A Guide to La Maddalena, Italy: Fun Things to Do and More!

When people dream of island paradises, it looks a lot like La Maddalena, Italy — an island archipelago off the northeast coast of Sardinia.

While most people come to La Maddalena for the beaches and boat trips — the main draws for Sardinia as a whole! — La Maddalena offers a nice balance of city, culture, and dining, too. 

Here you can enjoy beautiful beaches and explore the Parco Nazionale dell’Arcipelago di La Maddalena and its many protected islands.

But what I loved about La Maddalena is that you can also visit museums, go on hikes, stroll through the city center, and indulge in some delicious Sardinian food. 

The archipelago of La Maddalena is made up of seven main islands and many smaller islets. The main island is called La Maddalena, the national park is called La Maddalena, and the town on the main island is ALSO called La Maddalena. It can be a bit confusing, but I’ll refer to La Maddalena archipelago, island, national park, or town when necessary.

While you could park yourself in La Maddalena town and eat Sardinian snacks to your heart’s content, the real treasures come when you go exploring. The two largest islands, La Maddalena and Caprera, are linked by a causeway and best explored by car.

For the harder-to-reach islands, jump on a boat tour! There are plenty of boat tours in La Maddalena, taking you to some of the prettiest parts of the archipelago.

Between the beaches, the charm, and the easy 45-minute drive from the hub of Olbia to the ferry port in Palau, La Maddalena is the perfect place to start a Sardinian road trip. I loved my time here.

Here are the best things to do in La Maddalena, Italy!

This post was published in April 2025 and was co-written by Adventurous Kate and Riana Ang-Canning.

Go on a boat tour

If there’s any one thing you should do in La Maddalena, it’s taking a boat tour! We did this on our first day and it started our visit off so well.

There are many different boat tours available here, with a variety of itineraries, price points, and inclusions. Take your time looking through them to find the best option for you. 

On this Day on a boat in the archipelago of La Maddalena tour, you’ll sail through the archipelago on a motorboat exploring the islands and coves of Spargi, Budelli, Razzoli, Santa Maria, and Caprera. Because this is a private tour just for your group, you also have the option to explore the nearby islands of southern Corsica. And a local lunch is included! 

Instead of a motorboat, you could try this Catamaran tour of Archipelago Maddalena. Alongside your skipper and fellow passengers, you’ll decide on an itinerary that includes lots of time for swimming, snorkeling, learning local history, and taking in the views. Your catamaran tour also includes a Sardinian appetizer and lunch. 

Or check out Boat trips on the La Maddalena Archipelago, which is a slightly shorter adventure than the ones above and does not include lunch. However, you’ll still learn all about the islands, swim at beaches on Budelli, Spargi and Santa Maria, plus stop for photo ops at Cala Corsara cove and Spiaggia Rosa (the famous pink sand beach on Budelli Island). 

Relax on the beaches

After getting a taste for the different beaches and coves around La Maddalena on your boat tour, you’ll definitely want to dedicate a few hours (or a full day!) of your itinerary to beach hopping. 

Spiaggia di Cala Corsara is one of the most beautiful beaches not only in the La Maddalena archipelago, but in all of Italy. It’s known for its soft sand, endlessly changing blue waters, and the massive granite rock formations that make up its coastline. Some say it used to be a pirate lair, thanks to all of the coves and hide-out spots available. This beach is located on Spargi Island and accessible only by boat. 

On Santa Maria, you’ll find the island’s main beach, Grande Cala di Santa Maria, or Spiaggia di Santa Maria. The water here is bright blue, the sand is silky and the entire beach is framed in luscious vegetation. Elsewhere on Santa Maria you’ll find protected beaches, schist rock formations, and the former site of a Benedictine monastery. 

Spiaggia Testa del Polpo is known for its rocky outcrops, stunning green and blue waters, and excellent snorkeling spots. Though be warned — this beach can get very crowded during La Maddalena’s busy summer tourist season. It’s also a bit difficult to get to. While you can drive, many people will park their cars and walk the last 10-15 minutes to the beach, as the road becomes too treacherous.  

While Spiaggia Rosa is one of the most famous beaches in the Maddalena archipelago, thanks to its pink sand, it actually isn’t open to the public. Years of poor behavior by visitors — including people stealing the sand — led authorities to close the beach. It’s now a protected area and you can only view it from a boat or on cliffs high above. 

