Nearly all La Maddalena boat tours leave from Palau, take a full day and call at the same islands: Spargi, Budelli, Santa Maria, Razzoli and, on the way back, Santo Stefano or the town of La Maddalena. What separates one trip from another is the boat itself, the number of people on board and how much of the day you spend in the water rather than under way.
This guide compares the boat trips sold on GetYourGuide and by local operators, explains the rules set by the Parco Nazionale dell’Arcipelago di La Maddalena, and describes what happens at each stage of the day. We do not sell tickets: we compare, we explain and we point you to the booking page.
La Maddalena boat tours at a glance
| Item | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Price from | €76 per adult for the classic 8-hour trip (GetYourGuide listing, September 2026) |
| Duration | 7–8 hours for the full circuit; 3.5–5 hours for sunset and half-day trips |
| Departure port | Palau (pier number on your ticket), La Maddalena, Santa Teresa Gallura, Cannigione |
| Usually included | The cruise, 3–4 swim stops, a pasta lunch with water and wine on many boats |
| Not included | A cash landing contribution on some boats; mask and snorkel not always provided |
| Booking | Necessary from 15 July to 31 August, sensible right through the high season |
| Best months | June and September |
Choosing the right format
Five formats cover almost everything on offer, and the prices below are the ones shown on GetYourGuide as we write.
| Format | Typical price | Passengers | Who it suits | Main drawback |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shared motor boat | €50–80 per adult | A few dozen to well over a hundred | First visit, families, anyone who wants to see it all cheaply | Busy swim stops in August |
| Small-group catamaran | €150–200 per adult | Maximum 12 | Couples, and anyone after quiet, an aperitivo and a proper lunch | Two or three times the price |
| Private boat with skipper | Per boat, on the listing | Up to 8–10 | Groups of friends, small children, people who want to pick the stops | Only adds up with the boat full |
| Sailing boat | On the listing | Small groups | Anyone who wants to sail when the wind allows | Shorter route, weather dependent |
| Half day and sunset | €100–119 per adult | Maximum 12 on the catamarans | Short stays, or children under 4 | Does not reach every island |
If you cannot decide: a shared boat for a first visit when the price matters, a catamaran if the budget stretches, a private boat once there are six of you.
Every section of this guide
Trips and formats
Archipelago tour. Our main page on the full island circuit: routes, swim stops and the real differences between the most-booked boats. Start with the guide to the La Maddalena archipelago tour.
Trips from Palau. Palau is the harbour most boats sail from, two nautical miles from La Maddalena. Piers, car parks, typical timings and which boat to pick: La Maddalena tours from Palau.
Catamaran and sailing. Twelve people at most, an aperitivo (drinks with snacks before a meal), lunch and quieter anchorages. We compare the catamarans out of Palau with the sailing trips: catamaran and sailing tours.
Private trips and rentals. A skippered boat for your own group, a private RIB, or a rental up to 40 hp with no licence needed. When it pays off: private boat tours and boat rental.
Sunset and aperitivo. Afternoon trips of 3.5 to 5 hours; the most-booked catamaran leaves at 5:15 pm and is back at 8:30 pm. All without giving up a whole day at sea: sunset tours with aperitivo.
Half day. For anyone with only a morning or an afternoon free: half-day boat trips.
The places
Spiaggia Rosa on Budelli. Landing has been banned since 1994: you see the Pink Beach from the water, or from the fenced viewpoint reached on foot from Cala di Roto. Which trips pass it and what you actually see: Spiaggia Rosa, the Pink Beach.
The islands. Seven main islands and 62 in all, from Spargi with Cala Corsara to Santa Maria, Razzoli, Santo Stefano and Caprera with Cala Coticcio: the islands of the archipelago.
The beaches. Those you can drive to on La Maddalena itself, and those only a boat will reach: beaches of La Maddalena.
National park. Zones, permits, bans, and why some boats ask for cash at check-in: Parco Nazionale dell’Arcipelago di La Maddalena.
Planning your trip
From other towns. Santa Teresa Gallura, Cannigione, Baja Sardinia, Porto Cervo, Olbia and Alghero: where the boats really leave from and how long each takes: boat trips from other towns.
What to see. One- and two-day itineraries taking in the town, Caprera and the beaches: things to do in La Maddalena.
