Cagliari Car Rental

Cagliari, the capital of Sardinia, overlooks both the south and east of the Mediterranean Sea. It draws its identity from the great diversity of its territory, which ranges from mountainous areas to beautiful coastlines, rich in beaches and caves.

Defined by the writer David Herbert Lawrence as “a white Jerusalem, a naked town rising steep, steep, golden looking and stony”, Cagliari has a great historical and artistic heritage as well as naturalistic sites of rare beauty such as the Molentargius-Saline Regional Nature Park, the promontory of Sella del Diavolo and the magnificent Poetto beach, over 8 km long.

There are many things to visit in Cagliari and the surrounding area, and the best way to discover them all is certainly by car, which will allow you to get away from the classic tourist destinations.

What to see in Cagliari: itinerary of the historical centre

If you want to discover Cagliari and its territory by car, we suggest you rent a car directly in the city, so you can have the freedom to reach Sardinia by boat or by plane.

To rent a car in Cagliari you can go to Maggiore, which has two locations in the city, one at the Elmas airport and the other in Viale Monastrin.

Choosing Maggiore means relying on a professional and experienced company that has a fleet of 12,300 cars, all carefully checked and perfectly cleaned and sanitised.

Depending on your needs, you can rent a city car or a sedan and start visiting Cagliari from the Castello district, where you will find some symbolic monuments such as the magnificent Bastion of Saint Remy. From here you can also enjoy a captivating view of the city, the Cathedral of Santa Maria, a splendid Gothic building erected in the 13th century, and the Towers of San Pancrazio and the Elephant, both made of white Bonaria limestone.

A must-see is the Cittadella dei Musei, the city’s museum centre which includes sites of interest such as the archaeological museum and the National Art Gallery. You can buy a souvenir in one of the many local craft shops.

In about 10 minutes by car you can reach another historic district, the Marina in the harbour area. From here, you can admire historic buildings and ancient churches, and also spend an afternoon shopping and tasting good food.

After enjoying a lunch sampling some of Cagliari’s local specialties such as malloreddus or culingionis, you can head to the Sanctuary of Nostra Signora di Bonaria, a complex of two churches and a monastery in Gothic-Catalan style. You can then end your visit to the city at the San Benedetto market, which offers the best food products in Cagliari.

Cagliari beaches and surrounding areas

A car is essential to reach the most beautiful beaches of Cagliari and its surroundings.

Starting from the city beaches, the first one to visit is Poetto, which extends for 8 km from the Sella del Diavolo to the coastline of Quartu Sant’Elena. Here you can not only enjoy a few hours of relaxation but also take a walk along a beautiful path on the Calamosca promontory.

You can then reach the opposite side of Sella del Diavolo, where the beaches of Calamosca and Cala Fighera await you. The first is ideal for snorkelling, the second is perfect for enjoying the sun.

If you take the SS125, you will reach another dream beach, Cala Regina. Located in Terramala, where you can enjoy a very blue sea and immerse yourself in the charm of the Mediterranean scrub.

The beaches near Cagliari to be discovered include the Mari Pintau (Painted Sea) beach, so-called because of the beauty of its sea, the Solanas beach, about 35 km from Cagliari, very popular with those who love underwater fishing and surfing, the Porto Giungo beach, which is located near the famous pond of Notteri, habitat of the pink flamingo, and the Punta Molentis beach, a real natural paradise on the south-east coast of Cagliari.

With a rental car you can easily move to the south-western side and visit the beaches of Chia, namely Su Giudeu and Cala Cipolla, and then end your itinerary on the beach of Tuerredda, located between Capo Malfatano and Capo Spartivento.

Villages near Cagliari to visit

In addition to the beaches, there are many villages to discover in the area surrounding Cagliari.

Your car tour in the province of Cagliari must include a stop in Pula, a real jewel whose beautiful historical centre and coast is joined by the fascinating archaeological area of Nora, with the remains of the ancient Phoenician city founded in the 8th century BC.

On the opposite side, Quartu Sant’Elena is worth seeing, where you can immerse yourself in the history of the Sardinian rural civilisation and Villasimius, a locality renowned for its natural beauty and important testimonies of the pre-Nuragic period, such as the magnificent Domus de Janas and the numerous Naraghi in the hinterland.

Renting a car in Cagliari gives you the opportunity to discover the length and breadth of both the city and the province, immersing yourself in a truly unique natural and historical landscape.