La Maddalena Sailing Tour from Palau: Pink Beach & Snorkeling

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/42

Duration7h–8h

GroupUp to 12

LanguagesEN · IT +1

Mobile ticketAccepted

Sail Past Sardinia's Pink Beach, Then Drop Anchor to Swim

You sail from Palau through the La Maddalena Archipelago with a skipper who adjusts the route based on weather and sea conditions. You'll pass the protected pink beach, anchor in a turquoise swimming pool for lunch and snorkeling, and stop at islands like Spargi and Budelli. Lunch, wine, snorkeling equipment, and all drinks are included; you return to port around 5:30pm.

7h–8h

Step-by-step itinerary

Sailing tour of La Maddalena Archipelago

Depart from Palau at 9:45 am
Pass by famous pink beach
Stop at natural swimming pool for lunch
Swim in turquoise waters
Stop at Spargi island coves for snorkeling
Return to port around 5:30 pm

The Experience

The rigging hums as the boat leaves the dock at Palau just before 10am, and within minutes the coastline starts to blur. You're on a sailing boat built for comfort—not a crowded catamaran—which means there's actual space to move, to sit without elbows touching, to feel the difference between a tour and a day on the water. The skipper knows these islands the way someone knows their own neighborhood; he reads the wind and the swell and decides where to go, which is why the itinerary shifts. Some days it's Spargi first, some days Budelli. What doesn't change is the approach to the pink beach—you'll see it from the boat, that famous stretch of sand that's now protected by the national park, off-limits for swimming but impossible to miss.

By midday the boat anchors in one of the natural swimming pools, and that's when lunch happens. The crew sets out a spread of pasta with fresh fish, Sardinian snacks, and a bottle of Vermentino white wine that tastes different when you're floating in turquoise water. Snorkeling gear is already on board, so after eating you can slip into the water without fussing with rentals or logistics. The coves around Spargi are the main stop for this—clear enough to see the bottom, shallow enough in places that you can wade, deep enough elsewhere to feel like you've actually gone somewhere. Two or three stops total, depending on conditions and what the skipper decides will work best that day.

The return to Palau lands around 5:30pm, which gives you the afternoon without eating up your whole evening. If you're staying in the area, you've got time to grab dinner in town. If you're moving on, the timing doesn't trap you. The boat handles small groups, so it never feels like you're queuing for anything—not for a spot on deck, not for a turn in the water, not for a plate at lunch.

What’s included

Your day includes departure from Palau at 9:45am, passage past the protected pink beach of Budelli, two to three anchored stops for swimming and snorkeling at islands such as Spargi, Budelli, Santa Maria, Razzoli, or Caprera, lunch on board featuring pasta with fish and Sardinian snacks, Vermentino white wine, beer, soft drinks, water, coffee and tea, snorkeling equipment, and return to Palau around 5:30pm.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendly

Operated by Sardinia Sailing Tour

Is this one for you?Book this if you want a full day on the water without the crowds of a big tour boat—the small group size and the skipper's flexibility to chase good conditions mean you're actually sailing, not just being transported between photo stops.