A capital with an eight-kilometre city beach and flamingos in the lagoon in front of it. Southern Sardinia is reachable in an hour and a half from Bolzano.
Direct flight from Bolzano to Cagliari (1h 30min) + hotel + 15-minute transfer. The airport sits right outside the Sardinian capital and opens up the south of the island — with the Poetto city beach and the bays of Chia and Villasimius.
- Direct flight from Bolzano
- Best price guarantee
- EU-protected package holiday
- Just 15 minutes' transfer on arrival
What can you reach from Cagliari?
Cagliari opens up the south of Sardinia — with the Poetto city beach right on the doorstep and the bays of Chia and Villasimius within an hour's drive.
Cagliari is the capital of Sardinia and lies on the south coast. The old town Castello climbs a hill above the city, ringed by medieval walls; from the bastions the view sweeps over harbour, lagoons and sea. The city has around 150,000 inhabitants and works both as a stand-alone city break destination and as a starting point for beach holidays.
The Poetto city beach is around eight kilometres long and reachable by bus — an advantage few other Mediterranean capitals offer. Behind it lies the Molentargius salt lagoon, home to flamingos year-round. For an afternoon by the water, you don't need to leave the city.
The better-known beaches lie to the west and east: Chia, with dunes and turquoise water, around an hour to the west; Villasimius, with bays and a marine protected area, about an hour to the east. Inland stand the Nuraghi, prehistoric round stone towers found only in Sardinia; several thousand of them cover the island, and Su Nuraxi di Barumini is UNESCO World Heritage.
Which beaches can you reach from Cagliari?
Cagliari offers a rare combination: city life and beach in the same place. Anyone wanting more heads west to the Costa del Sud with Chia, or east towards Villasimius. The two coasts are very different — dunes and openness to the west, bays and marine protected area to the east. For a week's stay, a base outside the city — Chia or Villasimius — is usually the better fit; for a short break, Cagliari itself works well.
Poetto and Cagliari
Flamingos in the Molentargius lagoon, reachable by bus
Chia and Villasimius
Turquoise water, heavily visited in August
Which flights are available from Bolzano to Cagliari?
SkyAlps flies direct from Bolzano to Cagliari (summer only) — flight time 1h 30min. All prices are per person and include return flights plus nights at the booked hotel.
When is the best time to visit southern Sardinia?
The season runs from May to October. May is mild and green, though the sea is still cool. June is one of the best months: warm, swimmable and still quiet. In July it turns hot; in August the Italian holiday season arrives — that's when beaches, restaurants and coastal roads are heavily used, and prices rise noticeably. September is our recommendation: warm sea, mild days, fewer visitors. In October the mornings turn cool, but bathing days are still possible. From November to April SkyAlps does not fly the route.
Frequently asked questions
If you stay in Cagliari and use the Poetto, you don't need a car — the beach is reachable by city bus, the old town on foot.
For Chia, Villasimius and the smaller bays, a rental car is essential; buses run there rarely and slowly. Rule of thumb: three or four nights in the city and Poetto works without a car; a whole week beach-focused requires one. Book your rental car in advance in summer; demand outstrips supply from mid-July onwards.
Ready for your Cagliari beach holiday?
Direct flight from Bolzano to Cagliari, a hotel in southern Sardinia and the transfer – all in one booking. Book online now, securely, flexibly and at the best price.