Conti Vecchi Saltworks near Cagliari: Museum and Train Tour Explained
Updated October 18, 2026 · 4 min read
The answer first. The Conti Vecchi saltworks are worth about two hours if you like industrial history and wide lagoon landscapes. The Conti Vecchi Saltworks Museum and Train Tour is listed from €12 per person, lasts 2 hours and has 597 reviews at 4.5 stars. It is not a close-up flamingo experience; the birds are part of the view.
What the visit is
The saltworks lie in the Santa Gilla lagoon between Assemini, Capoterra and Cagliari, and still produce salt. They were opened to the public in 2017 through a partnership between the Italian environmental trust FAI and Syndial-Eni. The site was created by the engineer Luigi Conti Vecchi after the First World War, who reclaimed the pond and set up a large saltworks. Today you see the 1930s buildings, with Art Nouveau offices and the old machinery, and a mini-train ride through the production and nature areas, with salt mountains, coloured pools and flamingos.
According to FAI, the experience lasts about two hours: one hour in the historic buildings and one hour on the train.
What it costs
FAI’s own price list gives €12 for adults and €6 for ages 6 to 18; under-fives and FAI members are free, and a family ticket (two adults, two children) is €32. A version with a guided tour is €20 for adults and €10 for ages 6 to 18. GetYourGuide shows the tour from €12, which matches FAI’s full adult price; the listing names Italian as the guide’s language. Look at what each price includes before choosing. The official site sells tickets directly.
Outside the summer the site is open from Tuesday to Sunday, with hours that change by season, and the last admission is two hours before closing. The summer schedule is split into a morning and an evening session, so check the FAI page for the date you plan to go.
Compared with a flamingo tour
If your main aim is birds, the Molentargius EcoSafari is built around them: 1.5 hours and €25 in an electric minibus through a park that sits inside the city. The saltworks are about industry first, wildlife second.
Access and practical points
FAI states that visitors with disabilities enter free and that the train takes one wheelchair per tour, but the upper floors of the buildings have no ramp. Dogs must be leashed; assistance dogs may travel on the train, pets may not. Contact FAI to confirm the arrangements for your group.
For other places to see the birds, read flamingo tours in Cagliari, which has 14 listings from €12. If a coastal day appeals more, the Devil’s Saddle boat trips start from about €31.
