Cagliari en plein air
Free gym open to all, with no timetables or restrictions
Outdoor fitness circuits in the parks and nature reserves in the heart of the city, cycle paths and pedestrian routes running for kilometres along the seafront from the historic centre to Poetto beach, where cars are off limits. These are outdoor gyms where the light is intense and the heat is comforting, where the air is good and smells of salt and Mediterranean maquis. Breathing deeply during outdoor activities restores mind and body, feeling the wind on your skin and the sound of the surf in the background is an amazing feeling of well-being. After aquagym and yoga sessions by the sea, sailing in the Golfo degli Angeli (‘Gulf of Angels)’, running in city parks and hiking in nearby forests, what could be better than savouring the tastes of Sardinia? Yes, you can find the best cuisine here, as Gambero Rosso says, in Cagliari you can eat well and healthily. The dinner tables reflect the memory of traditional know-how and the pursuit of the good and the genuine, ranging from typical trattorias to starred restaurants and delicious street food that does not shy away from traditional dishes.
Walking barefoot on the beach and listening to the sea, along the city routes walking or running, cycling or skating, the mild climate in itself helps but that's not all: experiencing leisure time outdoors is a natural vocation of the city. Choose the favourite route of its year-round inhabitants, start at the Ichnusa pier in the 'old port', never leaving the coastline, pass through the fishing village of Sant'Elia and from there towards the Calamosca lighthouse, then on to the Sella del Diavolo (Devil's Saddle). From the promontory on the gulf, you can see all around, from Capo Carbonara to Capo Spartivento, the walls of the ancient city, the beach, and behind it the Molentargius-Saline park, where you can come face to face with the largest resident colony of pink flamingos in the Mediterranean. The park is more than just a beautiful wetland oasis; it is a valuable training ground offered by nature, where you can canoe along its canals and walk along the paths bordering the saltwater lagoons, breathing in healthy, iodine-rich air.
Besides swimming and relaxing on the beach, the Gulf of Cagliari is also an extraordinary training ground for sea sports. Along the coast you can take initiation and improvement courses, rent surfboards, kites, canoes and sailboats, and if you already have your own board you can take to the sea from the beaches and three marinas in the town. You can also keep fit while immersed in the greenery of the city: head to the parks equipped for runners, Monte Urpinu, Terramaini and Monte Claro, or without leaving the historic centre, between the Roman Amphitheatre and Tigellius' villa, you can stroll through a riot of rare plants from all over the world in the Botanical Gardens. In between strolls through the medieval heart of the Castello district, step into the Orto dei Cappuccini ('Capuchin Garden'), its fragrant atmosphere almost mystical, or wander through the Public Gardens surrounding the Municipal Art Gallery. And if you happen to be in the city when it is open to the public, experience the greatest Punic necropolis in the Mediterranean, up and down the Tuvixeddu hill among the thousands of tombs looking out over the sea.
