Parco Naturale Molentargius Saline (Molentargius-Saline Natural Park), Cagliari

The Parco Naturale Molentargius-Saline is a protected wildlife safari park home to diverse bird species and wetland habitats. The park is located just south of Cagliari, in Sardinia, Italy.

Parco di Molentargius – Le Saline, located right next to the beautiful Poetto beach, is one of those things to see in Cagliari that you can’t possibly skip if you like to enjoy wildlife. The park includes two freshwater basins and a saltwater basin. Molentargius Park covers an area of around 1600 hectares and is the place where many species of birds stop, especially the pink flamingos, the symbol of the park. The saltwater basins, Le Saline, were originally used for salt extraction, formerly one of the richest industries in Cagliari. The word molentargius, Sardinian for “donkey handlers”, was given because here they used donkeys to carry the salt from the basins. The amphibious animals inhabiting the pond are the tree frog and the green toad, while among the reptiles you will find the pond slider, the grass snake, the green whip snake and the Italian three-toed skink. You can admire some mammal wildlife too: hedgehogs, weasels and wild rabbits, all playing an important role to maintain the ecosystem balance. Molentargius Natural Park offers several activities such as bike riding along the park, bird watching and attending cultural events performed in summer usually at or after sunset. To visit Molentargius Park it is very much recommended to wear comfortable shoes and clothes. You can also bring your dog with you in the park, on a leash. One of the best ways to discover Molentargius Natural Park is by bicycle, and if you don’t have one, you can rent it at the entrance. In the good season, you can visit the park by electric minibus or by boat. If you are interested, you can also rent a binocular for something around 1 Euro.

In the deep south of the island, a short distance from Cagliari, you can enjoy a unique experience combining history and science along the pathways of one of the most beautiful nature parks in Sardinia. A place in equilibrium between mankind and the environment, between bodies of water and vestiges of ancient salt basins for some 400,000 citizens. Within the vast area of Cagliari, it is an oasis for leisure just a short distance from home and for its most famous inhabitants - the pink flamingos - that find the perfect nesting place right here. Without disturbing them, you can admire these majestic birds in Molentargius, which was the richest Sardinian basin for sea-salt extraction for two and a half centuries - an activity that ceased in 1985 - as evidenced by the name itself, deriving from molenti (donkey), an ancient means of transporting the precious loads of salt. Already included in the 1977 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, the area became a regional park in 1999 to protect and enhance one of the main resting and nesting sites of aquatic birds in Europe. The Molentargius-Saline extends across 1,600 hectares in the extreme southern part of the Campidano plain, overlooking the Golfo degli Angeli (Gulf of the Angels) and bordered by Cagliari urbanisation of Quartu Sant'Elena, Quartucciu and Selargius, and by the seafront of the beautiful Poetto. Its uniqueness can be perceived even from the peaks of Monte Urpinu and Sella del Diavolo.

It is one of the most important wetlands in Europe . The Molentargius pond is recognized in the official lists of wetlands to be protected: it is classified as a Site of Community Importance, pursuant to European Union directive no. 43 of 1992 (so-called Habitats Directive), Special Protection Area, pursuant to European Union Directive no. 409 of 1979 (so-called Birds Directive, repealed and replaced by Directive no. 147 of 2009) and Wetland of International Importance , pursuant to the Ramsar Convention. ***PH***