The La Maddalena panoramic road: the island by car, by bike and by bus

The La Maddalena panoramic road is the loop of roughly 20 km that circles the main island, calls at its beaches and carries on to Caprera over the Passo della Moneta causeway. It is the only way to see the archipelago without stepping onto a boat, and on mistral days it is the only way at all.

What follows is the route itself, the beaches strung along it, the viewpoints, the truth about parking, the alternatives on two wheels and by bus, and an honest comparison with the boat trip: what the road gives you and what it cannot.

The route in brief

Direction hardly matters: the loop works either way round and the beaches are signposted. What does matter is planning your stops before you set off, because doubling back for a beach you skipped costs far more time than the map suggests.

The beaches around the loop

These are the beaches on the island of La Maddalena that the panoramic road reaches, in the order the park lists them. Fuller descriptions, including the coves you can only get to by sea, are in our guide to the beaches of La Maddalena.

Coarse granite sand and sea urchins on the rocks are the norm here, so water shoes matter on land as much as they do on a boat.

Insider tip: in a mistral, pick the beaches facing south-east, on the lee side of the island; with an easterly or a scirocco, do the opposite. This coast always has a calm side, and the panoramic road exists to get you to it.

The viewpoints

The main one is Monte Guardia Vecchia, about 156 m, crowned by Forte San Vittorio. A few minutes of driving from the town brings you to the whole archipelago laid out: Caprera to the east, Spargi to the west, Budelli, Santa Maria and Razzoli to the north, Corsica on a clear day. Go the day before your boat trip, or at sunset.

Around the loop there are pull-ins with views over the channel towards Spargi and down onto the granite coves. They are narrow, so tuck in properly and never leave a car on a bend. At Punta Tegge the military battery on the granite is a short stop with good light late in the afternoon.

Caprera over the Passo della Moneta

From the eastern side of the island the road drops to the Passo della Moneta, the causeway of roughly 600 m that carries you across to Caprera by car, bike or bus. On the far side it runs through pine and granite to the Compendio Garibaldino, the house where Giuseppe Garibaldi lived from 1856 and died on 2 June 1882, then continues to the Memoriale Giuseppe Garibaldi in Forte Arbuticci, opened in 2012. Monte Tejalone, about 212 m, is the island’s summit.

The Caprera beaches you can reach by car and a short walk are Cala Portese, Cala Andreani, Cala Garibaldi, Spiaggia dei Due Mari and Spiaggia del Relitto, where a wooden boardwalk leads down to the timbers of the old wreck still lying in the sand. Cala Coticcio is the exception: according to the Parco Nazionale dell’Arcipelago di La Maddalena, since 2021 it can be reached on foot only with an authorised guide, a daily quota and a booking, along a path of about 3 km each way over rock. We cover it in our Cala Coticcio guide and in the guide to Caprera.

Parking: how it really works

The beach car parks are small, almost all unsurfaced, and in August they fill during the first half of the morning. There are no big managed areas: latecomers leave the car on the verge where that is allowed and walk. In town it is worse still, with paid spaces and narrow streets.

Three rules that work:

1. Early or late. First beach by mid-morning, second after 5 pm, when the car parks empty.
2. One beach per half day. Moving at noon in August means losing your space and not finding another.
3. Leave the car in Palau if you are sleeping on the mainland and only doing the boat. There is no point shipping it over for a day. Free spaces near the Palau harbour fill by 9:30 am in August, leaving the paid bays and the multi-storey.

By bike or scooter

The loop is a comfortable half day on a bike with two swim stops. The climbs are short but repeat all the way round, and summer heat between noon and 4 pm is punishing: set off early, carry at least a litre of water each, and sit out the middle hours in the shade. On an e-bike the whole circuit turns into a gentle ride, Caprera included.

A scooter solves the parking problem outright: it slots in where a car will not fit, and closes the loop in a couple of hours with stops. Bike, e-bike and scooter hire is available in town, and we quote no prices because they change every season.

Insider tip: on a bike, do Caprera first thing, while the Passo della Moneta road is still empty and cool. Save the La Maddalena loop for the afternoon and finish with a swim at Spalmatore or Bassa Trinita.

By bus

Local lines connect the town with Caprera and parts of the island during the summer. They do not serve every beach, and the timetable changes from year to year, so ask in town or consult the ARST site for the regional network. It is the answer for arriving without a car and wanting the Compendio Garibaldino or one beach, not for doing the whole loop in a day.

When the road beats the boat

• Mistral days. Boat trips are cancelled, the sky is clear and the lee-side beaches are calm. The perfect day for the loop and Guardia Vecchia.
• Small children. Seven or eight hours afloat is a lot under the age of four; Spalmatore and Bassa Trinita have shallow water and you go home when you like.
• Anyone prone to seasickness. No crossing, no rolling anchorage.
• Anyone who wants Caprera. The Compendio Garibaldino and the Memoriale can only be seen from land.
• Budget. The vehicle ferry and fuel against €50–80 per person for a shared boat, going by GetYourGuide prices.

When the road is not enough

The road does not reach Spargi, Budelli, Santa Maria or Razzoli. Cala Corsara, Spiaggia Rosa, the natural pools of Porto della Madonna and the long beach at Cala Santa Maria exist only from the water, and they are why most people come. With one day, choose the boat. With two, take the boat on the first and the loop on the second, so you can swap them if the wind turns.

You can also sail without going back to Palau: the classic archipelago tour on a vintage motorboat leaves from La Maddalena harbour as well, runs 8 hours with 4 swim stops and is listed at €76 on GetYourGuide, rated 4.5 from 215 reviews. To take the helm yourself, look at the guided RIB with no licence required, 40 hp, price shown on the listing: no licence is needed up to that power, but the park permit still is. The comparison of every format sits in our archipelago tour guide.

The La Maddalena panoramic road: the plan in one line

Car or bike for the island and Caprera, with beaches chosen by the wind; boat for everything else. If you are still planning the trip itself, ferries and accommodation included, the whole picture is in our guide to La Maddalena, and the day-by-day itineraries are in things to do in La Maddalena.