Molentargius-Salt Works Regional Natural Park, spread on an area of about 1600 hectares, is located in South Sardinia, between the two towns of Cagliari and Quartu Sant'Elena, facing Poetto seafront. It was established in 1999 to safeguard and enhance a site of international relevance, that had already been included in Ramsar Convention in 1977, due to its importance as a place of stop, wintering and nesting of several species of aquatic birds, as pink flamingos, nowadays a symbol of the town.

The history of the park is strictly connected to the one of the Salt Works: as a matter of fact, it owes its name to is molentargius, people who used to lead the donkey (su molenti, in Sardinian language) carrying the salt collected from the basins. Actually, over the centuries the area has been the richest source in Sardinia for the extraction of salt from the sea, an activity stopped only in 1985.

Nowadays, the park includes the former National Salt Works of Cagliari with its basins: the Bellarosa Maggiore or Molentargius (tanks of first stage of evaporation), the Pond of Quartu Sant'Elena (tanks of second and third stage of evaporation), the remaining tanks (Salt Works of Cagliari) and the Perda Bianca (ex mother liquors basin).

For these reasons, visiting Molentargius Regional Park represents a unique experience that combines the pleasure of historical knowledge, for example through the Salt itineraries, which offer interesting architectural, historical, environmental, scientific and technical cues, still not known by the most, to a full immersion in an extraordinarily lively and wild landscape.

Several species of wild birds cohexist in Molentargius ponds, representing the most relevant and remarkable charachteristic of the park. The symbol of this natural jewel are the Pink Flamingos, or sa genti arrubia, as Cagliari inhabitants used to say. Walking through the park it is possible to see many of them: hundreds of birds that stay or fly in the shallow water.

It's also easy to find several species of ducks, like the Mallard, the Canapiglie and the Mestolone, the Moriglione and the Moretta. Some other species are there during all the year: the Swamp Hen, the Coot and the Swamp Chicken. Among the most frequent aquatic birds there are the Herons ( the Airone guardabuoi nested for the first time in 1985 in Molentargius, the same year during which the Glossy Ibis started to reproduce into the pond), Little Egrets, Black-winged stilts, Pied avocets, Great cormorants, Sternas and Coots, Red Knots, Ruddy Turnstones.

You can easily meet the Kingfisher and there are many species of passerines, whil, among the species of gulls there are: the Black-headed Gull, Slender-billed Gull and the Yellow-legged Gull.

Among the amphibians that live the pond: the Tree frog and the Green toad, among reptiles: the Pond slider, the Grass snake, the Green whip snake and the Italian Three-toed Skink; among mammals: the Hedgehog, the Weasel and the Wild Rabbit. Even the insects, as the Dragonfly, play an important role mantaining the ecosystem balance. The flora is heterogeneous: it includes endemic species of a strong mediterranean character and plants threatened of extinction.

Activities:

Molentargius Regional Natural Park offers several activities, suitable for visitors of any age. The excursions have different characteristics, durations and ability levels, in order to let anyone enjoy relax and fun in an exceptional and pristine natural setting. Moreover, in summer, suggestive and charming cultural events are performed in the park at the sunset.

The access is free. The visitors can leave their means of transport inside the dedicated parking area and going freely into the park, opened everyday, where they find also some sport itineraries, like nature trails, cycle paths and walking tours, totally surrounded by nature. They can also play birdwatching or make jogging. It is possible to book guided tours for groups, which include the observation of the plant life and the fauna of the park.

One of the best ways to discover Molentargius Regional Natural Park is by bycicle: if you don't have one, among the Sali Scelti Palace you can find a bike rental and a bikesharing service. The rental bikes must be returned at 5:30 p.m.

There are two more other ways to visit the park: by electric minibus or by boat.

You can discover the main features of this naturalistic and industrial compendium through the ancient water canals of the park, supported by the explanations of the guide on board and above all, comfortably seated.

The excursion by minibus offers the possibility to discover the most important characteristics of the Park, first passing through the street that runs along the Maestro canal of the Salt Works, and then along the Immissaro canal, till Poetto draining basin station, which canalises sea water into the Salt basin complex.