Explore La Maddalena town

La Maddalena is the name of the archipelago, the name of the main island within that archipelago, and the name of the main town on that main island. Confused? I was a bit, at first! But while on the island, I recommend spending some time exploring the center of La Maddalena town. 

The focal point of the town is Piazza Umberto I, a pedestrian area perfect for enjoying a snack and people-watching. Off of this square you’ll find cobblestone streets lined with restaurants, shops and cafes.

From the piazza you can walk down to the harbor where you can watch the boats come in, take in views of the coastline, or enjoy some fresh seafood. 

You can also visit the Parrocchia Santa Maria Maddalena church, see the Garibaldi Column and check out a local beach, Spiaggia di Punta Tegge, all while in La Maddalena town. 

Try Sardinian cuisine

You think you know Italian food? Welcome to Sardinia — where everything goes out the window. If every micro-region of Italy has its own signature specialties, all fresh and delicious you can imagine it gets a bit weird on an island far from the mainland!

La Maddalena was my first stop in Sardinia, and the first place where I tried Sardinian specialties. I recommend starting with two signature Sardinian pastas: culurgiones (filled pasta that is like a cross between ravioli and stuffed shells, often filled with potatoes, pecorino, and mint), and fregola (a small, round, toasted pasta with textured little dots on it that can be prepared in many ways).

Seafood, as you’d guess, is huge in Sardinia. Ask for what’s fresh and delicious and you’ll be stunned at how good a simply prepared piece of fish is here.

One of my favorite ways to sample the local cuisine in Italy is to go out for aperitivo and get a tagliere (a plate of meats and cheeses) and some local wine. Here in Sardinia there will be plenty of pecorino on a tagliere!

Another thing that surprised me in La Maddalena is that there were so many Ligurian restaurants, with lots of pesto and focaccia. It turns out that Sardinia and Liguria have shared strong cultural ties for centuries. Who knew?!

Here are a few restaurants in La Maddalena town that I enjoyed:

• Ristorante Caprera: Everything at this restaurant is delicious, especially their Sardinian pastas, culurgiones and fregola. If you want to try a bit of everything, they have a four-course set menu of Sardinian specialties. 
• Vineria Ninì: This wine bar is a great spot to try the Sardinian version of tagliere, and they have a robust selection of Sardinian wines. They have live music some nights.
• Taverna Barò: If you’re in the mood for cocktails or craft beer, focaccia, appetizers, and a beautiful view of the harbor, this casual pub is a great pick.

Visit the Garibaldi Museum and House

Located on Caprera Island, and accessible by bridge if you have a car, is the Garibaldi Museum. If, like me, you didn’t grow up in Italy, you may not know much about Giuseppe Garibaldi. 

A 19th Century Italian general, Garibaldi contributed greatly to the unification of Italy and is known as one of the “fathers of the fatherland.” He retired to Caprera in the mid 1850’s and spent the last almost 30 years of his life there. Now, his former home is Sardinia’s most famous museum. 

Exploring the museum complex is a great way to learn about this slice of Italian history and one of its most important characters. The Garibaldi Compendium includes his home (known as the White House), farm buildings, gardens, and the family cemetery. 

If you have a rainy day while you’re in Sardinia — like I did — this is a good place to visit.

Hike the Caprera Island Trails

Besides the Garibaldi Museum, Caprera Island is also a great place to get in some hiking! 

Cala Coticcio is one of the most beautiful beaches on Caprera, often called the Tahiti of Sardinia thanks to its clear waters. The only way to reach Cala Coticcio is via hike. You can join this guided hike with aperitivo, led by an authorized guide from La Maddalena Archipelago National Park. 

With your guide, you’ll hike over the rocky terrain, taking in the incredible coastal views, until you reach the beach. Once at Cala Coticcio, you’ll spend some time swimming, snorkeling, and dining on Sardinian snacks and drinks. 

Note that because Cala Coticcio is a protected part of the national park, it is only accessible with an authorized guide and by paying the national park entrance fee (included in the tour above). Daily spots on the trail are limited in order to preserve the natural landscape. 

