La Maddalena Beaches: The Best Swim Spots and Hidden Gems

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Discover the best hidden gem beaches on La Maddalena and how to reach them!

Just northeast of mainland Sardinia (or Sardegna) sits La Maddalena, an archipelago made up of around 60 islands. Arcipelago di La Maddalena is Sardegna’s best kept secret and a quiet oasis with secluded beautiful beaches around every corner.

The archipelago is a pristine natural haven and a better alternative to the overrun Costa Smeralda on mainland Sardegna. Due to its national park stature, La Maddalena is in exquisite shape from being protected and taken care of.

Many of the best beaches on La Maddalena can be enjoyed without setting out on a long hike or renting a boat. The archipelago is also fairly easy to get to with a 20 minute ferry ride from Sardinia’s port of Palau. Discover the best beaches, swim spots and hidden gems with this guide.

For such a small destination, the density of gorgeous beaches sure packs a punch!

Quick Guide: Hidden Gem Beaches on La Maddalena

• Cala Nido d’Aquila
• Cala Francese
• Spiaggia del Cardellino
• Spiaggia di Punta Tegge
• Spiaggia dell’Alberello
• Cala Masca
• Cala Caprese

The Essentials: Visiting La Maddalena’s Best Beaches

🚙 The easiest way to get around La Maddalena is by driving. To reach the best beaches on the island, arrive with your own car or a rental car.

🛳 Self-guided travelers can catch a ferry from Palau to La Maddalena multiple times per hour during the summer. This is the cheapest way to reach La Maddalena.

📷 If you’re looking to visit La Maddalena as a day trip, book a guided tour that departs from various points in Sardinia. This is the most convenient way to enjoy La Maddalena with minimal effort!

☀️ Try to visit La Maddalena beaches in September or early October. Crowds have diminished, hotel prices are much lower and the sea is still warm!

🏖 The La Maddalena archipelago consists of multiple islands, some of which aren’t connected by a road. Double check the location of where you’re headed to avoid any surprises.

Map of La Maddalena Best Beaches

Practical Information About Visiting La Maddalena

How to Get to La Maddalena

Getting to La Maddalena is straightforward thanks to the ferry departing from Palau, located on the northern end of Sardinia. Read more about how to get to La Maddalena including how much it costs and other travel logistics to keep in mind.

The easiest way to visit La Maddalena with minimal effort is through a guided tour. From Palau and other departing points on Sardinia, you can book a boat tour of La Maddalena which stops at all the nicest beaches.

Where to Stay on La Maddalena

Aside from the town of La Maddalena, the remainder of the island is not too inhabited which means options can be limited. Your best bet for finding a hotel or Airbnb will be in the main town of the archipelago. Read more about the best places to stay on La Maddalena.

The Best Time to Visit Arcipelago di La Maddalena

The best time to visit La Maddalena is during off season because it can be a popular summer hot spot. We visited La Maddalena in late September and were pleasantly surprised to find a half empty archipelago.

The weather was still ideal for enjoying the beautiful beaches with highs around 26°C / 78°F. Expect to save big on accommodation by traveling during this time opposed to high peak summer.

How Many Days Should You Spend in La Maddalena?

In order to fully enjoy the best beaches in La Maddalena, we recommend planning a 2-3 day visit. Although a day trip is certainly possible, it would only allow you to visit one or two beaches if you factor in travel time of getting there and back.

Many people who are visiting Sardegna will usually make a day or weekend trip to La Maddalena with the sole purpose of visiting Caprera Island.

This leaves many of the lesser known beaches on La Maddalena island comparatively empty! If you have a car with you, take advantage of visiting the underrated beaches on the island.

Must Visit Beaches in Maddalena Archipelago

1. Cala Nido d’Aquila – La Maddalena Island (Isola Maddalena)

The cove itself is quite large which means you have a much better chance to find a place just for yourself. We ventured here during the earlier hours when it was just us and a couple of fishermen. The crystal clear water is so still and begs you to dive right in.

The granite rocks generously dispersed among the bay means you’re sure to find a private inlet all to yourself.

There is no stretch of fine sand so it’s not the best option for children. You’ll have to be willing to lay out on flat rocks and manoeuvre your way into the water through big rocks. This swim spot also doesn’t require any walking or hiking. Park off the side of the nearby road, walk 20 meters and jump right into the bay!

🛌 Find a place to stay near Cala Nido d’Aquila

2. Cala Francese – La Maddalena Island (Isola Maddalena)

Cala Francese holds a few different options on where to head to. This is great because if you arrive at one spot and it’s crowded, you can find another hidden gem nearby. If you are traveling in a car which can handle a few bumps on a dirt road, make this your destination. From this parking lot, you’ll arrive at a bigger sandy beach within 10 minutes.

Many boats hang out in this cove but these people tend to remain on their boats so the actual beach isn’t crowded. If you prefer to walk, we recommend parking in this dirt lot off SP114.

