About 60% of the territory and coastal line of South Sardinia is within the province of Cagliari.HOTEL CA It is also the largest and most populated province of the island, its two main cities Cagliari and Quartu Sant'Elena ranking 1st and 3rd in population. The territory is hilly or mountainous with the exception of the Campidano, the plain situated north west of Cagliari, in direction of Oristano. Such large area presents quite different landscapes, though the most spectacular are certainly the beaches. The road from Cagliari heading east to Villasimius is simply superb. At every corner the view opens to a new portion of the coast, with your sight first spreading towards the horizon and then focusing at the beach just lying beneath. After a few of these sights, you get to Villasimius, home of one of the most beautiful beaches in the island. Similar sceneries are found along the coastline west of Cagliari, on the road from Chia along the gulf of Teulada, towards the beach of Tuerredda.HOTEL CA Also, impossible not to mention the beaches north of Villasimius, on the west coast: Cala Pira, Cala Sinzias, Costa Rei and Feraxi-Colostrai-San Giovanni, are impressive both for the colour of the sea and for their size stretching in some cases for almost 14 km! Last but not least, the beach of Poetto right in the city of Cagliari. Here you may taste fresh urchins and other seafood in one of the kiosks along the beach. From spring to fall pink flamingos populate the ponds along the beaches of Chia, Poetto and Colostrai (in Poetto their population is permanent). Bring your camera along as you can easily get close enough to capture great images. If by any chance you get bored of sunbathing in such beautiful beaches, move away from the coast and explore the inland areas of Sette Fratelli or Gutturu Mannu natural reserves. Sceneries can be breathtaking too and activities range from trekking to horse riding, cycling and 4WD excursions, with canyons and waterfalls in abundance. Combined they offer you 127,000 ha of wild Sardinia. Just avoid hot days and bring plenty of water along with you! Other naturalistic areas are Molentargius in Cagliari and the marine reserve of Capo Carbonara in Villasimius. Worth a visit is Nora, 40 minutes drive west of Cagliari. The ancient roman site is the most important in Sardinia. Its location is also superb, as it lies on a thin strip of land stretching out from the beach of Pula and ending with a cliff at the top of which is the tower of Coltellazzo.