One of the most beautiful and biggest city beaches in Europe, with 8 kilometres of coastline in the territory of Cagliari and Quartu Sant’Elena, where you will find everything you desire: soft sand, crystal clear sea, relaxation, aperitifs, fun and sporting activities.
Tower of the Poet
Poetto is the closest and most popular beach to Cagliari. The name of this long sandy shore probably derives from the tower called “del poeta” (“of the poet”) which stands on the Eastern side of the S. Elia promontory. Nowadays Poetto beach looks very different from before. The first lidos on Poetto beach were “Lido” and “D’Aquila” which were opened in the early 1900s. The bathers became more and more numerous because of the beautiful brilliant white sand dunes, the transparency of the water which extends to the horizon. Small wooden huts in the same style as the first beach huts in Lido were built along the beach.
Poetto’s beach huts
These multicolored constructions became something between changing rooms and small seaside houses. Poetto became not only a swimmers paradise but also an open air recreation area. The popularity of Poetto has led to the establishment of services and amenities that one can find on everycrowded beach: such as pedal powered boats, refreshment stands, pizzerias and an amusement park. The things that made Poetto unique like the open air theatre in Lido during the 20s and 30s years and the multicolored wooden huts have gone. The wooden huts were demolished in 1986 as they were considered unhygienic. Unfortunately the decision makers did not take into consideration the architectural and cultural heritage they represented. Poetto remains a pleasant beach because it is not far from the city, because of its large sandy shore and its clean sea water. Today, Poetto is the undisputed ‘sea’ of Cagliari’s hinterland and the favourite destination of visitors to the capital city in the summer and on any sunny day throughout the rest of the year. It extends from the Margine Rosso, on the Quartu Sant’Elena coastline,as far as Sella del Diavolo, increasing its charm by dominating the little port of Marina Piccola from above. You can access the promontory from Calamosca, via a one-hour itinerary, which is beautiful by night.
From left: Sella del Diavolo (Saddle of the Devil), Port of Marina Piccola and Calamosca.
The sandy shore has a modern promenade behind it, where you can take long walks, on foot, on roller skates or by bike, while the characteristic little kiosks by the beach offer refreshments and entertainment. There are easy and convenient links to get to the town and the services are efficient: from the bathing establishments to the diving centre, the sailing schools, beach tennis and volley courts, restaurants and commercial activities at the amusement park. Poetto is also a centre of nightlife, especially in the summer: live music, clubs, dancing lessons and other attractions. The coastline borders with the Molentargius-Saline Park: from here, you can admire the flamingos or tour the park by bike.
Flamingos in the Molentargius-Saline Park
The Cagliari part of the beach is divided into ‘stops’, stemming from tram stops, which were replaced by buses in modern times. The ‘first stop’ has a very shallow seabed, the ‘second’ and ‘third’ are the place in which the historic establishments of D’Aquila and Lido are located, the public security forces are at the ‘fourth’ stop, while from the ‘fifth’, where the Spanish tower stands, to the end of the line, there is a vast stretch of ‘free’ beach. The boundary with the coastline of Quartu is La Bussola, named after a restaurant establishmentwhich was active in the past. From here, the free beach continues on with a series of welcoming and well-equipped establishments.
Curiosity: When the Mistral blows it is possible to understand the origin of the fable which gave “Golfo degli Angeli” and “Sella del Diavolo” their names. Golfo degli Angeli is the gulf where Cagliari is situated and Sella del Diavolo is the hill that overlooks Poetto from the South. As the legend goes devils took control of the Gulf. They were defeated by the Archangel Michel after a long hard battle. During the devils retreat their leader Lucifero, lost his saddle which fell into the sea and became petrified. Since then the Angels have taken care of the Gulf and have promised ever lasting peace.