Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago di La Maddalena
Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago di La Maddalena
Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago di La Maddalena
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About
La Maddalena Archipelago National Park is a geomarine protected area consisting of a group of islands situated in the north-east of the coast of Gallura, in the stretch of sea between Sardinia and Corsica known as Bocche di Bonifacio. These islands – except for La Maddalena Island housing the homonymous town and characterized by a significant human presence – are entirely deserted or scattered with small human settlements, like in Caprera and Santa Maria Islands.
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joanna1982
London, UK41 contributions
Sep 2020 • Couples
We took our car to the island by ferry. It was 48euro for 2 people (price also depends on car size, we had a fiat panda). You don’t need to book a ferry ticket in advance (it was actually more expensive that way). We just turned up, they take your ID, and once you’re on the ferry, you buy your open-return ticket there, and collect your ID again.
When you come off the ferry, to the right of the entrance, you’ll see all the boat operators lined up. So if you want to book a trip, you can choose from a big variety. Again, no need to book in advance, but probably better if you do if you want a full-day boat trip as they seem to set off around 9:30-10am.
We chose to drive as we wanted to snorkel in our own time (brought cheap snorkels from Decathlon!). I advise you take drinks and snacks, as the best beaches have nothing, apart from sand and crystal clear waters.
We found Capera, to the right of the island, to be less interesting. Its more rugged, full of large bolders. The best beach there is a 30min walk to get to, and they recommend taking a guide, so we gave this as miss as we were only there for 1day. I loved the north west of the main island. Spiaggia delo stangeloto was my fave. Very uneven terrain to get there, but we did it in our Panda! Its a small secluded beach, great for snorkelling. But this whole area had beaches, just drive and you’ll discover somewhere.
We finished with dinner in the main town, lots of choices of bars and restaurants. And boarding the ferry was so straightforward.
Beautiful place. The best highlight of our trip!
When you come off the ferry, to the right of the entrance, you’ll see all the boat operators lined up. So if you want to book a trip, you can choose from a big variety. Again, no need to book in advance, but probably better if you do if you want a full-day boat trip as they seem to set off around 9:30-10am.
We chose to drive as we wanted to snorkel in our own time (brought cheap snorkels from Decathlon!). I advise you take drinks and snacks, as the best beaches have nothing, apart from sand and crystal clear waters.
We found Capera, to the right of the island, to be less interesting. Its more rugged, full of large bolders. The best beach there is a 30min walk to get to, and they recommend taking a guide, so we gave this as miss as we were only there for 1day. I loved the north west of the main island. Spiaggia delo stangeloto was my fave. Very uneven terrain to get there, but we did it in our Panda! Its a small secluded beach, great for snorkelling. But this whole area had beaches, just drive and you’ll discover somewhere.
We finished with dinner in the main town, lots of choices of bars and restaurants. And boarding the ferry was so straightforward.
Beautiful place. The best highlight of our trip!
Written September 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark_traveled13
Parker, CO124 contributions
Sep 2019
La Maddalena is an island located in northern part of Sardinia in Italy. There are hotels in the town on the island that is not very heavily populated. The island is quite famous for its beautiful beaches and has a rocky terrain. There are several ancient ruins and some fortifications that are still left on the island.
Written July 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rob B
142 contributions
Sep 2022 • Couples
though the weather was threatening rain, my wife, Maria, and I rented a Vespa and toured from La Madellena to Isola Caprera. What a treat! The road has little traffic and takes you to many surprising vistas. We stopped at the Mineral Museum and had a tremendous session with Maria, our guide. Because of the weather, we did not stop to explore the plentiful and enticing hiking trails, sadly. Afterwards, back on La Madellena, we had a great lunch at an Agritourismo that was soon closing down due to being late in the season. Well worth the trip!
