Discovering South Sardinia
1. Cagliari and the Great Sardinian Arteries (SS131 and SS125)
The main access point for the south of the island is Cagliari, reachable by air via Elmas Airport or by sea through the commercial port. The city is built on hills, with the fortified Castello district dominating the Gulf of Angels. The island's two historic arteries branch out from Cagliari: the SS131 (Carlo Felice) and the SS125 (Orientale Sarda).
The 131 traces the ancient Roman "Karalis-Turris Libisonis" axis, modernized in the 19th century by King Carlo Felice to unite the south to the north, crossing agricultural landscapes and the Campidano plains. The 125 is a masterpiece of road engineering set between mountains and the sea. Originally built to connect isolated villages on the east coast, it offers rugged landscapes, deep gorges, and breathtaking coastal views.
- Main Festival: Feast of Sant'Efisio (Cagliari, May 1-4), the largest religious procession on the island.
- Navigation: Cagliari Airport, Cagliari - Castello District.
2. The South-West Coast: Pula, Chia, and Porto Pino
Heading west, the first stop is Pula. Here you will find the wonderful archaeological area of Nora, one of the first Phoenician cities (later Punic and Roman), founded directly on the sea (Info and Tickets Nora). Continuing along the coast, you reach Chia, famous for its peach-colored sand beaches, turquoise waters, and a lagoon frequented by pink flamingos. Further west is Porto Pino, famous for its very high white sand dunes (Is Arenas Biancas) overlooking a Caribbean-like sea and surrounded by an Aleppo pine forest.
- Main Festival: Feast of San Giovanni Battista (Pula, June).
- Navigation: Nora Archaeological Site, Chia Beach, Porto Pino Dunes.
3. A Piece of Liguria in Sardinia: Carloforte
The Island of San Pietro, with its only inhabited center Carloforte, is a Ligurian cultural enclave in Sardinian territory. It was colonized in 1738 by coral fishermen originally from Pegli (Genoa) coming from the Tunisian island of Tabarca. Even today, the Tabarchin dialect is spoken, and the cuisine blends pesto, focaccia, and local tuna.
How to arrive: The island can only be reached by sea. Ferries (Delcomar company) depart from the ports of Portovesme (about 40 minutes crossing) or Calasetta (on the Island of Sant'Antioco, about 30 minutes). You can bring your car on board (Delcomar Timetables and Tickets).
- Main Festival: Girotonno (June), an international gastronomic event dedicated to bluefin tuna.
- Navigation: Portovesme Boarding, Calasetta Boarding, Carloforte Center.
4. The Mining Epic: Iglesias and Porto Flavia
Returning to the main island, you enter the Sulcis-Iglesiente region. Iglesias is a city of medieval origin that became the nerve center of Sardinian mining. The Iglesias coast hosts an unparalleled engineering masterpiece: Porto Flavia. It is not a mine, but a loading port suspended halfway up a cliff dropping into the sea, built in 1924 to load minerals directly onto ships, facing the suggestive Pan di Zucchero sea stack (Info and Tickets Porto Flavia).
- Main Festivals: I Candelieri (Iglesias, August 15) and Holy Week Rites (with deep Spanish inspiration).
- Navigation: Iglesias Historic Center, Porto Flavia.
5. Returning via the 131 and the South-East Coast (Villasimius and Costa Rei)
To close the loop towards the southeast, it is interesting to return along a section of the SS131. Along the route, near Villanovaforru, is the Nuraghe Gennamaria, a trilobate complex located on a hilltop offering visual control from the Gulf of Cagliari to the Gulf of Oristano (Info and Tickets Gennamaria).
Returning to the Cagliari area and taking the start of the scenic SS125, you reach the pearls of the southeast. Villasimius, with the Capo Carbonara Marine Protected Area, offers spectacular beaches like Porto Giunco, where the sea is separated from the Notteri pond by a thin strip of sand. Continuing north, you enter Costa Rei, characterized by over 8 kilometers of uninterrupted beach dominated by the granite profile of Monte Nai.
- Main Festival: Feast of the Madonna del Naufrago (Villasimius, July).
- Navigation: Nuraghe Gennamaria, Villasimius - Porto Giunco, Costa Rei.
