Sardinia Review is a web-guide to the Italian island of Sardinia. Written exclusively in English, the guide is designed to provide ideas and inspiration for places to visit on this incredible island. Sardinia really does have a bit of everything, perhaps its standout feature comes in the shape of its hundreds of beaches with beautiful azure water that can be found on each of its coastlines. There's so much more to it than that though, it's impossible not to feel an acute sense of history with archaeological sites such as Nora, Tharros or any of the many Nuraghe sites such as the UNESCO World Heritage listed Su Nuraxi di Barumini which date back some 3,500 years. There are also 3 National Parks - the huge, sprawling Gennargentu in Nuoro Province with its diverse terrain and wildlife, the stunning La Maddalena Archipelago of islands where you'll find some of the best beaches and the very special Asinara National Park, an island where the typical resident comes in the shape of a donkey! You can't fail to be touched by the dozens of pretty villages such as Bosa or Castelsardo while cities such as Cagliari and Alghero provide their own unique charms. If you're planning a trip to Sardinia and you'd like some advice, please feel free to drop me a line via info@italyreview.com and I'll be very happy to help.
Dion Protani, founder of Sardinia Review.
Dion Protani, founder of Sardinia Review.
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Sardinia in - focusSituated on Sardinia's southern coast and directly facing Tunisia in Africa, Cagliari is the island's capital with a population of around 150,000. It's also the capital of Cagliari Province and by far the dominant city of Sardinia.
Its central location in the Tyrrhenian Sea with the Italian mainland to the east, Sicily to the south east, Corsica and France to the north and Spain to the west, has led Cagliari and Sardinia in general, to be prone to conquest and pillage. Over the centuries since its foundation around 700 BC, Cagliari itself has been under the - |
Piazza Yenne, Cagliari
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- control of the Goths, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Pisans, Spanish, Piemontese, English, Austrian and French along with endless raids by Saracen pirates. All this however, has led to a rich and diverse culture with many different influences clearly tangible in terms of the local dialects, food and architecture.
The modern-day Cagliari is divided up into 4 main districts: Castello, Marina, Stampace and Villanova. Most of the most popular sights are housed within Castello; the walled citadel constructed by the Pisans to defend against the Saracen raids. Here you'll find the Bastione di Sant Remy, from where you can gaze out on to the city and to the sea beyond, the Torre dell'Elefante watchtower and the Cattedralewhich sits at the junction of Piazza dell'Indipendenza and Piazza Palazzo.
Heading down the steps of Castello towards the sea you reach the district of Marina; very different from Castello with its more modern feel, and wide, tree-lined boulevards where you'll find some of the city's best shops.
One of the most happening spots in Cagliari is Piazza Yenne in the Stampace district where you'll find bars, restaurants, street-entertainers and a throng of people, particularly on balmy summer evenings when the locals come out for their Passeggiata (evening walk).
The final district, Villanova, is more residential than the other three but certainly warrants a brief wander where you can see some of its multi-coloured buildings and historic churches.
Away from the city centre you might like the idea of taking a dip in the sea at Poetto Beach which is a half an hour bus ride away while if you have a car I'd recommend driving up to Monte Urpinu where you can get enjoy the panoramas and get a better sense of how the city is laid-out.
Cagliari is served by an international airport (Cagliari Elmas) which is located just 10 km from the city centre and around 15 minutes by taxi/car. You can also take a train from the airport to Piazza Matteotti in around 10 minutes.
Although Cagliari is the largest city in Sardinia it's by no means big in modern terms; you can easily see everything on foot in a day and although the biggest effort could be the climb up to Castello, there is an elevator to ease the strain.
The modern-day Cagliari is divided up into 4 main districts: Castello, Marina, Stampace and Villanova. Most of the most popular sights are housed within Castello; the walled citadel constructed by the Pisans to defend against the Saracen raids. Here you'll find the Bastione di Sant Remy, from where you can gaze out on to the city and to the sea beyond, the Torre dell'Elefante watchtower and the Cattedralewhich sits at the junction of Piazza dell'Indipendenza and Piazza Palazzo.
Heading down the steps of Castello towards the sea you reach the district of Marina; very different from Castello with its more modern feel, and wide, tree-lined boulevards where you'll find some of the city's best shops.
One of the most happening spots in Cagliari is Piazza Yenne in the Stampace district where you'll find bars, restaurants, street-entertainers and a throng of people, particularly on balmy summer evenings when the locals come out for their Passeggiata (evening walk).
The final district, Villanova, is more residential than the other three but certainly warrants a brief wander where you can see some of its multi-coloured buildings and historic churches.
Away from the city centre you might like the idea of taking a dip in the sea at Poetto Beach which is a half an hour bus ride away while if you have a car I'd recommend driving up to Monte Urpinu where you can get enjoy the panoramas and get a better sense of how the city is laid-out.
Cagliari is served by an international airport (Cagliari Elmas) which is located just 10 km from the city centre and around 15 minutes by taxi/car. You can also take a train from the airport to Piazza Matteotti in around 10 minutes.
Although Cagliari is the largest city in Sardinia it's by no means big in modern terms; you can easily see everything on foot in a day and although the biggest effort could be the climb up to Castello, there is an elevator to ease the strain.
THINGS TO SEE IN SARDINIATo help you make sense of the places you'd like to visit when you come here we've categorised the main sights under headings such as Beaches, Islands, Cities and Archaeological Sites among others.
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SARDINIA ACCOMMODATIONWith such a vast array of accommodation to choose from we've provided a Booking.com search engine where you can choose from the widest possible collection of Sardinia Hotels, B&Bs or Villas.
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