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Sardinia · Italy
Sardinia’s capital, with a hilltop old town less than a mile from the pier.
Climb to the Castello quarter for the Saint Remy Bastion terrace and the Roman Amphitheatre, then swim at Poetto Beach or watch the pink flamingos at Molentargius.
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See Old Town
Castello, about 0.8 mile from the pier
A monumental complex on the medieval walls, with the Umberto I terrace as a viewpoint. The Covered Walkway opened in 1902; a ticket for it and the Sperone Gallery starts at €3.
See the Bastion Details (opens a new tab)Unwind Beach
Poetto, about 3 to 4 miles from the pier
More than 4 miles of fine sand under the Sella del Diavolo headland, with wooden beach kiosks along the strip. CTM bus PQ runs there from Piazza Matteotti.
Read About Poetto (opens a new tab)Taste Market
Piazza Nazzari, about 1.5 miles from the pier
The city calls San Benedetto Italy’s largest covered market. While the old hall is restored, about 170 traders work in a temporary hall, open Monday to Friday 7 AM to 2 PM and Saturday to 3 PM; closed Sunday.
See Market Details (opens a new tab)Explore Roman Ruins
Buon Cammino hill, about 1.2 miles from the pier
Carved into the rock in the 1st to 2nd century AD, it held about 10,000 spectators. The arena is closed for restoration, but a walkway gives a close view. Tickets are €3.
See Visiting Details (opens a new tab)Skip the excursion desk
Every cruise ship docks at the Molo Rinascita in the city port, so the route to town is the same for all: shuttle to the gate, then walk.
The airport is about 4 miles from the pier in a straight line.
Cruise parking is a fenced, monitored lot on the Molo Rinascita, a few steps from the terminal. Costa and MSC passengers pay €90 a week for a car or €110 for a camper or van, by card or cash on the day. Book at parking@cagliaricruiseport.it or +39 070 660 323. The port has no luggage storage.
If you do one thing here
The Molentargius-Saline Regional Park covers nearly 4,000 acres between Cagliari and Quartu Sant’Elena, facing the Poetto seafront. Pink flamingos are the park’s symbol, and the city says they live there all year round.
Entry is free and the park is open every day. The Infopoint on Via La Palma, about 2.2 miles from the pier, rents binoculars for €1. CTM buses from Piazza Matteotti run to the park and on to Poetto.
Yes, you can walk from the ship to the old town. Crime in the Cagliari area is well below the Italian average.
Crime: Istat, BES dei territori 2025 (Sardegna, Table 7), reports per 100,000 residents, 2023, for Cagliari province within its pre-2006 borders; percentages are our sums. Weather: WMO World Weather Information Service, Italian Air Force Met Service, 1971–2000 averages for Cagliari. Distances: straight lines from OpenStreetMap coordinates.
Make it part of your voyage
Costa Toscana, MSC Splendida and MSC Musica call most often in 2026.
At the Molo Rinascita in the city port, where the cruise terminal opened in 2016. On busy days ships may also use the Molo Sabaudo and Molo Ichnusa quays.
Take the free shuttle bus from the ship to the port gate, then walk to Piazza Matteotti, which the port calls a five-minute walk. City buses and trains leave from the square.
The port puts the city center about half a mile away. Piazza Matteotti is about 0.55 mile from the Molo Rinascita in a straight line.
Yes. Piazza Matteotti is about 0.55 mile and the Saint Remy Bastion 0.8 mile in a straight line. Castello is uphill; the city suggests the stairs from Piazza Yenne.
Take the train from Elmas Airport station to Cagliari station on Piazza Matteotti, a five-minute walk from the port. It takes 7 to 9 minutes and costs €1.30. A daytime taxi to the center has a minimum fare of €17.
The meter starts at €3.00 and the minimum fare is €6.00. Night and holiday rides add €3.00. Fixed fares from the airport to city districts run from €17 to €27. The city has asked to raise these rates.
Walk up to Castello for the Saint Remy Bastion and the Cathedral, then on to the Roman Amphitheatre, about 1.2 miles from the pier. The city’s cruise-day route adds the Botanical Garden and a bus to the flamingos and Poetto.
Take CTM bus PQ from Piazza Matteotti, or PQ or PF from the Via Roma stops by the port. Both run along the Poetto seafront.
Istat figures for 2023 put Cagliari province 85% below Italy's rate for pickpocketing reports and 54% below for robbery. The UK Foreign Office warns of pickpockets in city centers and at main train stations.
The city’s own route for cruise passengers: walk up to Castello from Piazza Yenne, see the Roman Amphitheatre and the Botanical Garden, then take a bus to the flamingos at Molentargius and to Poetto.