Written September 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Márton Veres
Benicasim, Spain1 contribution
Sep 2021 • Couples
Kind staff, good service, excellent coffee and deserts, good wine and pasta, breathtaking beaches, enough space for 12 people. Good music on board.Absolutely recommended trip
Written September 14, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Luc D
Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina55 contributions
Sep 2012 • Couples
Exceptionally beautiful island, relax atmosphere, lovely people but …
WATCH OUT for MAJOR TOURIST TRAP at the DELCOMAR FERRY
There are different companies that go back and forth between Palau and Maddalena and there are huge price differences between companies ( +/- 100%). The most expensive one is DELCOMAR.
They use malicious tricks to lure you on board:
• They have people on the quay in fluo jackets, looking like officials waving torches rushing you to get you on board.
• They take your ID card or driver license.
• They wrongly claim it’s the same price everywhere.
• Once on board, there is no way back, you pay twice the price you would pay to another company (e.g. 43 EUR 1 car two adults, vs. 22 EUR with SAREMAR)
• Staff is trained to handle protests in an arrogant way.
• Even on land they have no such thing as an official pricelist you can consult and compare.
It’s a shame for the beautiful Maddalena island, it’s a shame for the wonderful people of Sardinia.
My advice is :"Buy your tickets in Palua at the ticket booth, take the SAREMAR ferry and enjoy the lovely islands."
WATCH OUT for MAJOR TOURIST TRAP at the DELCOMAR FERRY
There are different companies that go back and forth between Palau and Maddalena and there are huge price differences between companies ( +/- 100%). The most expensive one is DELCOMAR.
They use malicious tricks to lure you on board:
• They have people on the quay in fluo jackets, looking like officials waving torches rushing you to get you on board.
• They take your ID card or driver license.
• They wrongly claim it’s the same price everywhere.
• Once on board, there is no way back, you pay twice the price you would pay to another company (e.g. 43 EUR 1 car two adults, vs. 22 EUR with SAREMAR)
• Staff is trained to handle protests in an arrogant way.
• Even on land they have no such thing as an official pricelist you can consult and compare.
It’s a shame for the beautiful Maddalena island, it’s a shame for the wonderful people of Sardinia.
My advice is :"Buy your tickets in Palua at the ticket booth, take the SAREMAR ferry and enjoy the lovely islands."
Written October 8, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Geoffhailz
Burton on Trent75 contributions
Jul 2013 • Couples
We have just been to Sardinia, and would recommend a trip to La Maddelena.It has beautiful scenery, and some lovely little beaches. Our advice would be to take a car to explore - its only a small island, and the roads are good.
The ferries are from Palau, and it is a pleasant, short crossing ( 15 mins). The port at Palau is a bit hectic, though - and a bit of advance knowledge might help, so let me share our experience.
Firstly there are three separate companies operating the same route - Saremar, Delcomar and EneRrmar, Each seems to have its strengths and weaknesses - Saremar have the most frequent sailings (half hourly in the morning up to 11, then hourly, then half hourly again in the afternoon from 1500) - but their last return seems to be 1900 ( 2013 timetable). Delcomar are not quite so frequent, but have later crossings in the evening - and EneRmar are the least frequent, but may offer discounts for pre-booking. We were recommended to go with Saremar, and found them very good out and back.
The bustle is when you arrive in the port area. The area is all one space, but the separate ferry companies have different queuing areas for their respective boats. I would agree with a previous reviewer that the Delcomar people were kitted out to look "official", and were enthusiastically trying to direct us into their queue. I ignored that, and found the Saremar area on the left of the port area.
Buying tickets was simple, but again, you need to understand the process. You will see ticket offices before you get to the port - but these are owned by individual companies. Once inside the port there is a single ticket building - on the left - where all three companies have ticket kiosks. Go in there, go to your preferred company, buy the ticket ... and you're off ! Easy embarking and disembarking, and La Maddelena was lovely to drive around.
I believe that you can pre-book ( sometimes at a discount), but I found the internet sites difficult to load on my tablet so I didn't bother. If you do book for a specific time, I would just share my experience that you have to crawl through traffic in Palau to get to the port. That added 10 minutes in early July, so in true high season, there may be some delay.
