Cagliari

Cagliari's marina puts you right at the edge of La Marina, the city's historic waterfront quarter, where Sardinian seafood restaurants and centuries-old architecture are basically steps from the dock. It's a livelier scene in spring and summer, but even off-season the setting — backed by the hilltop Castello district looming overhead — is hard to beat. Tie up here and you've got the whole of Sardinia's vibrant capital on your doorstep.