What to Do in South Sardinia: Idyllic Beaches to Historic Towns

• Wander the Ancient Streets of Cagliari
• Walk Through the Roman Ruins at Nora
• Explore Some of Sardinia’s Finest Beaches
• Rent a Boat to Explore Secret Coves
• Hike the Sarrabus and Sulcis Mountains
• Discover the Is Zuddas Caves
• Visit Sant'Antioco and San Pietro Islands

Cagliari, the arrival point for most visitors to southern Sardinia, deserves more than a cursory glance. This underrated capital city spans four historic quarters in its centre, where layers of the past reveal themselves at every turn: fortified towers and bastions, a 13th-century cathedral, a Roman amphitheatre still embedded in the hillside. 

Between the architectural landmarks you'll find:

• A botanical garden, Orto Botanico di Cagliari, home to over 2,000 species of plants and vegetation.
• An archaeological museum displaying treasures from across the island.
• Molentargius Park, where flamingos wade through shallow lagoons.

The city also claims several beaches, a vibrant food market, and a generous spread of restaurants, cafés and bars.

The Nuragic people, who built their distinctive stone towers across Sardinia from the 16th century BCE onwards, left a substantial archaeological footprint in the south. Well-preserved examples include Monte Sirai, perched on a hill overlooking Carbonia, and the Tomb of the Giants Is Concias, located just beyond Cagliari's outskirts.

Later arrivals, the Phoenicians, established coastal settlements and trading hubs before being overtaken by the Romans, who characteristically built upon what they found. You’ll see the evidence of this layering at Nora, near Pula on the coast south of Cagliari.

Set on a narrow promontory jutting into the sea, the site has yielded treasures including the Nora Stone, a Phoenician-inscribed stele now displayed in Cagliari's archaeological museum. Walking through the ruins today, visitors encounter a remarkably complete picture of ancient urban life: a temple, a theatre built for an audience of 1,000, a villa with intricate mosaic floors, thermal baths, a burial ground and the remnants of an aqueduct system.

The southern coastline is what draws most visitors, and with good reason. Wide expanses of pale sand run for kilometres. Some of the most alluring beaches you’ll ever see are in South Sardinia, this includes:

• Costa Rei
• Spiaggia del Poetto
• Santa Margherita di Pula (close to three of our villas)
• Su Giudeu
• Porto Pino

All of which you can wander at your leisure, or you can book a private yacht charter to venture further into the deep blues. 

Smaller, more dramatic inlets punctuate the shoreline at La Cipolla, Cala de Sa Perda Longa, Piscinni, and Capo Zafferano.

Certain coves, Capo Zafferano among them, can only be reached by water, which makes hiring a small boat for a day or two one of the more rewarding ways to experience the coast.

The shoreline is also marked by shallow lagoons, separated from the open sea by narrow sand bars. These brackish pools attract flocks of flamingos, and birdwatchers or anyone charmed by the sight of long-legged waders will find them worth seeking out.

Sardinia’s varied terrain means that you can move between marina and mountain in under two hours, shifting your surroundings from azure blue waters to dense forests. 

There are three mountain ranges to roam as you move away from the coast. The Sarrabus range to the northeast of Cagliari, the Sulcis overlooking the island's southernmost point, and Monte Linas Oridda Marganai, a protected regional park along the southwest coast. All three remain largely untouched, their forested slopes laced with hiking paths that lead past gorges, cascading water, ancient stone structures, summits exceeding 1,000 metres, and sweeping panoramas.

Tucked into the western foothills of the Sulcis range, the Is Zuddas caves offer a different kind of exploration. A half-kilometre walking route guides visitors through several of the chambers, which are open to the public year-round.

Two islands lie just off Sardinia's southwestern coast. Sant'Antioco, the larger, is linked to the mainland by a narrow causeway. San Pietro, smaller and only reachable by ferry, sits a short distance beyond. Both served as outposts for successive waves of colonisers: Phoenicians, Carthaginians and Romans all left traces here, and excavations continue to unearth valuable finds.

The island of Sant'Antioco takes its name from the saint buried there, Sardinia's patron, whose church and subterranean catacombs still draw pilgrims. San Pietro has a different character, shaped by Tunisian fishermen and coral divers who settled in the 16th century, followed by Genoese fishing families a hundred years later. Their combined influence is still evident in the dialect, food and customs practised today.

Tuna fishing remains central to island life. Along the shoreline you'll spot tonnare, the traditional processing stations where red tuna is landed using methods unchanged for generations. Much of the catch is exported to Japan, where it commands premium prices in the sushi trade.

Both islands offer rewarding coastal exploration by private boat, their wild interiors giving way to sandy stretches, sheer cliffs, narrow fjord-like inlets and secluded swimming spots.

Whether you're drawn to ancient archaeological sites, pristine coastline or mountain walks, there are endless things to do in South Sardinia. For those planning a stay in the region, explore our collection of luxury villas in Sardinia to find the perfect base for your southern adventure.