The final thing to share is price. I had tried to research in advance what the costs were - and failed ! For our trip, we paid 40 euros return for a car and two people. Personally, I thought that was very reasonable.
Hope this helps some - we had a great day driving around in the morning, and relaxing by a stunning little cove in the afternoon. Enjoy !
The ferries are from Palau, and it is a pleasant, short crossing ( 15 mins). The port at Palau is a bit hectic, though - and a bit of advance knowledge might help, so let me share our experience.
Firstly there are three separate companies operating the same route - Saremar, Delcomar and EneRrmar, Each seems to have its strengths and weaknesses - Saremar have the most frequent sailings (half hourly in the morning up to 11, then hourly, then half hourly again in the afternoon from 1500) - but their last return seems to be 1900 ( 2013 timetable). Delcomar are not quite so frequent, but have later crossings in the evening - and EneRmar are the least frequent, but may offer discounts for pre-booking. We were recommended to go with Saremar, and found them very good out and back.
The bustle is when you arrive in the port area. The area is all one space, but the separate ferry companies have different queuing areas for their respective boats. I would agree with a previous reviewer that the Delcomar people were kitted out to look "official", and were enthusiastically trying to direct us into their queue. I ignored that, and found the Saremar area on the left of the port area.
Buying tickets was simple, but again, you need to understand the process. You will see ticket offices before you get to the port - but these are owned by individual companies. Once inside the port there is a single ticket building - on the left - where all three companies have ticket kiosks. Go in there, go to your preferred company, buy the ticket ... and you're off ! Easy embarking and disembarking, and La Maddelena was lovely to drive around.
I believe that you can pre-book ( sometimes at a discount), but I found the internet sites difficult to load on my tablet so I didn't bother. If you do book for a specific time, I would just share my experience that you have to crawl through traffic in Palau to get to the port. That added 10 minutes in early July, so in true high season, there may be some delay.
The final thing to share is price. I had tried to research in advance what the costs were - and failed ! For our trip, we paid 40 euros return for a car and two people. Personally, I thought that was very reasonable.
Hope this helps some - we had a great day driving around in the morning, and relaxing by a stunning little cove in the afternoon. Enjoy !
Written July 14, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Ramin S
Faro, Portugal6 contributions
Aug 2014 • Couples
One of Sardinia's best attractions is the archipelago La Maddalena to the north east, which has been a national park area since 2003. This means you need a permit to visit all around the coast of these islands and at €40 daily or €96 weekly for a 12 meter boat, it was a no brainer so we got a week long permit. We are very very disappointed! DO NOT visit the La Maddalena in July or August, it is hideous! I am not sure they are even worth visiting at all as there is the French island of Ile Cavallo only 7 miles to the north and it is much more beautiful, not as busy and free!
On our first day we went to one of the anchorages by the island of Budelli. There we where with at least another 30 boats similar size or bigger plus over 200 fast ribs and smaller cruisers that kept coming and going. As if that wasn't enough a string of big tourist boats come and go, four of which actually stopped for a few hours and deposited over 1000 visitors to the small beach. The wash from all this traffic makes it a very uncomfortable stay even though we had a buoy in a relatively good location. Let me complete the picture for you by telling you that there are no sanitary facilities what so ever on this Italian national park! A friend made the mistake of going for a walk on the island and what he found behind the bushes was a disgrace. We didn't put our toes in the water there.
On our second day we went to the two of the best looking anchorages in the whole area only to find out that they are now private and not included in the national park permit. If we wanted to stay we had to pay €60 per day for a just a buoy. La Maddalena are just a con!
Having said that, there are a lot of beautiful anchorages in Sardinia and you can anchor and stay out of the expensive marinas. However, I would stay away from La Maddalena and the adjacent coast as it is far far too busy in July and August.
Now we know why it is call Sardinia; because they pack'm like sardines on rusty tin boat and send them to La Maddalena!
