Sud Sardegna

Province of South Sardinia (Italian: Provincia del Sud Sardegna) is a province in Sardinia.

Cities

For Cagliari, see Cagliari (province).

• 1 Carbonia — this town, named for the coal that was here, is now the provincial capital that has some archaeological and mining tourism sites
• 2 Arbus — famous for its uncontaminated coastline and for the region's many archaeological sites
• 3 Barumini — for the Su Nuraxi the only UNESCO-listed site in Sardinia
• 4 Iglesias — undiscovered treasures of art and sea. While near Iglesias, visit the mines, and hear the history of Sardinian miners. Do not forget to go and see the lovely Santa Barbara cove
• 5 Isili — has the Nuraghe Is Paras archaeological site and the Museum of Copper and Textile Art
• 6 Porto Pino — heart of South-West Sardinia: the Mediterranean pearl with great beaches, reefs, dunes, and wonderful underwater

Other destinations

• 1 Sant'Antioco Island – with a wonderful coast and a nice fishing port in the southwest coast
• 2 Costa Verde (Marina di Arbus) – uncontaminated beaches and wild nature

Understand

Climate

The province has a mostly dry Mediterranean climate, with downpours possible along the mountain ranges of the Costa Verde and in central Sardinia. Winters are comparatively mild in the valley regions.

Get in

By plane

Most visitors will be via the Aeroporto di Cagliari-Elmasarrive in the south; the Alghero Airport (Aeroporto di Alghero-Fertilia)in the northwest, and the Olbia Airport (Aeroporto di Olbia-Costa Smeralda) are further away.

By boat

The main ferry ports used by tourists arriving by sea are in the north of the island:

• the Olbia in the north-east of the island with ferry connections from Genoa, Livorno, Piombino, and Civitavecchia near Rome 
• the slightly northerly one Golfo Aranci, served by Sardinia Ferries from Livorno, Piombino, Porto Vecchio in Corsica and Nice in southern France
•  Porto Torres in the northwest of the island with ferry services from Genoa, Civitavecchia, Porto Vecchio and Ajaccio in Corsica, Toulon and Marseille in southern France , and Barcelona.

By train or bus

The most important north-south connection in Sardinia is the main line served by the Ferrovie dello Stato/Trenitalia , which runs from Olbia in the north-east via Macomer, Oristano and further south to the island's capital Cagliari. In the mountainous central Sardinia and on the east coast to Arbatax lead only railway - secondary lines.

The province is served by ARST/Trasporti Regionali della Sardegna buses.

By car

To arrive from the northwest of Sardinia, one usually uses the SS131, this most important north-south connection in western Sardinia, some of which has four lanes, leads from Sassari via Macomer and Oristano down to Cagliari. Coming from the north-east, from the ferry ports around Olbia, it is recommended to take the SS 131DCN via Siniscola and Nuoro.

In the southwestern part of the province, the main axes are the north of Cagliari from the main axis of the SS 131, SS 130, to Iglesias and the less developed southern coastal road via SS 195 Carbonia and further than to SS 126 Iglesias and to the north.

The SS 554 leads the bathers from the island's capital Cagliari quickly to the east in the direction of the bathing resorts of Costa Rei, as the eastern coast road runs the SS 125, which is partially expanded to four lanes, north to Tortoli and Arbatax.

Get around

A private vehicle is a great help to get around in the vast province, which is mostly mountainous as the distance from Cagliari increases. With a bit of courage, knowledge of Italian and flexibility you can travel around the province with the buses of the ARST/Trasporti Regionali della Sardegna, the two larger cities of Iglesias and Carbonia in the west of the province can be reached by train.

See

Su Nuraxi di Barumini

The region is scattered with charming small villages, archaeological wonders such as menhirs (standing stones) and nuraghe (stone towers built between 1900-730 BCE), historic churches, and industrial tourism sites focused on the region's mining history.

The Su Nuraxi archaeological site near Barumini is the largest nuragic village in Sardinia with a bastion of four corner towers plus a central one, and a village inhabited from the 13th to the 6th century BCE.

The Temple of Antas is an ancient Carthaginian-Roman temple in the commune of Fluminimaggiore.

The ancient city of Nora on the promontory of Capo Pula was an important centre whose to its favourable position allowed trade between Mediterranean ports over 3000 years.

Do

As in all of Sardinia, there are huge opportunities for swimming in the province of southern Sardinia, but hikers and mountaineers will also get their money's worth. There are numerous relics from the Nuragic culture, and the province also has medieval castles to visit.

Sud Sardegna has many unspoilt beaches for summer fun, and several caves to explore.