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Voykit pocket guide · Italy
Maddalena Archipelago
Arcipelago della Maddalena
Spend 2 days: one day for La Maddalena town and nearby beaches, a second for a private‑boat trip to Budelli’s Pink Beach or Spargi.
The archipelago is a compact national‑park island group. A short stay covers the historic town, easy‑access beaches, and a boat‑only island. Longer stays are only for avid hikers or divers.
- Country
- Italy
- Local name
- Arcipelago della Maddalena
- Best months
- May–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (peak heat and crowds)
- Stay
- 2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless are widely accepted in cities; small cafés, markets and rural places may prefer cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget €45–70 excl. bed · Mid €70–120 excl. bed · High €120+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- TIM, Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad sell prepaid SIMs in shops and at airports; a passport and an Italian tax code (codice fiscale, issued in-store) are needed.
- Emergency
- Police 112 · Coast Guard 1530
- Plugs
- Types C, F, L · 230 V · 50 Hz · Italian type L plugs have three pins in a row; most sockets also take two-pin Europlugs (C), and bivalent sockets take Schuko (F).
- Tipping
- Bar: Leave €0.10–0.20 of change on the counter if you like.; Restaurant: Coperto or service may already be on the bill; leave €1–2 a person or round up for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day.
- Water
- Tap water is safe unless signed otherwise; Rome's nasoni fountains run all day. Restaurants serve bottled water (naturale or frizzante) unless you ask for tap (acqua del rubinetto).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee in a café | €1.20–2.00 |
| Seafood soup (u zimminu) | €8–12 |
| Scoop of gelato | €2–3 |
| Bike rental (full day) | €15 |
| Ferry ticket Palau ↔ La Maddalena | €12 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- OLB · Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport
- Bus or shuttle 45 min to Palau, then ferry to La Maddalena
Typical fares
- Palau → La Maddalena ferry
- about €12 each way (check schedule)
- Scooter rental (full day)
- €15–60 depending on power
- Private boat to Budelli (group)
- ≈ €80 per person (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Ferry 15 min from Palau (every 30 min in season); two local bus lines link La Maddalena and Caprera; scooters €15–60 day (check season rates).
See and do
Known for
- Pink Beach (Budelli)
- Garibaldi’s Casa Bianca on Caprera
- National park diving and sailing
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Caprera Island (Garibaldi museum) | Bus from La Maddalena town, 10 min ride, then walk 5 min | ≈30 min total |
| Budelli Pink Beach (view only) | Private‑boat tour (e.g., Happy Sardinia Tours) from Palau or La Maddalena | ≈2 h round‑trip |
Sleep
- Cala Francese Residence
- Family‑run rooms near the former French granite quarry
- La Villagio di Camping Maddalena
- Campsite within walking distance of La Maddalena town
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Scusiskuˈzi |
| Thank you | Grazieˈɡrattsje |
| How much is it? | Quanto costa?ˈkwanto ˈkosta |
| Where is the ferry? | Dove è il traghetto?ˈdove ɛ il traˈɡetto |
| Can I pay by card? | Posso pagare con carta?ˈposso paˈɡare kon ˈkarta |
| I need a boat tour | Vorrei un'escursione in barcavorˈrei un esˈkurzjone in ˈbarka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say buongiorno (until mid-afternoon) or buonasera on entering shops and bars; avoid: Walking in and pointing without a greeting
- Cheek kisses: Two kisses, right cheek first, among friends; follow their lead; avoid: Kissing strangers or in business settings
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders and knees in churches; avoid: Beachwear, bare chests and flip-flops away from the beach
- Queues: At delis and pharmacies take a number (numerino); avoid: Assuming the crowd at a bar counter is chaos — pay at the till first where asked
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated and ask for the bill; avoid: Splitting a bill item by item with a large group
- Conversation: Food, football and family are safe openers; avoid: Mafia jokes and north–south stereotypes
- Dinner at a home: Bring pastries, wine or flowers (not chrysanthemums, which are for funerals); avoid: Refusing seconds too firmly
Scams and watch-outs
- Ferry and boat schedules are seasonal – verify dates before arrival.
- Pink Beach on Budelli is closed to landings; view from boat only.
- Park permits are required for some protected zones – ask at the visitor centre.
The islands are low‑risk; petty theft is rare, but watch your belongings on crowded ferries.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Maddalena Archipelago yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Pink Beach (Budelli)
- Garibaldi’s Casa Bianca on Caprera
- National park diving and sailing
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Comune di La Maddalena official site: www.comunelamaddalena.it/
- Wikivoyage: Maddalena archipelago, revision 5336107 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5336107
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/maddalena-archipelago). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.