SARDINIA HOTEL SUITES & RESTAURANT
Cagliari
Welcome to the city of sunshine and sweet living
Overlooking the crystal-clear sea of southern Sardinia and a colony of ancient peoples who have left signs of their passage, including the Romans, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Byzantines, through to the Aragonese and the Spanish, Cagliari offers you a mild climate all year round and endless opportunities for recreation, with churches everywhere, squares hovering over the landscape where you can enjoy aperitifs, designer boutiques and workshops of master craftsmen (enchanting ceramics, weaving and jewellery), multiethnic, multicultural, technological, immersed in nature, surrounded by salt pans, ponds and lagoons, so much so that you can blend in with the water, it is the ideal place to enjoy the pleasures of life.
Discover the charm of the Stampace neighbourhoods, Marina, Villanova and Castello with the Pisan towers of San Pancrazio and dell’Elefante, dating back to the very early 14th century, the Citadel of Museums with the Archaeological Museum, the National Picture Gallery and the Museum of Siamese Art, the Bastion of Saint Remy with its spectacular panoramic terrace, the Viceroy Palace, the Cathedral of Santa Maria, the Cloister of San Domenico and theRoman Amphitheatre, half dug into the rock, with its summer shows under the stars. The archaeological area of Tuvixeddu, the largest Punic necropolis in the world, theOrto dei Cappuccini, the Botanical Garden and the Villa di Tigellio are all worth visiting, the Monte Claro Park and the Public Gardens with the Municipal Art Gallery housing the Ingrao Collection and the Collection of 20th-century Sardinian Artists such as Ciusa, Dessy, Figari, Nivola, Sciola and Maria Lai, the Buoncammino Promenade, from where you can admire a beautiful sunset, all within 5 minutes from the hotel.
Cagliari will amaze you with its charming cobbled streets of artisan workshops, the exhibitions and shows, the antique markets, the summer shopping under the stars and the fun nightlife full of young people, the typical gastronomy from sea and land, which can also be enjoyed among the stalls of the picturesque covered market of San Benedetto, the largest in Italy and among the largest in Europe with two floors of fresh produce from the sea and the land and 300 colourful stalls of perfumes and tastings, the fashionable bars with their outdoor tables on the ramparts, the fascination of ancient traditions such as the ritual processions of Easter Holy Week, moving in the final moment of S’Incontru, and the solemn feast of Sant’Efisio, who has his home in Stampace, among alleys, crypts and flowering verandas, soldier and martyr who saved the city from the plague; every first of May, since 1655, the festival in his honour, recognised as ‘Cultural Heritage of Humanity‘ byUnesco, takes place. It lasts five days in a blaze of ox-drawn carts adorned with flowers, traditional costumes, music by the ancient instrument of the launeddas and rose petals.
The Fish Festival in the village of Giorgino is not to be missed, the rich concert, opera and ballet season at the Teatro Lirico, the comedies at the Teatro Massimo or the Teatro Civico in Castello, the theatre and dance festivals at the Teatro delle Saline at the Piccolo Auditorium, cultural events, literary or music festivals and major sports and entertainment events. Also of great interest are visits to the early Christian Basilica of San Saturnino, the Sanctuary and Basilica of Nostra Signora di Bonaria, the MEM (Mediateca del Mediterraneo), a cultural centre housing a library and media library of the new millennium that is very popular with young people, the Cloister and Crypt of San Domenico, the Palazzo Civico, and the Church of Sant’Efisio, the underground crypts of Sant’Efisio and Santa Restituta, the temporary exhibitions and events often held in the historic and fascinating city cultural centres of the Lazzaretto di Sant’Elia, the Exmà, the Ghetto and the Palazzo di Città in Castello, the Castello di San Michele and the Search in the Palazzo Civico’s basement.
