The archipelago · Park · Islands
The Maddalena archipelago, island by island
Seven main islands, one town, one national park. What each island is like, how to reach it from Palau, and the rules that come with it.
The seven islands
- La MaddalenaFerry from Palau
- The only town, 15–20 minutes across the strait: old streets, the waterfront, and a panoramic road round the island to beaches like Cala Spalmatore and Bassa Trinità.
- CapreraRoad bridge
- Pine woods, Garibaldi’s house (now a museum) and Cala Coticcio, reached over the Passo della Moneta causeway from La Maddalena.
- Santo StefanoBoat
- The small island between Palau and La Maddalena, passed on every crossing.
- SpargiBoat only
- Uninhabited and ringed with coves: Cala Corsara and Cala Granara are the first swim on most boat trips.
- BudelliBoat; no landing at the Pink Beach
- Home of the Spiaggia Rosa, seen only from outside the buoys.
- RazzoliBoat only
- The wildest of the three northern islands, with its old lighthouse facing Corsica.
- Santa MariaBoat only
- With Budelli and Razzoli it encloses Porto della Madonna, the shallow “natural pools”.
Crossing from Palau
Ferries to La Maddalena leave from the terminal in the middle of Palau every 30–60 minutes. Delcomar runs all year, including at night; Maddalena Lines runs from April to October. An adult foot passenger pays €4.70 each way in summer, a car up to 4 m €10.20. Full timetable and fares.
La Maddalena town and Caprera
La Maddalena is a working town with a naval history, a pretty waterfront and lanes of shops and cafés behind it. A panoramic road loops round the island past beaches with facilities: Cala Spalmatore, sheltered from the maestrale, and Bassa Trinità on the north coast, with white sand and dunes.
Across the causeway, Caprera is quieter and wooded. Giuseppe Garibaldi lived here for his last decades; the Compendio Garibaldino, his house and farm, is a state museum (Monday–Saturday 08:30–19:30, €8, booking recommended).
The national park rules
The archipelago, land and sea, is the Parco Nazionale dell’Arcipelago di La Maddalena. For visitors that means:
- Two capped beaches. Cala Coticcio and Cala Brigantina on Caprera can only be visited with an authorised guide: groups of up to 15, 60 people a day, €3 park contribution per person (under-12s free).
- One closed beach. The Spiaggia Rosa on Budelli: no landing, swimming, anchoring or stopping in front of it.
- Landing fee. Not a park fee but La Maddalena’s: €5 per person on boat trips to the smaller islands in June–August, €2.50 in April, May and September.
- Private and rented boats need the park’s navigation permit (in 2026, €2 per metre per day up to 10 m; 40% off for sailing boats; kayaks exempt), bought online or at the park office.
- Summer boating rules. From 1 June to 30 September, the Coast Guard bans anchoring on Posidonia seagrass (sand only) and limits speed near the coast.
Beyond the islands
Palau’s own coast is worth a day: the Roccia dell’Orso at Capo d’Orso has the best view of the archipelago from the mainland, and Porto Pollo to the west is one of the Mediterranean’s best-known windsurf and kite spots.
Questions people ask
How do I get to La Maddalena from Palau?
By ferry: Delcomar sails all year round the clock, Maddalena Lines from April to October. The crossing takes 15–20 minutes and costs €4.70 for an adult in summer. Times and fares.
Do I need a car on La Maddalena?
Not for the town. For the beaches and Caprera, a car, scooter or bike helps. In summer (16 June – 15 September) Turmo Travel runs a bus from town across to Caprera and Garibaldi’s house.
Can I visit the other islands without a tour?
Only by boat. Spargi, Budelli, Razzoli and Santa Maria have no ferry: you go on a boat trip, with a private skipper, or on a rented boat with the park’s navigation permit.
Is there an entrance fee for the national park?
Not for visitors on foot or on boat trips. What boat-trip passengers pay is La Maddalena’s landing fee (€5 in June–August on the smaller islands). The park charges private and rented boats a navigation permit, and €3 per person for guided visits to Cala Coticcio and Cala Brigantina.
When is Garibaldi’s house open?
The Compendio Garibaldino on Caprera opens Monday to Saturday, 08:30–19:30 (last entry 18:30), closed on Sundays. Tickets cost €8, €2 for EU citizens aged 18–25, free under 18; booking on museiitaliani.it is strongly recommended.