Your first La Maddalena boat tour: how the day actually runs
Booked for next week and still unsure what a full day at sea involves?
A La Maddalena boat tour runs roughly seven hours and covers four islands inside a National Park: Spargi, Budelli, Santa Maria and La Maddalena. Boats leave from two ports, Palau and La Maddalena town, between May and October. The day is built around swim stops, with the exact order decided on the morning itself according to the wind.
Below you will find the timings, what actually happens between one stop and the next, what to pack, and the Park rules that surprise most first-time visitors.
Start with the shape of the day.
How long is a boat tour in La Maddalena Archipelago, and where does it stop?
The archipelago holds 62 islands and islets, protected as a National Park since 1994. Day boats work the four largest and most accessible, each with a different reason to stop.
- Spargi. Rocky seabed and sheltered coves on the southern side, including Cala Corsara. Usually the first swim stop of the morning.
- Budelli. Home to the Pink Beach and, with neighbouring Razzoli and Santa Maria, to the shallow channel known as the Natural Pools.
- Santa Maria. Shallow, sandy and calm. The easiest water in the archipelago for children and hesitant swimmers.
- La Maddalena. The only inhabited island on the route, with a short walk through the old town before the return leg.
Distances are short. From Palau the first island is around twenty minutes away, which means most of the day is spent anchored rather than in transit. The four islands sit within a few miles of each other, so a single day genuinely covers all of them. Timings differ by departure port.
What a day on board looks like, hour by hour
Two departure ports, two schedules. The middle of the day follows the same rhythm on both.
| From Palau | From La Maddalena | What happens |
| 09:30 – 10:00 | 08:40 | Check-in at the pier, boarding |
| 10:30 | 08:45 | Departure |
| mid-morning | mid-morning | First swim stop, around an hour at anchor |
| midday | midday | Second stop, close to the Natural Pools |
| Lunch | Lunch | Served on board |
| mid-afternoon | mid-afternoon | Third swim stop, usually the longest of the day |
| before the return | before the return | Landing at La Maddalena town for a short walk |
| 17:15 | 1615 | Return to port |
Between stops the boat moves slowly and the deck stays open. Nobody is asked to stay seated, and swimming happens directly from the boat rather than from a beach, using the ladder at the stern.
Crossings in the La Maddalena Archipelago are short, so seasickness is rarely an issue on the route itself. When the mistral blows the crew shifts the itinerary to the sheltered eastern sides of the islands, which changes the order of stops rather than cancelling them.
What to pack for a boat tour, and what the Park will not allow
Packing for a day boat is different from packing for the beach. There is shade on board but no shop, and stops happen away from any village.
- Water shoes. Several entries are over rock rather than sand. Worth more than any other item on this list.
- A light windproof layer. Even in August the deck gets cool on the morning leg, particularly with the mistral behind you.
- Reef-safe sun cream, applied before departure. Sun reflects off both water and deck, and there is no shelter while swimming.
- A towel that dries fast. Three swim stops in one day means a wet towel by midday otherwise.
- Cash or card for the on-board bar, and a refillable bottle.
- Seasickness tablets if you already know you are sensitive, taken before boarding rather than after.
The rules matter as much as the packing. The Pink Beach on Budelli has been closed to landing since the 1990s and is viewed from the water at a distance, with fines for anyone attempting to reach it. Removing sand, pebbles or shells from anywhere in the archipelago is prohibited and enforced at the ports. Anchoring is permitted only on authorised buoys, which is why boats hold position rather than drop anchor wherever they like. Drones require prior authorisation.
None of this restricts a normal day out. It does explain why an itinerary that promises a walk on the Pink Beach is not one to trust.
Sailing the archipelago with Gite in Barca
If you are still choosing who to sail with, we have been working these waters for over thirty years and leave daily from both Palau and La Maddalena, May to October.
Our full-day excursions cover all four islands aboard Lady Luna 3, with a sun deck, indoor seating for when you want shade, a bar and a crew that speaks five languages. Itineraries follow National Park rules, and booking is direct, with no third-party platform and no added fees.
Adult, child and infant prices are listed in full on the site. For help choosing between the two departure ports, get in touch.
Glossary
- Maddalena Archipelago National Park. Protected area established in 1994, covering 62 islands and islets and the surrounding waters off north-eastern Sardinia.
- Pink Beach. Spiaggia Rosa, on Budelli. Its colour comes from fragments of a marine organism in the sand. Closed to landing and viewed from the sea.
- Natural Pools. The shallow channel between Budelli, Razzoli and Santa Maria, where the water sits waist-deep over pale sand.
- Mistral. The north-westerly wind of the western Mediterranean. It shapes daily itineraries in the archipelago more than any other factor.
- Mooring buoy. A fixed anchoring point used inside protected waters, in place of dropping anchor onto the seagrass meadows below.
