Southern Sardinia by Grand Tourer: Cagliari – Chia – Villasimius
Cagliari to Chia and Villasimius by grand tourer: a three-day southern Sardinia itinerary of scenic roads, ancient ruins and beach stops — and how to plan it.
The Cagliari – Chia – Villasimius itinerary covers roughly 200 kilometres of Sardinia’s southern coast in two to three days: you start in the capital, run down to Chia on the SS195 with a stop at the ancient ruins of Nora, drive the Costa del Sud scenic road, then swing back east and climb to Villasimius along the SP17. The right car for the job is a grand tourer — genuine power, long-distance comfort and a boot that actually swallows your luggage.
Why is a grand tourer the right car for the southern coast?
Southern Sardinia is not extreme-supercar territory. The distances between stops are moderate, the roads alternate fast open stretches with panoramic sections meant to be savoured, and you are almost always travelling as a couple with the luggage of a real holiday. What you need is a chassis that stays composed on provincial roads, seats you can sit in happily for hours, and an engine with enough cylinders to make overtaking on the Sulcitana an afterthought.
That is the grand tourer’s job description: a front-engined coupé — or a 2+2 — built for exactly this kind of journey. The grand tourers available for Sardinia span every interpretation of the breed, from the British V8 to the twin-turbo Italian V6, and in the sections below we suggest which character suits each leg of the route best.
How does the itinerary unfold? The route at a glance
The route draws a “V” with its apex at Cagliari: first the western arm down to Chia, then the eastern arm up to Villasimius. Three days is the ideal measure; two is doable, but you’ll be rushing.
- Stage 1 — Cagliari (half a day): the Castello quarter, the Bastione di Saint Remy, Poetto beach and the Sella del Diavolo.
- Stage 2 — Cagliari to Chia (around 50 km, SS195): a stop at the Nora archaeological site, then on to the dunes of Su Giudeu.
- Stage 3 — The Costa del Sud (25 km each way, SP71): from Chia past Capo Malfatano and Tuerredda to the Capo Spartivento lighthouse.
- Stage 4 — Chia to Villasimius (around 100 km): back towards Cagliari, then up the SP17, the great coastal road of the south-east.
- Stage 5 — Villasimius and Capo Carbonara (half a day): Porto Giunco, Punta Molentis and the marine protected area.
What should you see in Cagliari before setting off?
Cagliari deserves more than a quick dash to the airport. The Castello quarter, perched on its hill, rewards you with a view from the Bastione di Saint Remy terrace that takes in the entire gulf — the perfect way to study, from above, the coastline you are about to drive. Below it, the Marina district lines up restaurants and workshops a short walk from the harbour; to the east, the Poetto seafront runs for kilometres towards Quartu, with the Sella del Diavolo closing the scene.
The practical advice: give the city the afternoon of your arrival, on foot, and leave the next morning with the car already delivered. If you want to begin in the right key, have a Bentley waiting for you in Cagliari, delivered straight to your hotel — the journey starts at your front door, not at a rental desk.
What’s along the SS195 from Cagliari to Chia?
The Sulcitana leaves the capital skirting the Santa Gilla lagoon, where with a little luck you’ll spot pink flamingos feeding in the shallows. Beyond Sarroch the road opens up and flows towards Pula between farmland and Mediterranean scrub: this is where the grand tourer settles into its cruising rhythm.
The non-negotiable stop is Nora, on a headland just past Pula — a city founded by the Phoenicians and grown under Carthage and Rome, with mosaics, baths and a Roman theatre a few metres from the sea. An hour among the ruins, the Spanish watchtower standing guard in the background, justifies the detour on its own. From there it’s Santa Margherita di Pula and finally Chia: the tarmac narrows, the vegetation thickens, and suddenly the dunes appear.
Chia and the Costa del Sud: why is it worth a full day?
Because this is where the itinerary stops being a transfer and becomes the reason for the trip. Chia isn’t a town so much as a mosaic of beaches — Su Giudeu with its islet you can wade to, Cala Cipolla hidden behind the headland, Su Portu beneath its sixteenth-century Spanish tower — separated by dunes and lagoons where flamingos linger.
