After the nuraghi, Sardinia's history came from the sea. From the 8th century BC Phoenician merchants founded trading posts and towns along the coasts, choosing headlands and sheltered lagoons: Nora, Sulky, Tharros, Karalis. Then came Carthage, which conquered much of the island, and in 238 BC Rome, which held it for nearly seven centuries and made it one of the empire's granaries. These cities have left paved streets, temples, baths, theatres and necropolises, often in beautiful settings, with columns standing out against the sea.
This seven-day itinerary crosses the island from south to north, from Cagliari to Olbia, taking in the most important sites of Phoenician-Punic and Roman Sardinia and the museums that hold their finds. Along the way you also meet the Giants of Mont'e Prama, the great Nuragic statues of Cabras. See also our page on Sardinian history.
Itinerary at a glance
- Duration: 7 days, 6 nights
- Distance: about 550 km, Cagliari to Olbia
- Transport: hire car
- Best time: March to June and September to November; in summer the sites are very exposed to the sun
- Indicative budget: about €900 per person sharing a double room, flights and ferries excluded
- Ideal for: lovers of archaeology and ancient history, students, families with older children
- Cagliari: the museum, the amphitheatre and Tuvixeddu
- Nora: the city on the headland
- Monte Sirai: the Punic fortress
- Sant'Antioco: Sulky and the tophet
- Tharros: the columns by the sea
- Cabras: the Giants of Mont'e Prama
- Fordongianus: the Roman baths
- Porto Torres: Turris Libisonis
- Olbia: the Roman ships and the Punic walls
Phoenicians, Carthage and Rome in Sardinia
The Phoenicians came from the cities of today's Lebanon in search of metals and harbours along the routes of the western Mediterranean. In Sardinia they long lived alongside the Nuragic communities until, in the 6th century BC, Carthage took control of the coasts and most of the plains. After the First Punic War the island passed to Rome, which made it a province in 227 BC and had to face the great revolt of Hampsicora in 215 BC. Under the empire new towns such as Turris Libisonis were founded, and roads, bridges and baths were built. Roman Sardinia ended with the arrival of the Vandals in the 5th century AD.
- 9th-8th century BCThe Nora stone bears one of the oldest names of Sardinia
- 8th century BCThe Phoenicians found Sulky, Nora and Tharros
- 6th century BCCarthage takes control of the Sardinian coasts
- 238 BCRome conquers Sardinia
- 215 BCHampsicora's revolt against Rome
- 1st century BCThe colony of Turris Libisonis is founded
- 5th century ADThe Vandals occupy the island
Day 1: ancient Cagliari
Start at the National Archaeological Museum in Cagliari, in the Cittadella dei Musei, home to the Nora stone, Nuragic bronzes and Phoenician, Punic and Roman finds from across the island. Just below is the Roman amphitheatre, carved into the rock in the 2nd century AD. In the afternoon go up to the Tuvixeddu necropolis, the largest Punic necropolis in the Mediterranean, with hundreds of shaft tombs, and to the Grotta della Vipera, the tomb of Atilia Pomptilla with verses inscribed by her husband. In the evening dine in the Marina quarter. See where to eat in Cagliari.
Where to stay: in Cagliari.
Day 2: Nora and the south coast
Drive to Pula (about forty minutes) for Nora, by tradition the oldest city on the island, spread across a headland between two bays. Walk the paved streets past the Roman theatre, the seaside baths, the forum and houses with mosaic floors; part of the city now lies underwater. In Pula the small civic museum displays finds from the excavations. In the afternoon continue to Chia, where traces of the Phoenician town of Bithia remain on the headland by the tower, and swim among the dunes.
Where to stay: between Pula and Chia, or in Sant'Antioco.
Day 3: Monte Sirai and Sant'Antioco
Cross the Sulcis to Monte Sirai (about an hour and a half), near Carbonia: a Phoenician and later Punic fortress on a plateau, with an acropolis, a settlement, a necropolis and a tophet, and views as far as the islands. In Carbonia the Villa Sulcis museum displays its finds. In the afternoon move on to Sant'Antioco, ancient Sulky: the Ferruccio Barreca archaeological museum, the tophet, the Punic necropolis with chamber tombs and the catacombs beneath the basilica. See also the Sulcis Iglesiente.
Where to stay: in Sant'Antioco or Calasetta.
