Italy Guide
Sardinia
Nora
The easiest excursion you can make from Cágliari is to the waterside archeological site at NORA, 40km south of the city. In summer there's a bus service direct to the site; the rest of the year the nearest stop is the village of PULA, 3km away and served by hourly ARST buses (6 on Sun). It's worth going to Pula anyway, as the village museum (daily 9am–8pm; €5.50 including site at Nora) gives a good explanation of the Nora finds.
Founded by the Phoenicians and settled later by Carthaginians and Romans, Nora (daily 9am– dusk; €5.50 including museum) was abandoned around the third century AD, possibly as a result of a natural disaster. Now partly submerged under the sea, the remains on land include houses, Carthaginian warehouses, a temple, baths with some well-preserved mosaics, and a theatre which hosts summer performances. The rest is rubble, though its position on the tip of a peninsula gives it plenty of atmosphere.