Parco Naturale Regionale Molentargius

Cagliari

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The protected reed-fringed wetlands of the Parco Naturale Regionale Molentargius lie slightly east of Cagliari towards Quartu Sant’Elena. A housing estate forms an incongruous backdrop to these freshwater and brackish pools, which attract nesting, migrant and wintering birds in their thousands. With a little luck you may well spot pink flamingos, purple herons, little egrets, marsh harriers, sandwich terns and black-winged stilts from the observation points.

Before heading out you can information at the InfoPoint on the eastern fringes of town.

The reserve is best explored on foot or by bicycle. Dawn and dusk are prime-time viewing for twitchers.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • People on steps in front of Cattedrale di Santa Maria at dusk.

    Cattedrale di Santa Maria

    1.86 MILES

    Cagliari’s graceful 13th-century cathedral stands proudly on Piazza Palazzo. Except for the square-based bell tower, little remains of the original Gothic…

  • Museo Archeologico Nazionale

    Museo Archeologico Nazionale

    2.02 MILES

    Of the four museums at the Cittadella dei Musei, this is the undoubted star. Sardinia’s premier archaeological museum showcases artefacts spanning…

  • View of Monte dei Sette Fratelli

    Monte dei Sette Fratelli

    16.85 MILES

    Clad in thick forest, the mountain massif known as the Monte dei Sette Fratelli dominates the remote Sarrabus area. Its granite peaks and woodlands…

  • Water shallows at Poetto Beach.

    Poetto Beach

    0.99 MILES

    An easy bus ride from the centre, Cagliari's fabulous Poetto beach extends for 7km beyond the green Promontorio di Sant'Elia, nicknamed the Sella del…

  • Il Castello

    Il Castello

    1.9 MILES

    This hilltop citadel is Cagliari’s most iconic image, its domes, towers and palazzi, once home to the city’s aristocracy, rising above the sturdy ramparts…

  • Bastione di Saint Remy

    Bastione di Saint Remy

    1.8 MILES

    This vast neoclassical structure, comprising a gallery space, monumental stairway and panoramic terrace, was built into the city's medieval walls between…

  • Capo Carbonara

    Capo Carbonara

    21.53 MILES

    If you embark on just one excursion from Villasimius, make it the 15-minute drive south to Capo Carbonara, a protected marine park. The promontory dips…

View more attractions

Nearby Cagliari attractions

1. Poetto Beach

0.99 MILES

An easy bus ride from the centre, Cagliari's fabulous Poetto beach extends for 7km beyond the green Promontorio di Sant'Elia, nicknamed the Sella del…

3. Basilica di San Saturnino

1.41 MILES

One of the oldest churches in Sardinia, the Basilica di San Saturnino is a striking example of Paleo-Christian architecture. Based on a Greek-cross…

4. Boardwalk

1.44 MILES

Cagliari's seafront boardwalk offers breezy views back to the Marina district as it hugs the waterfront from Molo Ichnusa to Su Siccu. It's a relaxed…

5. Chiesa di San Lucifero

1.51 MILES

Below this baroque church is a 6th-century crypt where the tomb of the early Archbishop of Cagliari, St Lucifer, rests. In earlier times the area had been…

6. Exmà

1.56 MILES

Housed in Cagliari’s 18th-century mattatoio (abattoir) – hence the sculpted cow's head over the entrance and around the internal courtyard – Exmà is a…

7. Bastione di Saint Remy

1.8 MILES

This vast neoclassical structure, comprising a gallery space, monumental stairway and panoramic terrace, was built into the city's medieval walls between…

8. Giardino Sotto Le Mure

1.81 MILES

A small strip of park in the shadows of the Castello's mighty walls, this 500m-long green space is home to seven works by leading Sardinian sculptor…

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