La Maddalena Islands Boat Tour with Spargi Walk from Palau Sardinia

Palau and the Departure

The day starts at the port of Palau on Piazza del Molo, the small ferry town on the north coast of Sardinia facing the archipelago. Check-in opens at 09:00 at the stern of the boat and closes at 09:45, which leaves time for a coffee on the waterfront and the view across the strait to La Maddalena. Palau is the natural base for a La Maddalena day trip because the islands lie only a few kilometres offshore, and the boat leaves the harbour at 10:30 past the fortress on the headland and the granite rock shaped like a bear that gives Capo d'Orso its name.

The crossing to Spargi takes about half an hour over open water, with the guide introducing the national park, its rules and the islands you will see. The boat has a shaded deck and open areas, so choose your spot early for the best photos of the coastline.

Spargi and Cala Corsara

The first and longest stop is Spargi, an uninhabited island of rounded granite hills covered in juniper and wild rosemary, with cliffs carved by the wind into strange shapes. The boat anchors at Cala Corsara on the south coast, a bay of four small beaches of white sand divided by rocks, where the water is shallow and clear enough to see the seabed from the deck. For about two hours you can swim, snorkel among the rocks where fish gather, or follow the path along the cliffs for views over the archipelago; many visitors say a Cala Corsara swim is the best moment of the whole Sardinia boat trip.

There are no facilities on Spargi, so bring water, sun protection and shoes for the rocky paths. Snorkelling equipment is not included, so pack your own mask if you have one. Lunch is taken on board after the stop, from the snacks and sandwiches sold by the crew.

Budelli and the Pink Beach

From Spargi the boat sails north to Budelli, the island famous for the Pink Beach, whose sand takes its colour from fragments of coral, shells and tiny marine organisms broken down over thousands of years. The beach has been closed to visitors since the 1990s to protect this fragile ecosystem, so the tour stops offshore for a few minutes of panoramic viewing and photographs while the guide explains why the colour fades when the sand is disturbed. Seeing the Pink Beach of Budelli from the water, with its pale pink shoreline against the turquoise shallows, is one of the most searched-for sights of the archipelago.

The boat then passes Santa Maria Island, the easternmost of the group, with its white coves and a few summer houses, before turning into the channel between Budelli, Razzoli and Santa Maria where the next stop waits.

The Natural Pools of Budelli

The Natural Pools lie in the sheltered water between Budelli, Razzoli and Santa Maria, where a sandy seabed only a metre or two below the surface turns the sea a bright turquoise rarely seen elsewhere in the Mediterranean. The boat anchors here for about 40 minutes and you swim or float in calm, warm water with granite islets all around; it is the picture most people have in mind when they book a La Maddalena archipelago tour. The shallows are gentle enough for careful swimmers, while confident swimmers can explore the rocks at the edges.

Because the pools are inside the national park, the crew keeps to the marked anchoring area and asks everyone to respect the water and the seabed. The best time to visit the Natural Pools is on a calm day with high sun, when the colour is at its strongest, which is exactly when this tour arrives in the early afternoon.

La Maddalena Town

The last stop is the town of La Maddalena on the main island, where the boat docks at Cala Gavetta, the old harbour chosen by the first settlers, Corsican shepherds, because it is sheltered from the strong north-west wind that sweeps the archipelago. You have about 70 minutes of free time to walk the pastel-coloured lanes, the main square with its cafes and the waterfront where fishing boats and ferries share the quay. Gelato, Sardinian pastries and a view of the harbour fill the time easily; the island's own beaches and the neighbouring island of Caprera, linked by a causeway, need a longer visit on another day.

The guide gives the exact time to be back on board before the boat casts off for the 20-minute crossing to Palau, arriving at about 17:30, or 16:30 in October. The landing tax for La Maddalena is collected in cash before boarding in the morning.