Description of the attraction
Poetto is the main and most popular beach in Cagliari. It stretches for 8 km from Sella del Diavolo (Devil's Saddle) to the coast of Quartu Sant'Elena. The same name - Poetto - is the city quarter located at the western end between the beach and Saline di Molentargius.
Probably the name of the beach comes from the Aragonese Tower of Poets - Torre del Poetto, which is still visible above the Sella del Diavolo. According to another version, the name "Poetto" comes from the Catalan word "poet" - a well, and reminds of the numerous wells scattered across the Sella del Diavolo area to collect rainwater.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, Poetto was not particularly popular among the inhabitants of Cagliari, who preferred to relax on the western coast of the bay - on the beaches of Sa Perdixedda and Giorgino. Only in the 1920s did the white sand dunes of Poetto gain recognition, and the first resort areas (Lido and D'Aquila), bars and even a hospital (Ospedale Marino) were built here. At the same time, the first "casotti" appeared - multi-colored wooden structures, representing a cross between a dressing booth and a sea hut. Unfortunately, in 1986 all the casotti were demolished for safety reasons. The destruction of the Casotti, the huge number of holidaymakers and the lack of erosion control led to the erosion of Poetto's coastline in the 1990s.
In 2002, in order to prevent the disappearance of the beach, a campaign was organized to reclaim the territory: the sand from the bottom of the sea was drained and poured onto the beach. Unfortunately, the result was not quite as expected - instead of fine white sand, Poetto was filled with sand of a completely different color and consistency.
Despite this, Poetto remains a favorite vacation spot for residents and visitors of Cagliari. From June to September, musical groups perform here, open-air discos, dance shows, etc. There are also playgrounds for beach volleyball, soccer and football.
