Cagliari Fish Market: Mercato San Benedetto

Can a fish market be a tourist attraction? Come and see!

Where can you go to see a thriving market with all manner of sea creatures on display? For my money, you can't go wrong if you wander over to Mercato San Benedetto and see what it's all about, from the folks who sell famous cheeses and honeys that Sardinia is famous for to the fresh fish on display in the enormous fish market.

Unlike many markets in major Italian cities, vendors in the Cagliari market don't seem put off by tourists who are simply gawking. Watch the video below to see what I mean. They're a playful bunch, these Sards.

You'll also hear Sardinia guide Paola Loi explain some of the typical foods you can buy at the Cagliari market.

You can take advantage of all this fresh seafood by renting a house or apartment in the city. See: Cagliari Vacation Rentals. You can go any time of the year for the fish market, but summers are hot, see Cagliari weather and historic climate.

Just a note of warning: If you are from a place with dismal supermarkets and industrial food marinating in its own bacteria in Styrofoam trays, you might get the overwhelming urge to move to a place where the fish are so absolutely fresh that there isn't that awful "fishy" smell that tells you your fish are going bad when you remove the cling wrap that locks in the unfreshness held captive in that Styrofoam tray.