Elena Tour Navigazioni review: the La Maddalena family motor ship, prices, routes and honest downsides

Elena Tour Navigazioni is the archipelago’s long-running family motor-ship company, founded in the 1960s by Captain Cesare Esposito and his wife Elena and now run by their children and grandchildren, according to the operator’s site. It is the Elena Tour Navigazioni La Maddalena departure that makes it stand out: most day boats leave from Palau, while this one also loads on the town quay of La Maddalena at 11:30.

This Elena Tour Navigazioni review uses the operator’s own pages (prices, boats, departures), its Tripadvisor listing and its Facebook page, checked in September 2026. We have no commercial relationship with the company.

What Elena Tour Navigazioni offers

Two full-day products, both from Palau and from La Maddalena:

• Itinerary 1 (May–October): free time in La Maddalena town, Cala Corsara on Spargi, Cala Santa Maria, the Porto della Madonna natural pools between Budelli, Razzoli and Santa Maria, and a view of Spiaggia Rosa from the water.
• Maxi Tour (June–September): the same core plus a swim stop at Cala Coticcio on Caprera, with eastern Caprera and Santo Stefano seen from the boat. Since 2021 walking down to Cala Coticcio requires an authorised park guide and a daily quota, so arriving by boat is the easy way in.

Timings: Palau departs 10:00 (check-in 08:45–09:15), La Maddalena departs 11:30 (check-in 10:15–11:00), back around 17:00 and 17:15. The operator states that itineraries may change for weather or on instruction from the Parco Nazionale dell’Arcipelago di La Maddalena.

Beyond the shared day, the company rents its RIB with a multilingual skipper for private days, and sells weddings, parties and team events on the motor ship.

Boats and comfort

The site describes the current motor ship, Delfino Verde, as built to RINA standards with two decks: a main lounge with sofas, tables, a stereo and LED screens, USB charging, a bar service and dining room, and a panoramic sun deck with an awning above. Two toilets. Passenger capacity is not published. The original wooden fishing boat Palinuro and the motor boat Elena have been retired.

The company’s other hull is The One, a 9 m Solemar Offshore RIB with twin 200 hp engines for up to eight guests, with an awning, an outside toilet, a fridge, a shower and a swim ladder. That is the boat behind the private days.

A useful detail from the operator: guests reach the beaches directly from the bow, without tenders or rafts. On a full day with children that saves a lot of queuing.

Elena Tour Navigazioni prices and what is included

Elena Tour Navigazioni prices as published on the operator’s site in September 2026: from €52.50 per person, with reduced fares for children under 10, group and school discounts. The ticket covers VAT and passenger insurance. Not included:

Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before departure with full refund, and the operator refunds in full when it cancels for weather. A book-now-pay-later option runs up to three days before. There is also a 10 % discount arrangement with Grimaldi Lines ferries mentioned on the price page.

Insider tip: Bring cash for the landing fee and lunch, and carry small notes. The fee is collected separately from the ticket, and at €5 per adult in August a family of four pays €20 before the boat leaves the quay.

What customers say

The Tripadvisor listing showed 4.6 from 2,209 reviews, ranked 17th of 137 outdoor activities in La Maddalena, in September 2026. That is one of the largest review bases of any operator in the archipelago. Praise centres on the crew’s professionalism and friendliness, well-spaced stops, announcements in several languages, clean toilets and good value for the optional lunch (pasta with crab sauce gets a mention).

The complaints are consistent and worth taking seriously. Crowding on the decks in high season is the most repeated one; the company itself notes it as normal for peak dates. A guest who arrived back two minutes late at a stop was left behind, and the company’s public reply stresses that times are announced repeatedly and sent in writing. Another reviewer had the last beach stop cancelled for weather and received only a €5 refund. Set your watch to the crew’s time, not yours.

Departure logistics

From Palau: the meeting point is in front of the Coast Guard building near the ferry terminal, a short walk from the port car parks. Paid parking fills by 09:30 in August, and the multi-storey is the fallback. Olbia airport is about 40 km away.

From La Maddalena: the ship loads on Via Amendola at the Banchina Medaglie d’Oro, next to the post office, a few minutes on foot from the Delcomar and Maddalena Lines ferry landing and from Piazza Garibaldi. Nobody staying on the island needs a car for this tour.

Who should book it, and who should not

Book it if you want a solid, mid-priced motor-ship day with shade, toilets and a bar, the option of Cala Coticcio, and a departure that works from La Maddalena town. It is a sensible first archipelago trip for families with children from about four upwards.

Look elsewhere if crowds spoil the day for you, if you want lunch built into the price, or if you prefer a boat that changes route by the wind. A catamaran or a private RIB will cost more and give you emptier coves.

How to book

Direct on the operator’s site (English pages, pay-later option), by phone (+39 342 3217323, +39 333 5254415) or e-mail (info@elenatournavigazioni.com), or at the departure points. The company also appears on third-party Italian booking sites. We did not find it under its own name on GetYourGuide.

Alternatives you can book online

Compare all La Maddalena boat tours on GetYourGuide before deciding. The archipelago boat tour from La Maddalena or Palau (listed at €76 in September 2026, four swim stops, vintage motorboat) also departs from the island, and the Palau tour with four stops is the most-booked classic. If the Maxi Tour’s Cala Coticcio stop is what draws you, the private RIB trip reaches it with up to eight guests. See our guides to tours from Palau, La Maddalena island and Cala Coticcio, and the operators hub for every company reviewed.