The panoramic road. The strada panoramica, a ring of about 20 km around the island, beach by beach: La Maddalena by car.
La Maddalena. Ferries from Palau, where to stay, how many days you need: our guide to La Maddalena.
Operators. The companies that run the boats, with profiles and booking links: boat trip operators.
What the trips cost
The figures below are the ones displayed on GetYourGuide in September 2026 and can change.
- Shared motor boat from Palau: about €50–80 per adult for 7–8 hours. The vintage motorboat with four swim stops is listed at €76, rated 4.5 from 215 reviews.
- Small-group national park trip: €120 for 7 hours and seven stops, rated 5.0 from 157 reviews.
- Catamaran with lunch: €200 for the most-reviewed catamaran (4.9 from 2,235 reviews) and €150 for the 50-foot catamaran with hotel pickup.
- Sunset: €100 on the catamaran that leaves at 5:15 pm; €119 for the hybrid boat trip with aperitivo towards Porto Cervo.
- Private: priced per boat rather than per person, shown on the listing.
Child fares appear on many listings, usually for ages 3 to 12, with infants free. Always read the “Not included” section, where any cash landing contribution is spelled out.
Insider tip: weigh the price against what it covers. A €55 boat with no lunch and no mask can work out dearer than a €76 one that includes pasta, wine and snorkelling kit.
When to go
The season runs from April to the end of October, with daily departures from June to September. The peak is 15 July to 31 August: full boats, crowded swim stops, car parks in Palau gone by 9:30 am.
| Period | Sea | Crowds | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| April–May | Cool | Low | Not every boat is running; frequent mistral |
| June | 20–21 °C | Medium | The best-balanced month |
| July–August | 25–26 °C | High | Book 1–2 weeks ahead |
| September | 22–23 °C late in the month | Medium-low | Lovely light, water still warm |
| October | Dropping | Low | Last departures, weather permitting |
The mistral, the north-westerly, cancels trips when it blows hard. It is commonest in spring and autumn but can turn up any day, so if you have a single possible date, put the boat trip at the start of your holiday and keep some room to reschedule.
Where the boats leave from
Palau is the main harbour: about 40 km (25 miles) and 45 minutes by car from Olbia Costa Smeralda airport, which has summer flights from several UK airports, and linked to La Maddalena by the Delcomar and Maddalena Lines ferries in 15–20 minutes. Boats sail from the marina, from the numbered piers named on the listing. Paid parking sits beside the harbour and in the multi-storey car park.
La Maddalena has its own departures, handy if you are sleeping on the island. Santa Teresa Gallura, 25 km west, adds the crossing of the Bocche di Bonifacio (the Strait of Bonifacio), rougher when the wind gets up. Cannigione and Baja Sardinia use large motor ships, often with a pickup in Olbia.
How a typical day runs
- Check-in at the pier 20 to 30 minutes before departure, between 10 and 11 am. This is where any landing contribution is paid in cash.
- The run out to Spargi and the first swim stop at Cala Corsara, with its four small beaches.
- Budelli: a pass in front of Spiaggia Rosa with no landing, then a swim at the natural pools of Porto della Madonna or off Spiaggia del Cavaliere.
- Lunch on board at anchor, almost always pasta with water and wine.
- Santa Maria and its long white beach, or Razzoli when the sea allows.
- The way home with a stop at Santo Stefano or free time in La Maddalena town, back in Palau between 5:30 and 6 pm.
Insider tip: after Spargi, move to the port side of the boat as you face the bow. The approach to Budelli and the Pink Beach happens on that side.
Booking and cancelling
The GetYourGuide listings named in this guide offer free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead and a “reserve now, pay later” option, so you can hold a seat without paying: useful when the forecast is unsettled. Support is multilingual, and when the mistral cancels a trip you choose between a refund and a new date.
The alternatives are the operators’ own websites, the ticket kiosks along the Palau seafront (sold the evening before or the same morning, sometimes with a cash discount but with no guaranteed free cancellation) and hotel and campsite receptions, which build in a commission.
The less comfortable side
- There is no landing on the Pink Beach: anyone expecting to walk on the pink sand will be disappointed.
- Eight hours afloat is a long day for children under 4 and for anyone prone to sea-sickness, especially from Santa Teresa Gallura.
