La Maddalena from Alghero: no direct boat trips, and what to do instead

Reaching La Maddalena from Alghero does not work the way most people picture it: no boat sails for the archipelago from Alghero, not even at the height of the season. Alghero sits on the north-west coast, the archipelago lies in the Bocche di Bonifacio (the Strait of Bonifacio) at the far north-east, and between the two are about 170 km of road, roughly 2 h 30 to Palau.

Rather than dance around that, this page explains why the direct trip does not exist, sets out three workable plans with the timings done for you, and names the boats worth booking in each case.

Alghero in two sentences

Alghero is the Catalan city of Sardinia, with its walled old town on the sea, a marina and an airport of its own. It makes an excellent base for the west coast, but it lies about 170 km from Palau, the main harbour for archipelago trips, and the road between them crosses the interior of the island.

Anyone staying in Alghero who wants to see the archipelago should treat it as a proper journey, not an afternoon outing.

Why there are no direct trips from Alghero

The motor ships and catamarans of the archipelago are based at Palau, La Maddalena, Cannigione and Santa Teresa Gallura, a few nautical miles from the islands. From Alghero a boat would have to round the entire northern end of Sardinia: many hours at sea before the visit even began. No operator attempts that in a day, and none is likely to.

Agencies in Alghero that advertise a La Maddalena excursion are selling a coach transfer to Palau plus a seat on a motor ship. It works, but it is a package with commission built in and a very long day attached, so find out exactly what you are paying for first.

Plan A: a night in Palau

This is the one we recommend. Drive over the afternoon before, arrive in Palau in time for dinner, and next morning the pier is a ten-minute walk away. Every format sails from there:

• the classic four-stop trip: Spargi, Budelli, Santa Maria and La Maddalena on a big modern boat, 7 hours, rated 4.5 out of 5 from 2,330 reviews on GetYourGuide and the most booked of the lot;
• the vintage motorboat with four swimming stops: 8 hours, a walk up to the fortress, €76 on GetYourGuide at the time of writing, 4.5 from 215 reviews;
• 12-seat catamarans, RIBs and private boats, all covered in our guide to boat trips from Palau.

Departures at 10 am or 11 am leave you an unhurried morning. If you arrive the evening before with light to spare, climb to Roccia dell’Orso (Bear Rock) above the village: seeing the archipelago laid out from up there makes the next day far easier to follow.

Plan B: a night in Santa Teresa Gallura

Santa Teresa Gallura is the other base on the northern road, with its full-day motor ship trip: departure at 9 am, lunch on board, back around 5 pm, rated 4.3 out of 5 from 1,452 reviews on GetYourGuide. The listing states a €5 per person contribution payable in cash at check-in for the municipality of La Maddalena. There is also a catamaran, a sailing boat and a RIB, all set out on our page about boat trips from Santa Teresa Gallura.

The difference from Palau is the crossing of the Bocche di Bonifacio, longer and more exposed to the mistral. Poor sailors should choose Palau; anyone who wants Corsica in view from the deck and has a steady stomach may prefer Santa Teresa Gallura, which also gives you an evening in a lively town with Capo Testa on the doorstep.

Plan C: there and back in a day

It can be done. Here is the arithmetic for a 10 am boat in Palau:

• 6:45 am, leave Alghero with a full tank and the bag already packed;
• 9:15 am, arrive in Palau and park (paid spaces by the harbour or the multi-storey, since the free ones have gone by 9:30 am in August);
• 9:40 am, check in at the pier stated on the listing;
• around 5:30 pm, the boat is back alongside;
• 6 pm away from Palau, 8:30 pm back in Alghero.

Take the 9 am trip from Santa Teresa Gallura and the whole schedule shifts an hour earlier, which means an alarm before 6 am. That is 5 hours of driving and 8 hours in the sun: fine for two adults, hard work with small children or after several days of long drives. If the mistral cancels the boat you find out that morning, often while already on the road. Booking through GetYourGuide with free cancellation protects the ticket price, though nobody refunds the fuel.

Insider tip: for the day return, take an 11 am boat instead of a 10 am one. That extra hour counts for a great deal over 170 km, and the boat is still alongside well before dark. Getting back to Alghero after 9 pm is the price of the arrangement.

The three plans compared

Who should choose what

Sleep in Palau if this is your first time in the archipelago, if you are travelling with children, or if you want a catamaran or a small group. Sleep in Santa Teresa Gallura if you are heading on to Corsica or want to combine the trip with Capo Testa. Take on the day return only if there are two of you, without children, and with a spare day in hand should the wind ruin it.

With more nights to play with, use the second day for the Delcomar or Maddalena Lines ferry from Palau across to La Maddalena, the island’s strada panoramica (the panoramic ring road) and Caprera with the Compendio Garibaldino (Garibaldi’s house museum). Our guide to La Maddalena explains how to organise it. Worth knowing too: Alghero has its own airport, but Olbia Costa Smeralda, which takes summer flights from several UK airports, is far closer to the archipelago if you can choose where to land.

Practical advice

• Book the boat on GetYourGuide with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead and the reserve now, pay later option.
• In July and August book the room in Palau or Santa Teresa Gallura early: both are small places and single nights go quickly.
• Check the route on your satnav the evening before, because the inland roads of Gallura are slower than the distance suggests.
• Bring cash for any park contribution at check-in, flagged in the “Not included” section of the listing.
• Water shoes, sunscreen, a hat, mask and snorkel, a warm layer for the return, and for the day return water and something to eat on the way home.

Booking your trip to La Maddalena from Alghero

Every route to La Maddalena from Alghero runs through Palau or Santa Teresa Gallura. For a first visit we would take the night in Palau and the classic four-stop boat; if Santa Teresa Gallura suits your itinerary better, book the full-day trip from Santa Teresa Gallura. Our overview of departures from other towns and the comparison of archipelago tours fill in the rest before you set off.