[2] Modern tourism in Sardinia began in 1948, when the first investments and development plans were started in conjunction with the acquisition of autonomous region status and the definitive defeat of malaria along the coast.

Numerous coastal ponds surround the city, like the Molentargius - Saline Regional Park, located between the urban area and Poetto Beach.

In the Sarrabus-Gerrei area, the beaches of Costa Rei[8] extend to the foot of the hills of Capo Ferrato;[9] they are considered to be among the most beautiful in the world by Lonely Planet, along with those of Villasimius[10] farther south.

In the vicinity of Carbonia,[23] there is the fortress of Monte Sirai,[24] a testimony to the Phoenician-Punic and then Roman domination of the region, which also affected the islands and the littoral below, where the ruins of Sulci, Bithia, Inosim and Pani-Loriga are located, dating from the 8th century BC.

Barbagia is the region that represents the heart of Sardinia; it surrounds around the Gennargentu[30] massif[31] and Supramonte[32] highland, a chain of granite, shale and limestone mountains that reaches the eastern coast from the inner parts of the island and descends to the sea between Dorgali and Baunei.

Just outside Oristano, there is the pond of Cabras[59] and the nearby lagoon of Mistras,[60] where thousands of cormorants and flamingos, as well as ducks, coots, white herons, western swamphen and black-winged stilt live seasonally.

[64] Gallura is a territory that occupies the whole northeastern part of Sardinia, including the Maddalena archipelago[65] and the island of Caprera,[66] where Giuseppe Garibaldi spent his last years and where he is buried.

It is a mountain region, with few flat areas (the Olbia plain) dominated by the polished granite shapes and the dark green of the Mediterranean scrub.

In the Costa Smeralda, and farther south in Budoni[68] and San Teodoro,[69] much of the island's tourism is concentrated,[70] but there are also completely wild areas, such as the vast territories of Alà dei Sardi[71] and Buddusò,[72] easily reachable from the coast.

Alghero, a tourist-oriented city and Catalan linguistic island, has numerous beaches and a vast and varied naturalistic heritage with a historic center that can be considered a museum in itself.

Farther north are the ghost town of Argentiera[82] and the port city of Porto Torres,[83] with the island of Asinara[84] and its national park, the important Roman vestiges of the ancient city of Turris Libisonis, countless archaeological sites located throughout its territory, as well as the majestic Basilica of San Gavino, former cathedral of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sassari and one of the first manifestations of Romanesque architecture in Sardinia.

This area includes many other places of interest such as Sassari,[87] Sardinia's second city by population, with its historic center, archaeological sites (such as the megalithic altar of Monte d'Accoddi),[88] Platamona,[89] Sedini,[90] Tergu[91] and Valledoria.

[92] In the Logudoro hinterland, in addition to the Pre-Nuragic and Nuragic vestiges (including the Dolmen of Sa Coveccada[93] and the nuraghe Santu Antine) there are numerous Romanesque churches, such as the basilica of Saccargia of Codrongianos, built in the 11th or 12th century in Romanesque-Pisan style by the judges of Torres, the basilica of Sant'Antioco di Bisarcio in Ozieri[94] and the church of Santa Maria del Regno of Ardara.

They are considered by scholars the most impressive expression of the Nuragic civilization and were included in the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1997 as Su Nuraxi di Barumini.

Varied and diversified, it ranges from roasted meats to bread, cheeses, wines,[98] to sea and land dishes, both of peasant and pastoral origin, game, fishing and the collection of wild herbs.