How to get to La Maddalena

To reach the archipelago, we recommend arriving at the port of Palau, from where you can board a ferry that, with a crossing of about 15 minutes, will take you to the port of La Maddalena.

È you can travel

•    on foot: with fares from 7€ for passengers
•    with the car: with fares starting from 10€ for the passenger with a utility car

The ferries, operated by several companies, cover from 6:45 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. time slots, with runs every 30 minutes throughout the day.

The archipelago does not have an airport, so we recommend that you land at one of the 2 nearby airports:

•    Olbia-Costa Smeralda Airport, the closest, located 40 km from Palau
•    Alghero-Fertilia Airport, which is 150 km
away.

Once you land, you will have to reach the port of Palau to take the ferry to the island and you can choose between:

•    car rental
•    taxi services
•    private transfers
•    local public transportation: operated by the ARST company, with fares starting from 4€ each way, but available only for the Olbia - Palau route.

If you are interested in reaching the island only to visit it, we recommend that you opt for a'boat excursion and not for the ferry. This option will allow you to tour the entire archipelago in 1 day.

There are several options with departure from Palau, from Baja Sardinia or from La Maddalena itself that will allow you to stop at the most beautiful coves reachable only by sea.

You will also have a choice of group or private excursions, with lunch or without, with prices from 60€ per person.

To bring the car to the island of La Maddalena, you will have to load it onto a ferry at the port of Palau with prices from 10€ per person for a utilitarian car.

Palau is located in the north of Sardinia and, if you are leaving from Olbia, we suggest you take the SS 125 or SS 133 bis; in about 40 minutes you will arrive at your destination.

If you are leaving from Alghero, you will have to take the SS 597 to Olbia, then follow the SS 125 to Palau, a total of 2 hours of travel time. Finally, from Cagliari, the trip will take about 4 hours and you will have to cross the SS 131 to Sassari, then the SS 597 and the SS 125 to Palau.

On the island you can get around, by bus, by purchasing tickets through DropTicket. 

Or on site you can rent a car, motorbikes and bicycles. For rental we suggest Europcar of Baja Sardinia, or Rental Mega Motors or Rental 189 Garage.

In the Archipelago of the Maddalena, we suggest you visit: the small beach of Cala Coticcio, also called the ‘Sardinian Tahiti’, which is located in the northeastern part of Caprera. You can access the beach, exclusively by land, by paying a fee of 3€ per person.

We also recommend the Spiaggia del Cavaliere, northeast of Budelli Island. The beach è can only be reached by sea, thanks to excursions by boat.

In addition to the many excursions by boat, catamaran or seasonal gozzo d'epoca, we recommend you try the fishing, also ideal for families. The experience lasts 8 hours, departing at 9:30 a.m. from the port of Cala Gavetta. The cost starts from 105€ per person, including lunch.

In addition, in La Maddalena, you can take a horseback ride, admiring the sea from another point of view. The experience lasts 2 hours and costs as low as from 70€ per person.