Cagliari (Sardinia) weather in December
December in Cagliari: cool, a little rain, with clean air — a good time to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#12 of 12 months in Cagliari · #883 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 64/100 (tier C)
- Days
- 17°C
- Nights
- 7°C
- Wet days
- 8
- Sun
- 7.4 h
- Humidity
- 82%
- Daylight
- 10 h

Traveller notes on Cagliari in December
Sardinia-forum threads asking whether December is worth it (Cagliari specifically among the destinations discussed) land on a qualified yes: genuinely chilly by the island's own summer standards, but posters are consistent that it rarely turns miserable, and locals themselves keep walking the Poetto Beach promenade right through Christmas Day regardless of the season. Sunny stretches are common enough that a clear December day here can still feel like a genuine treat, sunlight without summer's crowd or heat. The historic castle district and old fortifications are worth exploring regardless of weather, since indoor sightseeing holds up fine on a grey day. Regulars call December's real draw the local Christmas food and market scene, traditional Sardinian sweets and pastries singled out repeatedly. The record: 16.6C days feeling like 14C, 6.6C nights, 51mm across 8.1 days, a 16.4C sea, 82 percent humidity and 7.4 hours of sun.
Other months in Cagliari
Regulars are specific this month splits sharply around the midpoint, the first 15 days usually still carrying real summer heat well above 18C, the back half turning statistically far less stable with mixed, genuinely unpredictable experiences reported. Our row backs that mild, genuinely wet read, 24.8C over 14.3C nights feeling 14C, with 40.8mm of rain across 6.4 days and humidity at 75 percent. Regulars are consistent this counts as the rainiest month of the year in some parts of the wider region, Villasimius specifically named, though the actual risk stays comparatively low next to other spots. Even late in the month sunny days in the 20-to-26C range remain common, an evening jacket the real adjustment needed. The sea sits at a warm 24.2C. The record: 9.5 hours of sun, a 17.8 kph wind and AQI 44.
Sardinia-forum threads asking if July-August is really the worst time split into two camps: one side says avoid it outright, too hot and humid with thousands of tourists everywhere and everything fully booked; the other says go as late in August as possible, when many tourists have already left and the most intense heat has started to ease. Both agree on the sea, though - a bath-like warmth that's one of the month's genuine payoffs regardless of which camp is right. Precipitation barely factors into the debate either way; it's not really part of an August trip here. The record: 32.6C days feeling like 34C, 20.5C nights, just 13mm total across 2.8 days, a 26.7C sea, humidity a relatively dry 62 percent and 12.5 hours of sun - properly hot, properly dry, properly crowded until the tail of the month.
June in Cagliari is already summer: regulars give late 20s and into the 30s, say early June can be hot enough that you will not want to be walking in the middle of the day, and describe beautiful weather day after day with warm evenings. Our row's 29.8C reading as 31C, with 2 precipitation days, is that. The two qualifications are worth the trip. The sea is still on the cusp between cool and pleasant in the first week - our row says 23.6C - so swimming depends on your tolerance. And the island has not woken up yet: outside Cagliari and Alghero, June is quiet until the end of the month, and the beaches can be almost to yourself. The record: 18.2C nights, 14.9mm of rain and 13 hours of sun.
July in Cagliari is properly hot, and the Cagliari forum's most useful contributions are about the city beach rather than the thermometer. Poetto runs roughly eight kilometres from the Sella del Diavolo out to Quartu Sant'Elena, is fifteen minutes away on an urban bus, and divides opinion - convenient and lively, but not among Sardinia's best beaches, and genuinely packed on a July Sunday. The local variable is the mistral, which can drop both air and sea several degrees within a few hours. Regulars also point out that 30C with low humidity and 35C with it are different holidays. The record: 32.9C days that feel like 35C, 20.8C nights, no precipitation days at all, 13.1 hours of sun and a 26.6C sea.
Add your own note from Cagliari's card on the map.
Cagliari climate normals — December
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Cagliari in December
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Peak crowdsChristmas to Epiphany, Christmas holidays in Italy, school holidays in 6 of the markets that fill it(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Cagliari's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Toughest weatherCagliari's weather peaks June–August, best around July.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Cagliari in December
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Season
Winter: routes and beach kiosks shut
1 Nov – 20 MarOff-season shutdownClosuresSeasonal flights stop and Poetto goes back to dog walkers, but unlike the resort towns Cagliari is a working city and the old quarters stay open all winter.
- Holiday
Christmas to Epiphany
24 Dec – 6 JanChristmas & New YearClosuresCrowdedChristmas Day, Santo Stefano (26 December), New Year's Day and Epiphany (6 January) are public holidays. Many museums, shops and restaurants close on the 25th and some on the 26th and 1st, while the days between bring Italian families out to nativity scenes, lights and markets. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Cagliari — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Cagliari?
Cagliari in December — FAQ
- Is December a good time to visit Cagliari?
- December in Cagliari: cool, a little rain, with clean air — a good time to visit. It ranks #12 of 12 months for Cagliari on SeasonMap's comfort score (64/100).
- What is the weather like in Cagliari in December?
- In December, Cagliari averages a daily high of 16.6°C and a low of 6.6°C, with about 50.6 mm of rain over roughly 8.1 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Cagliari in December?
- Cagliari has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 35 in December.
Within 300 km: Tunis' Olive harvest around 1 Nov – 15 Jan, and Alghero's Winter: flights and hotels thin out on 1 Nov – 20 Mar.