Cagliari

There are a selection of inviting boutique hotels in Cagliari that complement the range of pleasant and modern four-star accommodation. The Place Cagliari (Via Sant'Efisio 59/61) offers delightfully decorated rooms, many of which feature wood-beamed ceilings, and you'll find similar touches of class at the Cagliari Boutique Rooms (Via Garibaldi 105). The Maison Miramare Boutique Hotel (Via Roma 59) is a three-star offering that is filled with artwork and found close to the harbour, while the excellent B&B Marina Di Castello (Via Roma 75A) lies just down the road.

Cagliari’s marina is the main focus of the city’s shopping scene, which features plenty of high-street brands and unique boutiques that permeate Largo Carlo Felice and the arcades of attractively palm-lined Via Roma. Bathe in the radiating glow of Italian style at upmarket boutiques such as Volonté (Largo Carlo Felice 40), or at renowned department store la Rinascente (Via Roma 143). The second Sunday of the month provides the opportunity to seek out some bargains at an antique and bric-a-brac market (Piazza Carlo Alberto), one of the city’s several flea markets, while foodies should head to the vast San Benedetto (Via Francesco Cocco Ortu) food market for traditional Sardinian treats.

Cagliari offers a great dining scene to delve into, with plenty of opportunities to sample Sardinia’s distinctive cuisine, which includes regola (small balls of pasta), culurgioines (pasta stuffed with potatoes and mint), and lashings of tasty cheeses and fresh seafood. The latter can certainly be explored at Ristorante Al Porto (Via Sardegna 44) or Monica e Ahmed (Vittorio Emanuele 119), which both put the local catch to good use on their menus. There are many places to enjoy a cheap meal out in simple and relaxed settings, at Pizzeria il Porcile (Via Porcile 9) for instance, where a pizza and drinks for lunch costs under €10.

Cagliari Carnival

February/March

A range of parties, celebrations and costumes mark the onset of Cagliari’s Lent celebrations. Expect colourful parades featuring locals donning traditional masks for varying rolls such as tiàulus (the devils) and sa panettèra (the baker).

Settimana Santa

March/April

There is a strong feeling of ceremony and solemnity throughout Cagliari’s commemoration of Holy Week, with the stunning processions of Good Friday and Easter Sunday particular highlights.

Festival of Sant’Efisio

1 May

Back in the 17th century the patron saint of Sardinia is said to have saved Cagliari from the plague, and so on 1 May each year vibrant parades make their way along the city’s flower-lined streets to mark this feat. A golden ox-drawn coach bears an effigy of the saint, the arrival of which is marked by horns and sirens from ships docked in the port.

Cagliari Open Monument

May

A selection of Cagliari’s finest architectural edifices are opened up for public access around the city, which are usually classed as out of bounds.

Rosso Tango Art Festival

July

Visitors to this lively celebration of dance can take part in tango events, or milongas, in addition to yoga and ballet classes, while also taking in the range of tango performances and contests.