing some music for our entertainment, but there was nothing else up there as far as souvenir vendors or beverage opportunities. It was very windy up there, so hold on to your hat!
Treat this place like a scenic viewpoint of the city.
Roman Amphitheatre of Cagliari
While many Tripadvisor reviews suggest that this site is not worth visiting, if you haven't seen many of these around Europe before (I live part time in Zaragoza, Spain, where our Roman amphitheater is amazing), this could be worth a stop. You cannot go very far into the exhibit, but you can snap some photos and ooh and aah at its grandeur, as it is still very much an impressive site to see.
You can also purchase a combo ticket for multiple Cagliari sites at 8 euros per person, which includes:
The Roman Amphitheatre
Crypt of Santa Restituta
Covered Walkway and Sperone Gallery (at Bastione Saint Remy)
The combo ticket is valid for 1 week.
Basilica di San Saturnino
Built on top of an ancient necropolis, this site is a combination of a fascinating church visit with the wonder of discovering ancient excavations of the ruins below. Very interesting and worth some time if you are nearby. Note that this site is closed on Sundays.
The Royal Palace
Cagliari's Royal Palace can be visited for a few euros entry fee, and several rooms are open to visitors to see. Ornate and opulent, it is a nice stop if you enjoy a look into the beautiful interior trappings of the past.
Museo Archeologico Nazionale
In a past life I wanted to be like Indiana Jones, so for me archaeological museums are a real treat. This one in Cagliari is full of fascinating artifiacts, and helps to set the stage for further exploration around Sardinia.
City Walking Areas
Villanova
With narrow lanes and colorfully painted homes, this is an enjoyable neighborhood to walk through. You can easily access this neighborhood at the base of the Bastione di Saint Remy, following the route on towards the Basilica di San Saturnino, and onward to the Civic Market of San Bennedetto.
Piazza Yenne
Coined as the central heart of Cagliari, here is where you will find restaurants to dine al fresco, and busy crowds of folks going to and fro. Many people like to start here as a base for hotels and restaurants.
The night scene here is bustling early during apertivo time, and the street nearby leading into it is too, at Corso Vittorio Emmanuele II. There were loads of people spilling onto the street in outside cafes. It's the place to be!
If you want something more quiet, just branch off those main lanes and find hidden gems everywhere!
Via Roma
This walking arcade is full of shops and restaurants and is one of the main arteries of the city. Near to our accommodations for the night, we strolled past souvenir shops and bakeries aplenty, but I think the bigger commotion was more along the above passageways.
Poetto Beach
Whether for a swim, a stroll or a seaside lunch, this famed beach is a gorgeous spot to spend some time relaxing in the sun.
There were several beach bars, and the surf was calm for wading or swimming.
Behind the beach you can also find restaurants, pedestrian areas, and food trucks to enjoy your takeaway panini on the sand.
I personally recommend making a restaurant reservation for Antica Cagliari Lungomare Terrazza. With a second floor sea view, this restaurant had a Miami Vice vibe, with extraordinary seafood.
We chose to dine here for our final meal in Sardinia, and it did not disappoint!
Note that Poetto Beach is about 25 minutes from the airport and is not in the same central area as many of the other sites on this list.
Get Out of Town
Not far from town, you'll want to visit the Roman Ruins of Nora. Splendid enough for its coastal location south of Cagliari, this ancient Roman City is quite unique.
We have visited Ostia Antica near Rome's Civitavecchia port, which is very well preserved, but Nora has enough of a baseline to really be able to envision the whole city as it once was.
For instance, there was a circular walking route with signs showing 3D depictions of what you saw before you - often ornate mosaic floors and the foundation blocks of buildings.
The theater and many columns stood proudly as a reminder of the city that once stood there, and it is a very good visit!
This is a must-see, but tough to pair in with one day in Cagliari. Take a tour to pack it all in, and you don't need to fuss over transportation.
Beyond Nora, there's even more to see, but it will be more than can be accomplished with just one day in Cagliari. Instead, plan for a few days in the area to explore the areas of Sant'Antioco, Tharros, and beyond. Sardinia has so much to see!
Where to Stay in Cagliari
There are a LOT of cute places. These are my top picks:
We stayed at Only Rooms IV, which was a quick 2 minute walk from the free (included in your rate) parking lot and located conveniently along the Via Roma.
The stay was comfortable and charming, with a hundred year old elevator and great balcony views of the sea.
For more on where to stay around the Island, stay tuned for upcoming Sardinia articles!
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