Another hiking option on Caprera is the hike up to Monte Tejalone, the highest point on the island. This hike is steep, but not too long, and stunning views over the archipelago await you at the top. Or try the hike from the Garibaldi Museum to Cala Garibaldi, the beach where Garibaldi moored his boats, along the island’s east coast. From there, you can continue onto other Caprera beaches. 

Visit La Maddalena’s military fortifications

Because of its strategic positioning for defense along the coast, a number of military fortifications were built around La Maddalena throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Not only are these forts interesting to visit from a historical perspective, but many of them offer great views over the island and archipelago.

The most famous fort on La Maddalena is Fort San Vittorio, or Guardia Vecchia, as it’s visible from anywhere on the island and has a distinct black and white checkered pattern. One of the most important sites was Punta Tegge, as this artillery base was hidden from the sea, perfect for surprising any enemies. Other fortifications include I Colmi, Forte Santa Teresa, Forte Sant’Andrea, and Forte Carlo Felice. 

Note that not all of these fortifications are open to the public and some have limited opening hours. 

If you’re going to make the effort to come all the way to La Maddalena, I think you should spend a few days here. Three days in La Maddalena would be perfect, giving you enough time for a boat trip and a bit of island exploring before checking out a new part of Sardinia. 

Since La Maddalena is relatively small and only some of the islands in the archipelago are accessible, you may get bored if you try to spend a week or more here. Unless all you want to do is relax on the beach for a week, then you’re all set! 

And I do think that having a car here will add to your enjoyment of the islands. The further you explore, the better (and less crowded!) it gets.

The best way to get to La Maddalena is to fly into the city of Olbia on Sardinia, which has an international airport, and then drive or bus to the Palau ferry terminal (about one hour away). The ferry from Palau to the Cala Gavetta marina on La Maddalena takes about 15 minutes. You can check prices for the ferry here.

Another option is to take a ferry to Olbia. When I visited Sardinia, I was coming from Liguria, so I decided to take an overnight ferry from Genoa to Olbia. The ferry experience was terrific! Our room was simple but comfortable, and I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again if I was going to Sardinia from mainland Italy. Tickets for that route can be booked here.

While there are a few bus lines on La Maddalena, Sardinia in general is not the easiest place to navigate by public transit. I highly recommend renting a car, which you can pick up in Olbia and drive onto the ferry in Palau.

Once on La Maddalena island, driving is easy and there are lots of places to park, including parking lots in La Maddalena town. You’ll be able to reach some of the other islands by bridge. 

Since the big draw of La Maddalena is the water, you may want to prioritize a location near the beach or in the city. Depending on how far you want to explore, you should also check that your hotel offers free parking or is within walking distance of what you want to see and do. 

• Top Luxury Hotel in La Maddalena: The Grand Hotel Resort & SPA Ma&Ma is an adults only resort that features a stunning outdoor pool and themed decor on every floor. Every room has a balcony, perfect for enjoying views of the archipelago.  
• Top Mid Range Hotel in La Maddalena: Residenza Mordini is a warm and welcoming hotel in a great central location on the island. It has an outdoor pool, garden and shared lounge.  
• Top Budget Hotel in La Maddalena: Casa Ilva is a clean and comfortable option with larger apartment-style rooms and within walking distance of the beach, though there’s no pool or water views.

Find deals on places to stay in La Maddalena here.

Being a beach destination, summer is the busiest time to visit La Maddalena and all of Sardinia. Both crowds and prices will be at their peak in July and August. Expect sold-out tours and packed beaches. 

If you still want to enjoy warm weather but with slightly smaller crowds, shoot for the shoulder season just before and after summer. Early June or late September would be my recommendation for when to visit La Maddalena with fewer crowds.

As for the off-season, because La Maddalena is a smaller area that mainly caters to beach-going tourists, most places will be closed if you visit in the winter. If you were coming to Sardinia in the winter, I’d prioritize staying in a city that has more going on year-round, like Alghero or Cagliari.

Yes, La Maddalena is worth it! This was my introduction to Sardinia, and it had me falling in love with the beaches and the food so quickly!

A few days here is a wonderful way to spend part of your time in Sardinia. I hope you have a wonderful time here!

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Have you been to La Maddalena? Share your tips!