On our first day we went to one of the anchorages by the island of Budelli. There we where with at least another 30 boats similar size or bigger plus over 200 fast ribs and smaller cruisers that kept coming and going. As if that wasn't enough a string of big tourist boats come and go, four of which actually stopped for a few hours and deposited over 1000 visitors to the small beach. The wash from all this traffic makes it a very uncomfortable stay even though we had a buoy in a relatively good location. Let me complete the picture for you by telling you that there are no sanitary facilities what so ever on this Italian national park! A friend made the mistake of going for a walk on the island and what he found behind the bushes was a disgrace. We didn't put our toes in the water there.
On our second day we went to the two of the best looking anchorages in the whole area only to find out that they are now private and not included in the national park permit. If we wanted to stay we had to pay €60 per day for a just a buoy. La Maddalena are just a con!
Having said that, there are a lot of beautiful anchorages in Sardinia and you can anchor and stay out of the expensive marinas. However, I would stay away from La Maddalena and the adjacent coast as it is far far too busy in July and August.
Now we know why it is call Sardinia; because they pack'm like sardines on rusty tin boat and send them to La Maddalena!
Written August 29, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Manfred G
Bisamberg, Austria425 contributions
Oct 2012 • Couples
Wonderful set of islands with a large number of great beaches, but also pittoresque rock formations. The sea looks like in the Caribbean. Ideal for boat owners, but the beaches at La Maddalena are also well accessible by car plus some easy walking.
Boat trips through the archipelago starting from La Maddalena unfortunately not any more available in October.
Visit to the Garibaldi memorial at Caprera interesting also for Non-Italians.
Visiting at least La Maddalena is a must for every trip to Sardegna. Our favourite beach there: Bassa Trinita.
Boat trips through the archipelago starting from La Maddalena unfortunately not any more available in October.
Visit to the Garibaldi memorial at Caprera interesting also for Non-Italians.
Visiting at least La Maddalena is a must for every trip to Sardegna. Our favourite beach there: Bassa Trinita.
Written October 7, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Micheal R
New York City, NY80 contributions
Sep 2015 • Couples
We hired our own boat from Palau- really nice boat and big enough for the six of us- 30 euro's each with fuel.
Loaded up with some local food, drink, snorkels, flippers and sun cream and off we went.
I definitely were not expecting what was to follow.
We went on to have a fantastic day exploring what must be one the most beautiful places on earth. I cannot think of anything more relaxing or more fun, on a hot summers day than sailing around Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago di La Maddalena- its another day you will never forget and a must do whether you have sea legs or not
Loaded up with some local food, drink, snorkels, flippers and sun cream and off we went.
I definitely were not expecting what was to follow.
We went on to have a fantastic day exploring what must be one the most beautiful places on earth. I cannot think of anything more relaxing or more fun, on a hot summers day than sailing around Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago di La Maddalena- its another day you will never forget and a must do whether you have sea legs or not
Written December 15, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ronger5
Israel328 contributions
Sep 2014 • Friends
The park in itself is full of interesting colors on land and sea. We went sailing on a yacht and anchored not far away from the beach. Half an hour later park rangers charged 50 Euros for the stay. Understood, it is a national park, but for a 4 hour anchoring experience it was way to expensive. Had it not been for the price, the experience would have ranked higher, but the price for a beach which was not clean downgraded ny ranking.
Written October 18, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ilenia
Castel Goffredo, Italy97 contributions
Buongiorno noi alloggeremo al santo stefano, partono anche da qui le escursioni ?
Saluti
Giuseppe M
Catanzaro, Italy195 contributions
Si ma un pò costose.
antonellams2018
Province of Cagliari, Italy10 contributions
È possibile accedere alle calette in macchina?
O esclusivamente in barca?
Grazie
Marmafat
Borgo San Lorenzo, Italy695 contributions
Salve, è possibile accedere ad alcune spiagge de La Maddalena e di Caprera, mentre le altre isole dell'arcipelago credo siano raggiungibili solo via mare.
Mauro Bastos
Coventry, UK6 contributions
Could you please tell me how and where I can hire a small boat for a family of 5 people.