From there, you’ll be able to walk towards the first beach of Cala Francese. If you continue down the dirt road, you’ll reach another swimming area here. If there aren’t high tides, this second beach has a lovely small sandy inlet.

3. Spiaggia del Cardellino – La Maddalena Island (Isola Maddalena)

The neighbouring beach of Spiaggia Monti D’A Rena tends to receive many more visitors so we decided to skip it. If you head down the street, you’ll arrive at Spiaggia del Cardellino, an equally beautiful and less crowded option. This beach boasts a long stretch of sand with plenty of places to call your own for the day.

During our visit, the beach was mainly occupied by an older crowd which meant a calm and low key vibe for us (our cup of tea). The sand here is not super fine but comfortable enough to lay a towel over. The tiny micro island of Isolotto del Cardellino is alluring for a quick swim out and back from the beach. This is another beach which requires no walking or hiking – park ‘n beach!

🛌 Stay nearby at Hotel Cala Lunga

4. Spiaggia di Punta Tegge – La Maddalena Island (Isola Maddalena)

Although small, this nook with fine sand is a must visit. The beach area is protected by larger rocks which makes it a suitable spot for some of the best snorkeling in La Maddalena. It’s also super conveniently reachable from the main port and town. You could hop off the ferry and arrive at this beach within 6 minutes!

There is a free parking lot, dive center and even a restaurant on site. To La Maddalena standards, this is a lot of amenities for a local beach.

Since it is easily accessible and tiny, it does tend to fill up quickly. If you wish to avoid any sightings of other beachgoers, walk out towards the tip of the bay where there are a handful of private places to lay out on the flat rock surfaces. Complete your perfect beach stay with a visit to Zi Antó for seafood galore and a beautiful sunset view.

🍾 Stay nearby at Grand Resort & Spa (Adults Only)

5. Spiaggia dell’Alberello – Isola Giardinelli

Isola Giardinelli is a tiny island connected to La Maddalena Island by a short bridge. We saw plenty of people park right after crossing the bridge in the small dirt parking lot. If you want to cut down on walking time, you can certainly drive further and to this parking lot instead. The road on the island is unpaved so make sure your car can handle this beforehand.

The island is home to a handful of beautiful swim spots on the east side of the island, all closely located near one another. We recommend taking a light hike and exploring all of them if you have the time.

You are bound to find your own little paradise if you keep walking through the rock formations and along the coastline. We found ours near Spiaggia dell’Alberello and spent the entire day without another traveler in sight.

🛌 Stay nearby at Villa Maddalena Giardinelli

6. Cala Masca – Caprera Island

Caprera Island is comparable in size to La Maddalena Island but don’t be fooled, it’s not nearly as accessible. Although you can easily drive to it, most of Caprera Island can only be navigated on foot or by boat.

You’ll find many signs for boat tours in town and we recommend taking one for visiting some of the more remote beaches on Caprera. Cala Napoletana, Spiaggia di Cala Coticcio and Cala Serena are all options found on the northern part of the island. Unfortunately, even difficult to reach beaches have become flooded with people which can make them less enjoyable.

🛌 Stay nearby at L’Ajaccio B&B

We personally decided to skip the crowds and stay on the south end of the island. Particularly on the southeast tip of Caprera, there are many beaches that don’t require a boat ride or hefty hike.

The hidden gem that is Cala Masca is located just before reaching Spiaggia I due Mari. We found it by true chance as we were looking down from a viewpoint. A sandy, clean and crystal clear oasis with zero people around. To find this exact spot, park up here and walk down until you reach the beach here.

7. Cala Caprese – Caprera Island

The entire La Maddalena archipelago is home to some of the best snorkeling in Sardegna. The water is absolutely ideal for exploring the underwater world. If you’re patient enough, you can even see octopus in plain sight.

There is an area to the right of Spiaggia I due Mari where we found the most snorkeling action. It might have been a lucky day but it sure was a spectacular way to spend the afternoon.

This bay tends to get crowded but if you stay away from the beach club area, you’ll encounter the same beautiful turquoise water and view of the boats nestled in the cove. We recommend parking on the main road and walking this way to access the quieter part of the beach.

Travel Resources for Visiting La Maddalena

☔️ TRAVEL INSURANCE: EKTA or VisitorsCoverage

✈️ FLIGHTS: Skyscanner, CheapOair or Kiwi.com

🚙 CAR RENTALS: Discover Cars or Rentalcars.com

🚊 TRAINS & BUSES: Busbud, Trainline or Omio

🛳 FERRIES: Direct Ferries

🛌 ACCOMMODATION: Booking.com, Agoda or Trivago

☎️ ESIM / CELL PHONE DATA: Airalo

📸 TOURS & ACTIVITIES: GetYourGuide or Viator

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