Mercato Di San Benedetto

San Benedetto is the food market for locals when shopping in Cagliari. It is considered one of the largest in Europe and offers a wide variety of products, from baked goods to good coffee, freshly caught fish to freshly made pasta... It has it all!

The market hall is just a short bus ride away from the marina here, and we love to peruse the hundreds of colourful stalls. The lively atmosphere is enchanting, with vendors calling out to each other and swapping change; reminiscent of the open air markets we loved to frequent when we lived in South East Asia.

The quality of the local produce on this island is second to none. The heady aroma of fresh herbs and the variety of locally grown produce has to be seen to be believed. Bright fruit and vegetables are piled high in each stall and strung from above in ready-to-buy bunches.

We banter with local merchants in broken Italian whilst they hand us their products to sample. We are gladly sold obscure new goods to take home and try, making mental notes of the recipes and cooking tips that vendors dish out whilst they pack the groceries into our shopping bags.

Tourists are rare in this town nowadays and we stand out like sore thumbs. Locals are curious to know why we’re here, and so we happily share our story of living and travelling on a boat and gratefully accept their best wishes of in bocca al lupo (good luck) as we move on to the next stall.

Despite the social distancing and reduced crowds, this popular little part of Sardinia is a fascinating insight into the local culture at a time when we cannot fully immerse ourselves into the usual way of life. It is just one of the many threads that make up the rich tapestry of this vibrant city.