Thanks in advance,
Mauro
Irena70
Amsterdam, The Netherlands97 contributions
Hi Mauro,
We hired a dinghy through Albatros service at the harbor of Palau. They were in the strip of boat rental services just in front of the harbor. They have various sizes of boats. Our boat for a day (enough space for 4) was €105 and a full tank was about €30. Enjoy La Maddalena!
Cosa consigli per la settimana del 12 andare in macchina alla Maddalena o fare il tour in barca da Palau.
ho solo un giorno a disposizione, sono itinerante
Folletto76
Vimodrone, Italy62 contributions
Ciao,in un giorno potresti vedere 4 spiagge andando direttamente a La Maddalena. Secondo me il tour in barca è un po’ “riduttivo”... Valuta quanto vuoi stancarti e scegli tra le due opzioni
Elisabeth M
2 contributions
Y a toujours il des loueurs de vélo et scooter sur place.
tiziana m
Pontirolo Nuovo, Italy312 contributions
Sì noleggiano tutto, macchine, bici, scooter,gommoni
Fabrizio
Naples, Italy244 contributions
Quale tour in barca mi consigliereste per vedere le spiaggie più belle, come la spiaggia Rosa di Budelli ecc..., e qual è la compagnia migliore (anche per i costi)? Per trascorrere una giornata di mare consigliate di rimanere sull’isola della Maddalena?
Maurizio1970
Lemmer, The Netherlands170 contributions
Ciao Fabrizio, a giugno mi sono fermato per 6 notti alla maddalena, amo il mare e le spiagge e ogni giorno ho visitato a caprera una caletta differente. Ci sono numerosi sentieri che ti portano nelle diverse calette (all'ufficio del turismo nel centro della maddalena hanno delle mappe con i sentieri indicati). Consiglio vivamente cala Serena, cala napoletana, cala bianca e cala cotticiolo (ma per raggiungere queste due ti devi fare una bella scarpinata e in alcuni tratti difficoltosa,...ma ne vale ogni goccia di sudore!! :-) ). Alcune spiagge sono anche facilmente raggiungibili in auto (spiaggia del relitto e cala andreani).
Riguardo i giri in barca io ho affittato un gommone di 4,50 mt (per 2 persone va benissimo) presso "Nolleggio F.lli Cuccu" (via ammendola 8). Ho pagato 60 euro per una gioranta intera, ma per quello che ho capito i prezzi variano parecchio. Col gommone in 40 minuti arrivi all'isola di budelli. La spiaggia rosa si puo ammirare solo da lontano ed e vietato metterci piede. Ma li vicino, tra l'isola budelli e santa maria ci sono quelle che chiamano "le piscine". Molto belle. Anche la spiaggia di santa maria e molto bella. Spero che queste informazioni possano esserti utili. Ciao
Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago di La Maddalena - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go
Frequently Asked Questions about Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago di La Maddalena
- We recommend booking Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago di La Maddalena tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 20 Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago di La Maddalena tours on Tripadvisor
- According to Tripadvisor travelers, these are the best ways to experience Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago di La Maddalena:
- Snorkeling Day from Palau (From $149.02)
- Sailboat tour from PALAU to the Maddalena Archipelago. (From $121.42)
- Small Group Tour by MINIVAN La Maddalena & Caprera Island - SARDINIA - ITALY (From $149.02)
- Boat tour in the La Maddalena Archipelago in Sardinia (From $143.50)
- La Maddalena & Caprera (From $425.36)
- Hotels near Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago di La Maddalena:
- (0.01 mi) Forte Balbiano
- (0.10 mi) Controvento
- (0.04 mi) Le Stanze di Gaia
- (0.09 mi) Appartamenti Argantino
- (0.11 mi) Il Cormorano
- Restaurants near Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago di La Maddalena:
- (0.14 mi) Taverna Barò
- (0.11 mi) Anuelo
- (0.23 mi) Vineria Ninì
- (0.20 mi) Il Ghiottone
- (0.28 mi) La Finestrella