From Chia the SP71 takes over: twenty-five kilometres officially designated a scenic route, tracing the profile of the Costa del Sud — the Capo Spartivento lighthouse out on its promontory, the bay of Tuerredda with water straight off an atoll, the inlets of Capo Malfatano and, to finish, Porto Teulada. Drive it slowly, there and back, at different hours: morning light ignites the turquoise of the bays, evening light sets the headlands on fire.
This is also the stretch where many guests wish they had chosen an opening roof. If the idea of wind in the cabin wins out over the purity of the coupé, the answer is an open-top grand tourer — the convertible and spider collection includes several 2+2s made for this itinerary, boot space intact.
Chia to Villasimius: does the SP17 live up to its billing?
Yes — and it’s the grand finale. You head back towards Cagliari on the SS195, a little under an hour, then pick up the SP17 to the east: the coastal road that climbs from Cagliari to Villasimius, some fifty kilometres carved into the flank of the mountain with the sea always on your right. Cala Regina, Mari Pintau, Torre delle Stelle, the drop down to Solanas, then the passage beneath Capo Boi and the arrival in Villasimius.
This is the road where a grand tourer gives its very best: wide corners you can read from a distance, constant changes of gradient, panoramic lay-bys where you stop without hurry. A Ferrari Roma is in its natural habitat here — the V8 breathing through the open stretches, the chassis stitching one corner into the next — while a GranTurismo Trofeo tells the same road with a different accent, more theatrical.
In Villasimius the programme writes itself: Porto Giunco beach with the Notteri lagoon at its back, Punta Molentis, the marina, the Capo Carbonara marine protected area with the lighthouse on the Isola dei Cavoli on the horizon. With an extra day in hand, push on past Capo Ferrato to the long sweep of Costa Rei — the route’s natural extension. And if you’re based in the south-east for the whole stay, luxury car rental with delivery in Villasimius lets you start from here and drive the itinerary in reverse.
Which grand tourer should you choose for this itinerary?
Every grand tourer interprets the journey in its own way. This table matches the characters best suited to the southern coast:
| Model | Character | Its moment on the itinerary |
|---|---|---|
| Ferrari Roma | Elegance with a berlinetta soul | The fast corners of the SP17 towards Villasimius |
| Bentley Continental GT | Total luxury, first-class comfort | The Cagliari–Chia leg, without a single vibration |
| Aston Martin DB12 | Vocal V8, razor-sharp dynamics | The Costa del Sud at sunset |
| Maserati GranTurismo Trofeo | Italian theatre, four real seats | The piazzetta arrival and trips as a couple plus guests |
| Mercedes-AMG SL 63 | Open-air GT roadster | The SP71 with the roof down and helichrysum on the breeze |
Five readings of the same journey: the full collection runs to more than 100 models and 150+ versions, and if you’re torn between coupé and roadster, the complete Aston Martin range offers both answers with the same character.
Where do you collect the car, and how do delivery and return work?
The natural starting point is Cagliari-Elmas airport, fifteen minutes from the centre: with delivery straight to the airport, the itinerary begins at baggage reclaim. The alternatives cover every scenario:
- Arriving by sea: delivery at the port of Cagliari, right beside the ship.
- Holiday already under way: delivery to your hotel, villa or yacht — in Chia just as easily as in Villasimius — to add the car to a trip in progress.
- Linear itinerary: collect in Cagliari and return in Villasimius (or the other way round), so you never drive the same road twice.
Requirements and conditions are provided at the quotation stage.
When should you go to enjoy the southern coast at its best?
From May to June and from September to mid-October the itinerary delivers everything: swimmable sea, empty roads and temperatures that let you drive roof-down even at midday. July and August remain glorious on the road but demand strategy on the beaches — at Tuerredda and Porto Giunco, arrive early and give the middle of the day to driving or a long lunch. Winter, finally, is the south’s best-kept secret: the SP17 deserted on a crystal-clear February day is an experience very few people know.
Ready to draw your own itinerary?
Write to our WhatsApp concierge with your dates, arrival point and travelling style — more beach or more road, coupé or open sky — and we’ll build the tailored version of this itinerary together, with the right grand tourer delivered wherever your Sardinia begins: airport, port, hotel or villa. Request availability — the southern coast is already waiting.