Day 4: Tharros and the Sinis
Drive up the west coast to the Sinis (about two hours), with an optional stop at the Temple of Antas, dedicated to Sardus Pater. Tharros, at the tip of the peninsula, was founded by the Phoenicians and stayed inhabited until the early Middle Ages: its two columns standing by the sea are one of Sardinia's most famous images. Visit the tophet, the baths, the craftsmen's quarter and the basalt-paved streets, and at sunset climb to the Spanish tower of San Giovanni. On the way, the early Christian church of San Giovanni di Sinis is among the oldest on the island. See Oristano and the Sinis.
Where to stay: in Cabras or Oristano, for two nights.
Day 5: the Giants of Mont'e Prama and Fordongianus
At the Giovanni Marongiu Museum in Cabras you meet the Giants of Mont'e Prama, stone statues more than two metres tall of archers, warriors and boxers from the Nuragic age, found in fragments in a Sinis necropolis from 1974 onwards. Then go to Santa Giusta, site of the Phoenician port of Othoca, and to Fordongianus (about half an hour), ancient Forum Traiani: its Roman baths are built over a spring that still gushes out at more than fifty degrees, and next door you can bathe in modern thermal pools.
Day 6: Porto Torres
Cross the island on the main highway to Porto Torres (about two hours), ancient Turris Libisonis, the first Roman colony in Sardinia. In the archaeological area visit the great baths known as the Palazzo di Re Barbaro, the streets and houses with mosaics, and the Antiquarium Turritano with finds from the town. Nearby, the arched Roman bridge over the Rio Mannu still stands. In town visit the basilica of San Gavino, the largest Romanesque building in Sardinia: see the Romanesque churches itinerary.
Where to stay: in Porto Torres, Stintino or Sassari.
Day 7: Olbia
Cross the north of the island to Olbia (about an hour and three quarters). The Archaeological Museum, on the islet of Peddone facing the harbour, displays the Roman ships found during works in the port, sunk perhaps during a Vandal attack in the 5th century. In town you can see stretches of the Punic walls, and just outside the remains of the Roman aqueduct. Then leave from the airport or the port.
How much it costs
| Item | Indicative cost per person |
|---|---|
| Accommodation, 6 nights sharing a double room (mid-range hotels and B&Bs) | €300-450 |
| Hire car for 7 days shared by two, plus fuel | €160-230 |
| Admissions (Cagliari museum, Nora, Monte Sirai, Sant'Antioco, Tharros and Cabras museum, Fordongianus, Porto Torres) | €60-90 |
| Meals | €210-280 |
| Total | about €730-1,050, flights and ferries excluded |
To save money: many sites have combined tickets with the nearby museum, and state museums are free on the first Sunday of the month. Pick up the car in Cagliari and drop it in Olbia, checking the one-way fee. See car hire.
Practical information
- Sun and heat: Nora, Tharros and Monte Sirai have almost no shade; in summer visit early in the morning or late in the afternoon, with a hat and water.
- Guided tours: at Nora the visit is often guided and included in the ticket; at Tharros and Sant'Antioco there are guides in several languages in high season.
- Opening times: open-air sites close earlier in winter and some museums close on Mondays; always check first.
- Baths: at Fordongianus bring a swimsuit and towel for the thermal pools.
Variations
- Sardus Pater and the mines: from the Sulcis you can link up with the tunnels and washing plants of the mining heritage itinerary.
- Cornus and Santa Cristina: on the Montiferru coast the remains of Cornus, scene of Hampsicora's battle, and at Paulilatino the Nuragic sacred well of Santa Cristina.
- The Roman road: between Cagliari and Porto Torres the SS131 largely follows the route of the Roman road a Karalibus Turrem.
What to read before you go
A book on Phoenician and Punic Sardinia, a history of Roman Sardinia and an archaeological guide to the island. See also our page on Sardinian culture.
Final tips
- Pace: one or two sites a day, alternating with the sea; the ancient cities are always on the coast.
- Combinations: from the Sinis you can link up with the Nuragic civilisation itinerary, from Porto Torres with the Romanesque churches itinerary, from the Sulcis with the smaller islands itinerary.
- A tip: arrive at Tharros an hour before sunset; when the sun drops behind the columns, the Gulf of Oristano turns gold.
Where to stay
Tours and activities in Sardinia
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