The centre is provided with microscopes, audiovisuals and computer materials. The experts will guide tourists, students and guests: through simple but meticulous experiments they will explain the ecosystem dynamic.
 

How to get there:

Arriving at Molentargius Regional Natural Park is very easy, from Cagliari and Quartu Sant'Elena, through Poetto seafront. In Cagliari, inside Sali Scelti palace, is located the Tourist Information Office.

The inner area, composed by Is Arenas, is accessible from Quartu Sant'Elena: in Don Giordi street are located the car parks for the visitors.

Information:

To ask for information or to book a guided tour, please contact the Infopoint, located on the ground floor inside Sali Scelti Palace (via La Palma): +39 070 379191.
 

Some good advice:

To visit Molentargius-Salt Regional Natural Park, using one of the several itineraries available, a sportswear or a casual one is recommended. The experts recommend to put on suitable clothing for the hiking, to avoid bright colours and to choose comfortable and water resistant shoes and mimetic clothing: this will make it easier to escape to the sharp eyes of the animals, so that you can watch them during their activities.

We recommend you to bring your binoculars - you can also rent them at the park's Infopoint only for one euro, this will make it easier to observe the animals without getting too close to them, thus avoiding disturbing them.

The four-legged friends are also allowed, but on a leash and those of large size must be muzzled.
Do not forget to bring your camera to capture the wonders that the Regional Park offers!

Visit the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/parcomolentargius/

From the entrance of Via Figari, after passing the dogs area, there is a space reserved for children's games, consisting of two swings, one for the little ones, with a seat, and one for the older ones, a castle with slide and ropes for climbing. On the other side, near the entrance of Via del Nastro Azzurro, there are large inflatable slides with a fee. On the via del Donoratico’s side there are many Ficus Retusa, Jacarande, Palms and Sofore. On the Via Figari’s side the vegetation is diversified with Cipressi, Pines, Olives and Tamerici.

The entrances of the park are accessible from via Italia, from the extension of via Fosse Ardeatine and from via Ampere.

The area, about 21,000 square meters wide, is equipped with several paths connecting various zones: the rest stop, the playground, the dog-friendly area the outdoor cinema-theatre and the arcade that leads from there to the beautiful fountain. Opposite the cinema, there is a basin provided with gushes, linked to a second basin by means of a stream that flows across the park. The park houses a large variety of Mediterranean plants and is accessible even at night, thanks to a powerful lighting.

Moreover, the area is provided with one hundred parking lots.

Terramaini Park is a green space that spreads over 8 hectares in the northern part of the city. It is a great place for walking and jogging, or to do some exercise between the mediterranean scrub and the flamingo's pond, that is home of other species such as the herring gulls.

Four playing areas for children have been created inside the park, an outdoor theatre for small events, a bowling green, an area for water games, and a special space for dogs. Moreover, the park provides some refreshment stands, and a new Olympic pool.

Its trails can also be used by people with disabilities.

The refreshment stand opens from Tuesday to Sunday, from 10:00 a.m. to 7:30. p.m. Closed on Mondays.

The hill of San Michele is one of the highest ekevation in Cagliari (120 meters above the sea level), whose oldest attendance is testified by some ceramic fragments that offer an extended chronology, from the III century B.C to the IV Century A.D.

Taking advantage of the shape of the hill, with its almost inaccessible walls and its levelled summit, the Carthusian monks, during the Judicial period, built a convent dedicated to the Archangel Michael.

At the end of the 13th century A.D the Pisans dismantled the Convent and erected a fortified structure to control potential attacks. In 1326 the castle was sold to Berengario Carroz, who use it as his home, embellishing it, and turning it into a safe and comfortable house. The last member of the Carroz family, who lived in St. Michael, was the Countess Violante, who died in 1511; later the castle was incorporated among the assets of the Spanish Crown.

