Why hire a car in Cagliari
Sardinia is one of the few remaining places in the Mediterranean where a car genuinely unlocks the island rather than simply making it more convenient. Public transport on the island is sparse and slow outside the main cities, and the finest things here — the prehistoric nuraghi towers scattered across the landscape, the flamingo lagoons south of Cagliari, the white dune fields of Piscinas and the Barbagia highlands where Sardinian traditions are most intact — sit at the end of roads that buses rarely serve.
Cagliari itself is worth a day on foot: the Castello neighbourhood on the hill, the Roman amphitheatre and the bustling Mercato di San Benedetto are all compact and walkable. But the island rewards anyone willing to drive. The beach at Villasimius, around 50 km south-east, has water that rivals the Maldives; the Su Nuraxi nuraghe at Barumini (a UNESCO World Heritage site) is an hour inland; and the road north through the Sarcidano plateau eventually reaches Barbagia country and the Gennargentu mountains. A hire car from CAG is the most practical starting point for exploring southern Sardinia — and beyond.