- Open decks give little shade, so sunscreen and a hat are not optional.
What to bring
Reef-safe sunscreen, a hat, a towel, water shoes for granite and sea urchins, a mask and snorkel (not always provided), a dry bag for your phone, cash for the landing contribution, a light sweater for the run home and, if you are sensitive to it, motion-sickness tablets.
Booking your La Maddalena boat tour
If this is your first visit and you want to see as much as one day allows, the classic four-stop trip from Palau carries the most reviews on GetYourGuide, 4.5 from more than 2,300. For a small group with lunch and an aperitivo there is the 12-passenger catamaran with lunch; with only an afternoon free, the sunset catamaran. To compare every La Maddalena boat tour on a single page, check availability and prices on GetYourGuide.
Pros
- Four or five islands and 3–4 swim stops in a single day, with no licence and no boat of your own
- A wide choice, from the €76 shared boat to 12-passenger catamarans with lunch
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead on the GetYourGuide listings cited here
- Daily departures from June to September, with Palau 15–20 minutes by ferry from La Maddalena
Cons
- No landing on Spiaggia Rosa: you view the Pink Beach from the boat
- A strong mistral cancels trips, sometimes on the morning itself
- In August the swim stops are busy and the cheapest boats sell out first
- Some boats ask for a landing contribution in cash at check-in
Checked on the ground
Details we verified in person or against official sources.
- Shared trips from Palau run 7–8 hours and call at Spargi, Budelli, Santa Maria and often Santo Stefano or the town
- The classic vintage motorboat trip is listed at €76 on GetYourGuide (September 2026); 12-passenger catamarans run €150–200
- The sunset catamaran leaves Palau at 5:15 pm and returns at 8:30 pm
- Free parking near the port in Palau fills up by 9:30 am in August
Tours we recommend for this page
Ratings and prices as published on GetYourGuide when we last checked.
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Departure: La Maddalena / Palau
From La Maddalena or Palau: Archipelago Boat Tour
Check dates & prices -
Departure: Palau
From Palau: La Maddalena Archipelago Catamaran Tour with Lunch
Check dates & prices -
Departure: Palau
From Palau: Maddalena National Park Boat Tour
Check dates & prices -
Departure: Palau
Palau: La Maddalena Archipelago Boat Tour with 4 Stops
Check dates & prices -
Departure: Palau
Sunset Catamaran Cruise in the La Maddalena Archipelago
Check dates & prices
Frequently asked questions
How much does a boat trip to La Maddalena cost?
Shared motor boats from Palau cost roughly €50–80 per adult for a full day: the classic vintage motorboat trip is listed at €76 on GetYourGuide. Twelve-passenger catamarans with lunch run €150–200, and sunset trips €100–119.
Where do La Maddalena boat trips leave from?
Almost all of them from Palau marina, where the piers are numbered. There are also departures from La Maddalena, Santa Teresa Gallura, Cannigione and Baja Sardinia; from Olbia there is a trip with a minibus transfer to the boat in Cannigione.
How long does an archipelago tour take?
The full circuit runs 7–8 hours, generally from 10 or 11 am until 5:30 or 6 pm. Sunset and half-day trips last 3.5 to 5 hours.
Can you land on Spiaggia Rosa, the Pink Beach of Budelli?
No. According to the Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago di La Maddalena, landing, swimming and walking there have been banned since 1994. Boats show it from the water; from Cala di Roto or Spiaggia del Cavaliere a marked path leads to a fenced viewpoint.
When is the best time for a La Maddalena boat trip?
June and September: sea at 20–23 °C, daily departures and far fewer people than in August. The season runs from April to the end of October, peaking between 15 July and 31 August.
What happens if the mistral blows?
The operator cancels and offers a new date or a refund. The mistral is commonest in spring and autumn but can arrive any day: if you have only one free day, put the boat trip at the start of your stay.
Do I need to book in advance?
Between 15 July and 31 August, yes, one to two weeks ahead, because the cheapest trips go first. Outside those weeks a few days is enough; in Palau the operators' kiosks on the seafront also sell for the following morning.
Are these trips suitable for children?
Many listings have reduced fares for children of roughly 3 to 12 and go free for infants, so check the listing. Under 4, a full day afloat is hard work: a half day or a private boat suits better.