Parco Naturale Molentargius

A little visit to the Parco Naturale Molentargius Saline (Natural Park of Molentargius), the former National Salt Works of Cagliari. The salt flats that sit just on the edge of the city are so named for the donkeys (molenti) that used to transport the precious loads of salt here for two and a half centuries.

Today the wetland is one of the largest and most important in Europe, and we spent an afternoon exploring just a fraction of it. Amongst the 1,600 hectares sit the remains of the Old City of Salt, now inhabited by a wealth of bird life (230 species to be exact!), and other flora and fauna.

And from a large hide overlooking the basin we spotted Cagliari’s most famous residents (and symbol of the city) tucked away behind the reeds and bulrush, a large colony of Pink Flamingos.