Sardinia is usually sold as a coastline of manicured super-yacht anchorages, but the island’s architectural layers tell a more isolated, practical history. I took my drone across the rooftops of Cagliari, the riverfront at Bosa, and the towers of Oristano to audit what the urban fabric actually looks like from the air.
Locations featured in Sardinia
Cagliari Harbour
The primary port area acting as the historic maritime gateway to the island's capital.
Bastione di Saint Remy
The massive limestone fortification standing elevated above the historic districts of Cagliari.
Church of St Anne
The prominent baroque collegiate church dominating the local Cagliari skyline.
Bosa
A riverfront town on the west coast defined by its densely packed, brightly coloured historic houses.
Oristano
A quiet west-coast city known for its historic towers and tightly clustered rooftop architecture.
Cagliari Cathedral
The 13th-century Roman Catholic cathedral situated in the elevated Castello district.
Architecture built for defense and trade
The skyline of Sardinia makes a lot more sense when you look at it from the air. I flew low approaches toward Bastione di Saint Remy to capture how Cagliari’s fortifications dominate the landscape. The Cagliari Cathedral and the Church of St Anne sit elevated above Cagliari Harbour and the docks, a logical layout for a city that needed to watch the Tyrrhenian Sea. It’s impressive how these historic blocks stack together, trading wide avenues for dense, colourful housing that crawls up the hills.
Following the water inland
While the coastal bays get most of the attention, the river towns offer something bizarre and completely authentic. I followed the river crossing the main bridge towards Bosa, capturing wide shots of the isolated, brightly painted buildings packed tightly along the banks. It is rugged, practical urban planning. Further south, circling over Oristano, my aerial coverage focuses on low passes between the church towers and rooftops, revealing a layer of the island completely removed from the typical summer trail.
