La Maddalena Archipelago
Situated at the north-eastern tip of Sardinia, La Maddalena Archipelago is a group of seven main islands and dozens of smaller islets. The central La Maddalena Island is the main destination of the island group and is most people's first port of call on arrival. You can sail here by ferry from the port of Palau on the Sardinian mainland, a journey time of around 15 minutes.
By far the most popular and greatly inhabited of the islands is La Maddalena itself but there are also small numbers of people living on two others: Caprera and Santo Stefano.
Caprera is easy to reach by car as there's a road bridge linking the two islands. Aside from its collection of gorgeous beaches and quiet bays, the island of Caprera is famous for being the home of national hero Giuseppe Garibaldi, the leader of the Risorgimento which unified Italy in the 19th Century; he retired here in 1855 and stayed until his death in 1892.
Isola Santo Stefano is the only other permanently inhabited island; it can be reached by boat and has a small number of accommodation options.
There are numerous boat tours available from the central island of La Maddalena and from here you can take trips to the other main islands in the archipelago. My personal favourite is the island of Spargi; the main area that can be visited is a beach and my what a beach it is. Cala Corsara is one of the most spectacular beaches in the whole of Italy with dazzling blue water and rocks of all shapes and sizes that you can clamber over to get the best views.
You'll find more of the same crystal clear water at the island of Santa Maria which has two close neighbours; Budelli and Razzoli. Budelli is famous for its "Spiaggia Rosa" (Pink Beach) where the sand is indeed pink. There are visitor restrictions in place though to protect the beach and it's not always possible to visit up close.
By far the most popular and greatly inhabited of the islands is La Maddalena itself but there are also small numbers of people living on two others: Caprera and Santo Stefano.
Caprera is easy to reach by car as there's a road bridge linking the two islands. Aside from its collection of gorgeous beaches and quiet bays, the island of Caprera is famous for being the home of national hero Giuseppe Garibaldi, the leader of the Risorgimento which unified Italy in the 19th Century; he retired here in 1855 and stayed until his death in 1892.
Isola Santo Stefano is the only other permanently inhabited island; it can be reached by boat and has a small number of accommodation options.
There are numerous boat tours available from the central island of La Maddalena and from here you can take trips to the other main islands in the archipelago. My personal favourite is the island of Spargi; the main area that can be visited is a beach and my what a beach it is. Cala Corsara is one of the most spectacular beaches in the whole of Italy with dazzling blue water and rocks of all shapes and sizes that you can clamber over to get the best views.
You'll find more of the same crystal clear water at the island of Santa Maria which has two close neighbours; Budelli and Razzoli. Budelli is famous for its "Spiaggia Rosa" (Pink Beach) where the sand is indeed pink. There are visitor restrictions in place though to protect the beach and it's not always possible to visit up close.
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Category: Islands of Sardinia
Administrative area: Sassari Province Population: 11,192 Number of islands: 7 Total size: Around 200 km² Recommended hotel: Excelsior (La Maddalena Island) |
La Maddalena Island
La Maddalena Island
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Caprera
Caprera
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Spargi
Cala Corsara, Spargi
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Santa Maria
Santa Maria
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Santo Stefano (Maddalena)
Santo Stefano
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