During the plague in 1652, it was used as a leper hospital, and, on the occasion of the French attacks, during the seventeenth and eighteenth century, it was fortified again. Moreover, in the early Nineteenth, it was used as a barracks, then deleted from the list of fortifications in 1867, to be sold to the Marquises of St. Thomas, who restore it and reforest it, by planting some pines, to make the area more welcoming.

In the Twentieth century, it was occupied from the Navy and then remove to the State, up to pass to it and to the City, who in the mid-Eighties, patronized a F.I.O (Investment Fund for Employment) intervention. Today the castle retains the curtain wall, surrounded by the moat, and three towers, but it was subjected to a deep transformation with polycarbonate and steel structures, which have entirely occupied the inside of the building.

Monte Urpinu Park is not so far from the city centre. It represents one of the main destinations for families with children, ideal for a picnic, a stroll among pines and lakes, and it’s also a suitable place for physical outdoor activities. Inside the park there are various species of flora, fauna and man-made lakes inhabited by swans and turtles. It is also possible to see beautiful specimens of peacocks. The main entrance is in Via Pietro Leo, while other accesses are located in Viale Europa and via Vidal, where is also situated Cagliari’s Tennis Club. The park, which originally took the name of Monte Volpino, it was later renamed Monte Urpinu, according to the translation in Sardinian dialect of the word "fox", because in the past the area has always been inhabited by foxes and other wildlife. The car access is always open, while the pedestrian park is open all day all year round. Opening times are variable depending on the season.

Monte Claro is one of the public parks of Cagliari, it covers several hectares, and is located in the city center. The main entrance is in via Cadello, another entrance is in Via Liguria. Inside the park there are play facilities, a pond and some species of birds such as geese and ducks and several turtles. It is a favorite destination for families with children and a place of recreation for adults. Many Cagliari citizens  go outdoor to take some exercise, because Monte Claro Park offers ideal paths for walking and jogging. In summer it guests various cultural and entertainment events. On the top of the hill, was located the magnificent Villa Clara, also known as Villa Ghiani, from the name of its first owner. Monte Claro hill was also chosen for the construction inside Villa Clara of a new psychiatric hospital, of which since 1978 the Italian Government wanted to change the intended use, after the abolition of psychiatric hospitals. In 1998 the last patients left the center  of Villa Clara. Nowadays it guests  the Provincial Library Emilio Lussu.

A dog area has been inaugurated in June 2017. Located next to the sports fields, it is enclosed to let the dog run without leash under the eyes of their owners and is divided into two sectors: one for small sized dogs (3.000 square metres wide) and the other for large sized dogs (2.500 metres wide).

It is a very quiet and peaceful park, also given its location very close to a place of worship and the Bonaria Monumental Cemetery, with low walls, fountains and shaded areas throughout the park. From the highest point of the hill, it is possible to enjoy a sensational panoramic view over most of the city of Cagliari and the nearby port. The conformation of the park is mainly sloping.

The main trees of the park are ficus, holm oaks, carob trees, palm trees and other aromatic plant bushes. There is no shortage of flower beds.

The park is dedicated to the fallen of the First World War and was built like the others "remembrance groves" installed in many municipalities in the rest of Italy as well from 1923 onwards. Each tree resembles a fallen soldier from the First World War. It was built in 1935 on a project by the architect Ubaldo Badas, then assistant engineer in the Municipality's Technical Office.

The layout of the monument has a sober taste, unlike many others, and it consists of two beams formed by a granite base and alternating rows of trachyte and Serrenti’s stone on which are reported the dates and names of the most important battles of the great war. The exedra in white limestone and red trachyte (to recall the insignia of the Sassari Brigade) on whose structure the names of the fallen are reported is in the center between the two bundles.

The fence is made of metal spheres and limestone stones, joined by chains.

The area between the Opera Theatre and the T-Hotel is embellished by a five hectares wide urban garden.

Designed in a modern architectonic style, the Park is also a beautiful square with an artificial river, wooden platforms, fountains, music and a marble pavement.

Its strategic position, very close to the historical centre, but also to the Opera Theatre and to the Auditorium of the Music Conservatory, makes the Music Park one of the most appreciated public spaces in town all the year round, and a perfect setting for events.