Located in the southern part of Sardinia, the port of Cagliari is divided into two areas: the ancient port and the canal port. While the former is intended for passenger, cargo and cruise ship traffic, the latter has an eminently industrial vocation: in fact, container transshipment activities take place inside.
According to what is learned on the institutional site of the Adsp Mare di Sardegna, the port area of the Sardinian capital is one of the transshipment poles of the western Mediterranean.
From a structural point of view, the ancient port is characterized by a quay of almost 6000 meters, which as mentioned is able to accommodate not only ferries, but also cruise ships (the Tirrenia company operates in the Sardinian port, among others). Not far from the ancient port there are a whole series of piers where pleasure boats are moored.
Cagliari is connected with the main ports overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea: Civitavecchia, Arbatax, Naples and Palermo.
There are various ways to reach the port of Cagliari.
Bus
The city of Cagliari is served by the city buses of the CTM company and by the buses of the ARST. The stops closest to the port are those in piazza Giacomo Matteotti (the distance between the terminus and the boarding points is just under 200 meters).
If you are at the port entrance and do not intend to reach the ship on foot, we recommend that you take the shuttle bus.
Car and motorcycle
Cagliari can be reached by car or motorbike starting from the main inhabited centers of the island.
from Oristano (about 96 km) via E25;
from Porto Torres (about 235 km) via E25;
from Olbia (about 263 km) via E25.
Train
It is also possible to arrive in the Sardinian capital by train. Cagliari is in fact connected to the main cities of Sardinia (Sassari, Oristano and Olbia). The train station is very close to the port (just 200 meters).
The city is served by the Cagliari-Elmas airport, the main one on the island for passenger and freight traffic. Located in the territory of the Municipality of Elmas, the airport is managed by So.G.Aer. SpA (the Cagliari Airport Management Company).
Since June 2013 the airport has its own railway stop (Elmas Airport): the creation of this strategic infrastructure allows travelers to reach the center and the port of Cagliari in just 5 minutes.
If this were not enough, starting from the Elmas Airport stop it is possible to reach without too much effort other Sardinian locations, more or less close to the capital: we are referring to Iglesias, Carbonia, San Gavino, Oristano, Macomer and Sassari.
From the train station (overlooking Piazza Matteotti), the port is about 200 meters away. The distance can also be bridged by taxi: the two main cooperatives that provide this service are Radiotaxi 4 Mori and Radio taxi Cagliari rossoblu.
A paid parking area very close to the port area is the one managed by Metropark (Italian State Railways Group). Located near Piazza Matteotti, it is open 24 hours a day. For more information, we refer you to the official website ( ww.metropark.it).
The ticket offices of the companies operating in the port of Cagliari are all located within the port area or in its immediate vicinity.
Tirrenia, Molo Sanità - Maritime station
Grimaldi Lines, Via Maddalena 3
A few meters away from the train station (and to be exact in via Roma 201), there is the Cagliari Luggage Storage: open 365 days a year and active 24 hours a day, the service is automated. For info and reservations (also online), connect to the website luggagestoragecagliari.com
The port area, as noted above, is not very far from the city center. Starting from Piazza Matteotti, it is possible to easily reach the main streets and meeting places of Cagliari. Walking along the streets of the Sardinian capital you will find all kinds of shops, where you can indulge your desire to shop.
The premise to be made is that since it is a city with a thousand-year history, Cagliari has numerous testimonies of its glorious past on its territory.
As for the religious buildings, it is impossible not to mention the Basilica of San Saturnino, patron saint of the city; the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, dating back to the 13th century; the church of San Michele and the Collegiate Church of Sant'Anna, both in Baroque style.
The Sanctuary of Nostra Signora di Bonaria also deserves a mention: located on the hill of the same name, the complex is one of the most important places of Marian worship on the island. Near the sanctuary there is also the monumental cemetery of Bonaria, one of the most important in Europe.
Among the civil architectures, however, we can point out the Royal Palace (residence of the viceroys and sovereigns of the Kingdom of Sardinia), the Antico Palazzo di Città, Palazzo Boyl, the Art Nouveau palaces, Palazzo Belgrano (seat of the rectorate and the library of the University of Cagliari) and Palazzo Bacaredda, seat of the Municipality.
The city is also embellished with a whole series of military buildings. The castle of San Michele guards the inhabited area below: built in the period of the Giudicati, it currently houses a cultural center.
Taking a stroll along the city streets, it is not difficult to come across the Pisan walls and towers, among which the Torre di San Pancrazio stands out, the highest in Cagliari (the others are that of the Elephant, the Sperone and the Eagle). We must not forget the imposing Bastion of Saint Remy, built towards the end of the nineteenth century, and the Savoyard Fort of Sant'Ignazio, located on the Sant'Elia hill.