To fully enjoy a holiday in Cagliari one must not neglect, in addition to the sea, a visit to the natural wonders the city offers, with its parks, including the newly created Nervi Park, the Gardens and the seven hills, including Monte Urpinu, from which there is a spectacular view of the unmissable Molentargius Nature Reserve with its salt marshes, tree-lined parks, river paths and the thousands of pink flamingos that make their home and nest there, a rare example in the world of an ecosystem and one of the most important nature reserves in Europe, with 1.600 hectares of fresh and salt water basins, sandy plains, protected species and rare vegetation, it is a dream destination for every birdwatcher, the Colle di San Michele with its medieval castle of the same name, illuminated at night, 5 minutes from the Sardegna Hotel, Calamosca and the Sella del Diavolo an uncontaminated promontory overlooking the sea where you can walk or cycle along paths of great natural and archaeological value, from which you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the splendid ten-kilometre white sandy beach of Poetto (among the most beautiful and cleanest urban beaches in the world) and the Gulf of Cagliari, also known as the Gulf of Angels.
For the more sporty and sea lovers, Cagliari offers plenty of opportunities for sports and exciting outdoor activities, such as kayaking, hobie cat, kite surfing, stand-up paddle boarding, dinghies, wave surfing, sport fishing, snorkelling, canoeing, scuba diving, beach tennis, beach volleyball, mountain biking, nature excursions on foot, by bike or on horseback, golf, sailing courses for adults and children … and many other activities, so much so that it has been awarded the title of European Capital of Sport. The Luna Rossa team has been seduced by the city and its Gulf to such an extent that they have made it their permanent base where they prepare the America’s Cup competition. In the port of Cagliari it can also happen to spot dolphins.
A few kilometres from the city there are many other attractions, archaeological, cultural and natural sites, including the Su Nuraxi Palace in Barumini, the most important monument of the Nuragic civilisation in Sardinia, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997 and dating back to 1478 BC.C, the spectacular archaeological site on the sea of the Nuragic and then Punic foundation of Nora from the 9th-8th centuries BC, with its lagoon, the Punic city of Monte Sirai, the medieval Castle of Sanluri, the ancient limestone statues dating back 3,000 years of the Giants of Mont’e Prama, a unique case in the world, warriors, archers, boxers over two metres tall exhibited at the Civic Museum of Cabras and the Citadel of Museums in Cagliari, the Giara di Gesturi and its park, inhabited by wild horses, unique in Europe, and Sardinia’s most beautiful beaches, including the famous beaches of Tuerredda, Mari Pintau, Cala Regina, Santa Margherita di Pula, Cala Cipolla, Su Giudeu in Chia, Costa Rei Porto Giunco and Punta Molentis in the Marine Protected Area of Capo Carbonara in Villasimius with the Islands of Cavoli and Serpentara, the fascinating mines and abandoned villages of the Sulcis-Iglesiente Geominerary Park, unique in Europe, a rare example of industrial archaeology, including the mines of Monteponi Montevecchio, Galleria Henry and Sebariu, the naturalistic oasis of Monte Arcosu, that of the Sette Fratelli and Monte Linas, with spectacular waterfalls, streams, flora and fauna of rare beauty, the famous caves, including that of Is Zuddas in Santadi, dating back some 530 million years.
The Sardegna Hotel is the ideal base from which to discover Cagliari in every season, strategically located, 5 minutes by car from the historic centre, the airport and the Castello district with the Cittadella dei Musei and many other places of interest, 10 minutes from the superb Poetto beach with its adjoining pedestrian and bicycle promenade, with a taxi stop at the hotel, well served by public transport, from which you can easily reach the renowned beaches and places to visit in southern Sardinia, appreciating the virtues of the city, on your own or with the help and assistance of the hotel’s Concierge, at your disposal 24 hours a day, who will be able to advise you on the most evocative corners of the city and the visits not to be missed, even in the surrounding area.
At the Sardegna Hotel, Suites & Restaurant, you will spend a special holiday of leisure and relaxation… if you wish, you will have the opportunity to go on individual and group excursions, also with the help of expert guides, with free pick-up at the hotel, free bicycles, rent scooters, scooters, cars, rubber dinghies, sailboats or motorboats.
