Things to do in Southwestern Sardinia
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Castello Salvaterra
Just off Piazza Sella amid pleasant hillside gardens stands a stout square tower: the remains of Castello Salvaterra, Ugolino's mighty Pisan fortress. From up here you can appreciate fine views of the old town. To get an idea of what the city looked like before the walls came down, proceed to Via Campidano, where a stretch of the 14th-century northwestern perimeter built by the Catalano-Aragonese remains defiantly in place, complete with towers.
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Villa di Chiesa
Located on the grand Piazza del Municipio, this long-standing local favourite has a tiptop position, and in summer tables are laid out in the piazza. It serves pizza in the evening, but the homemade pasta dishes are the thing to go for - the culurgiones (pasta stuffed with ricotta, spinach and saffron) is delicious, as is the house sebadas (light pastry filled with cheese and covered with honey).
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Chiesa di San Francesco
A short walk off the Piazza del Municipio brings you to the dainty rose-red trachyte Chiesa di San Francesco. Although possibly older than the cathedral in origin, it now only sports its Catalan Gothic wardrobe, some of it dating to the 15th century. Inside, the single nave is flanked by chapels between the buttresses.
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Ristorante 7 Nani
A laid-back Sant’Antioco trattoria set-up with simple wood tables, a garden dining area and pictures of Snow White’s seven dwarves. The wood-fired pizzas are superb, the seafood is fresh and the local mirto (a berry-based liqueur) a sweet way to finish off.
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Volters & Murion
Serving everything from hamburgers to pasta and seafood, this is a cheerful eatery near the Duomo. With the TV on in the corner and locals laughing at the bar, it’s a laid-back place, as good for a meal as an evening drink.
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Duomo
Dominating the eastern flank of Piazza del Municipio in the heart of the centro storico, the Duomo retains a lovely Pisan-flavoured facade, as does the bell tower, with its chequerboard stonework.
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Museo dell'Arte Mineraria
Bone up on Iglesias’ mining history at the Museo dell’Arte Mineraria, a former mining school, where you can experience the harsh conditions in which miners worked in a series of recreated mine shafts.
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Chiesa di Nostra Signora di Valverde
The Chiesa di Nostra Signora di Valverde, which is about a 15-minute walk southeast from Piazza Sella, has an elegant façade similar to the Duomo's, repeating its two series of blind arches in the Pisan style.
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Gazebo Medioevale
A good winter alternative, here you can take a table beneath the long stone-and-brick arches and settle in for a mostly seafood menu. Staff prepare some fish dishes with couscous. Credit cards are not accepted.
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Osteria della Tonnara
Run by Isola San Pietro’s tuna cooperative, this is the place to try tonno alla carlofortina (tuna roasted and served with a tomato sauce). Booking is recommended and credit cards are not accepted.
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Ristorante Pizzeria Al Castello
At the top of Carloforte, this is where locals come to get their pizza. A friendly, laid-back place with a spacious dining room and comprehensive menu, it’s well worth the short but steep climb to get here.
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Basilica di Sant’Antioco Martire
Up in the high part of town, the Basilica di Sant’Antioco Martire is a sublimely simple 5th-century church set over an extensive system of creepy catacombs.
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Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie
The 13th-century Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie is even older than the Chiesa di San Francesco, but most of the upper half of the façade dates to the 17th and 18th centuries.
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Chiesa di Nostra Signora del Buon Cammino
The Chiesa di Nostra Signora del Buon Cammino, which you reach by following a steep incline north of Via Campidano, is perched on a tall hill and commands lovely views over the city.
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Cartur Dea
On the seafront, Cartur Dea is one of several outfits offering boat tours. Bank on about €25 per person.
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Archivio Storico
Iglesias' historical archive contains the whole of the town's history, including Ugolino's Breve di Villa Chiesa.
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Municipio
On the western side of the Piazza del Municipio is the grand neoclassical Municipio.
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Libreria Duomo
A small offering of guides and maps. Almost everything is in Italian.
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Museo dell’Arte Mineraria
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Museo Archeologico
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