Why Cagliari Has Been Pink for Thirty Years
If you’re flying to Cagliari, there’s a good chance you’ll see a pink haze drifting along the water just before landing. It’s not a photo edit, and it’s no coincidence: those are thousands of flamingos, and they’ve been living here for decades. The residents of Cagliari even have a nickname for this phenomenon: sa genti arrubia, “the red people.”
From Donkeys and Salt to Flamingos
View of the Molentargius salt flats from the airplane
The name Molentargius comes from the Sardinian word *molenti*, meaning “donkey.” Those same donkeys once carried salt from the saltworks that were still in full operation here until the 1980s. When salt production ceased, the area gradually transformed into a natural wetland—and, against all expectations, became one of the most important bird areas in all of Europe.
A unique, permanent colony
Unlike in most parts of Italy, where flamingos are merely passing through, part of the population in Cagliari is resident: they breed, feed, and live here year-round. That’s quite remarkable, and relatively new: it wasn’t until 2004 that flamingos began breeding in the area again for the first time, after years of absence. Now, thousands of pairs breed here every year—in a recent season, there were about 9,000 pairs.
When you can see the baby flamingos
If you know where and when to look, the Molentargius becomes even more special. The breeding season begins in early March, with the first eggs laid a few weeks later. The young chicks (pulcini or pulli in Italian) are born with gray plumage—very different from the familiar pink of the adults—and stay close to the nest at first.
Broadly speaking, the season follows this pattern:
April–May: nest-building and courtship — the flamingos don't choose a mate until after a full-fledged courtship dance
Starting in early June: the first chicks are born
June–August: The young grow up and are easily visible in large groups
That means that if you're in Cagliari during the summer, you have a good chance of spotting both the distinctive pink adult birds and the gray chicks—often just flying overhead as you look up anywhere in the city, or from an elevated vantage point such as Monte Urpinu.
Go see for yourself
The park offers guided tours, partly by electric shuttle and sometimes even by boat during the breeding season, with guides who explain not only about the flamingos but also the history of the salt flats and other protected bird species (the area is now home to 140 different species). The best and most accessible viewpoints are the terraces at Monte Urpinu and the banks along Viale Colombo.
Insider tip: You don’t necessarily have to go into the park to see flamingos. From various spots around the city—a balcony, a bridge, even from an airplane as it lands in Cagliari—the colonies regularly fly overhead. It’s one of the few places in the world where wild flamingos are literally part of the streetscape of a capital city.
Wondering how best to combine a visit to Molentargius with the rest of your trip through southern Sardinia? I’d be happy to help you figure it out.