How to get to San Pietro Island: reaching one of the most beautiful Sardinian islands

You are spending a holiday in Cagliari. You have seen the city, as well as its beaches. The time has come to visit the surroundings of the Sardinian capital. And you are thinking of making an excursion to a destination that intrigued you. So, you need to know how to get to San Pietro island, in Sardinia.

Where it is

San Pietro is one of the most beautiful Sardinian islands. It is located in Sulcis-Iglesiente, just off the southwest coast of Sardinia. The best starting point is Cagliari because it is the largest port near this beautiful island.

From Cagliari to Portovesme

To get there from Cagliari:

• Take strada statale 130 to Domusnovas;
• From Domusnovas, take strada provinciale 87 to Villamassargia;
• From Villamassargia, take strada provinciale 2 to Portovesme.

The journey by car takes about one hour.

Ferries to San Pietro island

From Portovesme, take one of the ferries that bring you to Carloforte, town on San Pietro island. Departures are scheduled on weekdays, both towards the island and from the island. The ferry crossing takes about forty minutes.

What to see

Now that you know how to get there, we have to talk about what to see on San Pietro island:

Carloforte

The town of Carloforte is an authentic jewel: a place that mixes the Mediterranean, Sardinian and Ligurian cultures (in fact, the population speaks a Ligurian dialect). The chiesa dei Novelli Innocenti (a church), the astronomical observatory of the San Vittorio tower, the imposing city walls, the ancient mines and the famous colonne di Carloforte (sea stacks) are the most important places.

Beaches

The rugged coast of the island preserves some wonderful coves touched by a crystal clear sea: among the many, you must not miss cala Fico, Calalunga, Caletta, Cala Mezzaluna, Bobba, punta Nera and cala Ginuco.

Lighthouse

At capo Sandalo (a promontory), there is the westernmost lighthouse in Italy: from here, the view of the sea and the island is unmatched.

Cala Vinagra

The sea of cala Vinagra, in the northern part of the island, is surrounded by a lush pine forest.

Mines

The disused mining area of Becco, near the homonymous gulf, is recommended for industrial archaeology enthusiasts.

Salt pans

The salt pans of Carloforte are home to flamingos and numerous other bird species.

Image source: Flickr.com/photos/interstella_fr