La Maddalena Archipelago Catamaran Tour: Four Islands

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

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Duration8h

GroupUp to 12

LanguagesEN · IT +1

Mobile ticketAccepted

Four islands, four bays, one morning and afternoon at sea

A catamaran tour departing from Palau visits four islands in the La Maddalena Archipelago over eight hours, with stops at Spargi, Spiaggia Rosa di Budelli, the Mantle of the Madonna, and Santa Maria. The 12-metre Lagoon 38 catamaran carries a small group; lunch, snacks, water and snorkeling masks are included. You can board from either Palau or Maddalena, and a live guide speaks English, Spanish or Italian.

Step-by-step itinerary

Catamaran tour of La Maddalena Archipelago

Depart from Palau by catamaran
Stop at Spargi island for swimming and relaxing
View Spiaggia Rosa di Budelli from the sea
Swim and snorkel at Mantle of the Madonna natural pool
Visit Santa Maria island for beach and swimming

The Experience

The boat leaves Palau and heads out to Spargi first, where white-sand coves and granite rocks shaped by wind meet water so clear you see the seabed from the deck. You swim here, or stay on board and watch the water shift through shades of turquoise. The second stop is Spiaggia Rosa di Budelli — the famous pink beach you cannot walk on, but you photograph from the water and see the pink sand and intense colour the film Deserto Rosso made known. It sits inside the La Maddalena Archipelago National Park, protected, and the boat keeps its distance so the landscape stays intact.

The Mantle of the Madonna is next: a natural pool among granite rocks where the water turns emerald and stays shallow enough to stand. The sandy seabed creates reflections that make the colours look unreal, and it is the stop where most people spend time in the water or snorkeling. Lunch arrives on board — pasta, salad, fruit — with coffee and tea after. The final island is Santa Maria, a long white beach where the water is transparent and the pace slows. By the time you head back to Palau or Maddalena, you have swum at three stops and seen the archipelago's most photographed landmarks without the crowds that come from the shore.

The catamaran is built for comfort: a 12-metre boat that does not pack people in, so there is room to move and space to sit. Snorkeling masks and mouthpieces are provided. Water, soda and snacks come throughout the day. The itinerary can shift if weather or sea conditions change — the captain adjusts the stops to keep the boat safe, so the day you get depends on the day the sea gives.

What’s included

Lunch, snacks, bottled water, coffee and tea.
snorkeling masks and mouthpieces.
a live guide in English, Spanish or Italian.
four island stops with time to swim and relax at each.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Sardinia Sailing Tour

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to see the archipelago's most famous stops — Spiaggia Rosa and the Mantle of the Madonna — without arranging a boat yourself, and if a small catamaran with lunch included suits your day better than a larger group tour.