Bestseller6,436 reviews
6 - 7 hFrom Sardinia: La Maddalena Archipelago Full-Day Boat Tour
★ 4.6 · 6,436 reviews
- 6 to 7 hours, Departs from Palau or La Maddalena
- Live guide in four languages
- Bestseller
- Free cancellation
Leaving from Palau
Boat trip Palau La Maddalena: eight days from one harbour
Eight of the twelve trips on this site leave from Palau. This boat trip Palau La Maddalena guide lines them up: where each meets, when it sails, where it stops and what the price covers. Days run six to eight hours, from $56 per person.
Quick answer
The short answer. If you are staying in or near Palau, a boat trip Palau La Maddalena day needs no transfer: walk to the harbour by the maritime station on Piazza del Molo, check in, and sail. For the most reviewed day, take the $62 trip with a live guide in four languages (6,436 reviews at 4.6). For the lowest fare, the $56 day. For lunch in the price, the $67 pasta boat. For a smaller 1956 motorship and long swims, the $80 day to Caprera.
Boat trip Palau La Maddalena at a glance
- Trips from Palau
- 8 of 12on this site
- Price
- From $56per person
- Fixed sailing time
- 10:30on four of the eight
- Back in Palau
- 17:00 to 17:30where a listing gives a time
- Where you meet
- Palau harbourmaritime station, Piazza del Molo
- To Spargi
- Under 15 minutesfrom Palau, per one listing
- Islands
- Spargi, Budelli, Santa MariaCaprera swims on two of the eight
- Pink Beach
- From the boat onlyon every trip
- Lunch
- Pasta boat onlyone of the eight from Palau
- Landing fee
- Not in the pricecash, up to five euros
- Reviews
- 27,044across all twelve trips
- Cancellation
- Free cancellationreserve now, pay later
The harbour
Where you meet in Palau, and when
One harbour, eight boats, and a 10:30 start on four of them.
Every boat trip Palau La Maddalena listing on this site meets at Palau harbour, mostly around the maritime station on Piazza del Molo. None of the eight picks you up. One listing warns of heavy traffic into Palau and asks you to leave a good hour early; another names four car parks.
Four boats sail at 10:30, with check-in from 9:00 or 9:30. The audio-guide day checks in earlier, 8:45 to 9:30, by the ferry terminal. Where a listing gives a return time, it is 17:00 to 17:30. Three trips can also start in La Maddalena port, which suits you only if you sleep on the island.
Be on time. One listing says that after 9:45 you will not be allowed on board, and three others say a late arrival loses the refund.
Stops, boat by boat
What each boat trip Palau La Maddalena day covers
Stop lengths as each listing gives them. The Pink Beach is seen from the boat on every trip.
- Guided day, $62
Budelli natural pools 20 minutes, Santa Maria 1.5 hours, Cala Granara on Spargi 1.5 hours, then an hour in La Maddalena. Live guide in four languages.
- Audio-guide day, $59
Cala Corsara on Spargi 75 minutes, Santa Maria 1.5 hours, the Budelli pools from the boat for 30 minutes, an hour in town.
- Four islands, $56
Cala Corsara 1.5 hours and Santa Maria 75 minutes. Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays add an hour at Cala Coticcio on Caprera; other days, the town.
- Wild islands, $56
Two hours at Cala Corsara and an hour at the Budelli pools. Santa Maria and the Pink Beach are five-minute photo stops; 70 minutes in town.
- Four stops, $64
Cala Corsara 75 minutes, Budelli pools 25 minutes with a dive from the boat, Santa Maria 75 minutes, an hour in town.
- New boat, $65
Budelli pools 20 minutes, Santa Maria 75 minutes, Cala Granara or Cala Ferrigno on Spargi 75 minutes, an hour in town.
- Pasta boat, $67
Santa Maria two hours, lunch at the Budelli pools, Cala Corsara 1.5 hours, then the town.
- Vintage motorship, $80
Cala Serena on Caprera 30 minutes, Cavaliere beach on Budelli 1.5 hours, Cala Connari on Spargi two hours. No town stop.
The difference
How the eight Palau days differ
Swim time, lunch, boat size and Caprera: the four things to compare.
On paper every boat trip Palau La Maddalena day looks alike: a boat trip from Palau to La Maddalena usually means Spargi, the Budelli pools, Santa Maria and an hour in town. The differences are swim time, lunch, boat size and Caprera.
Not every tour Palau Maddalena boats run stops for a swim at Caprera. Two of the eight do: the $56 day swims at Cala Coticcio on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays, and the $80 motorship stops at Cala Serena. On a Palau boat tour La Maddalena town is usually the last stop, with ice cream, shops and the old harbour of Cala Gavetta.
On the water
Swims, the town and the way out
On a La Maddalena boat trip turquoise water is what reviewers keep coming back to.
A swim stop
About a dozen people swim in clear turquoise water next to the white hull, with pink granite rocks and green scrub along the shore.
The town from the water
Pastel yellow, pink and cream houses line a long quay with parked cars, and a grey inflatable cuts a white wake across the blue water in front.
From the bow
A coil of rope lies on a polished wooden bow, and ahead a long steel bridge arches over deep blue water with small boats beneath it.
Lunch and money
Lunch, the landing fee and cash
Lunch on one boat; the landing fee on none.
Lunch is in the price on one Palau boat: the $67 day serves a plate of pasta with mussels and prawns at the Budelli pools, and you buy drinks at the bar. On the other seven, food is sold on board, and two listings say you may bring your own. Olivier from France on the pasta boat: «Food was not that much but for what we have paid it was enough».
The La Maddalena landing fee is not in any price. It is up to five euros a head in June to August, less in May, September and October, and most listings ask for cash; children under seven do not pay it. Three listings warn that card payments can fail on the islands, so carry cash.
Every trip, current fare
Boat trip Palau La Maddalena prices, side by side
The eight Palau days and our top pick from Santa Teresa Gallura. Prices are per person; the landing fee is extra.
| Trip | Price | Price is for | Length | What the price covers | Where it starts | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Four islands | $56 | per person | 7 hours | Live guide, Cala Coticcio or town by weekday. Lunch to buy | Maritime Station, Palau, 9:00 to 10:00 | 4.4 · 2,876 |
| Wild islands | $56 | per person | 7 hours | Two hours at Cala Corsara, an hour at the Budelli pools. Lunch to buy | By the pier, Palau, 9:00 to 9:45 | 4.3 · 2,827 |
| Audio-guide day | $59 | per person | 6 to 7 hours | Smartphone audio guide, three stops and town. Food to buy | Ferry terminal, Palau, 8:45 to 9:30 | 4.5 · 2,982 |
| Guided day | $62 | per person | 6 to 7 hours | Live guide, three stops and town. Lunch at extra fee | Piazza del Molo, Palau, or La Maddalena | 4.6 · 6,436 |
| Four stops | $64 | per person | 10:30 to 17:30 | Three-deck, 210-passenger boat, four stops. Bar for a fee | Jetty 5, Palau, 9:00 to 10:00 | 4.5 · 2,597 |
| New boat | $65 | per person | 10:30 to about 17:15 | 150-seat boat built in 2025, live guide. Food to buy | Jetty 4, Palau, 9:30 | 4.6 · 2,522 |
| Pasta boat | $67 | per person | 7 hours | Pasta with mussels and prawns. Drinks to buy | By a café at the port, Palau | 4.0 · 2,104 |
| Vintage motorship | $80 | per person | 6.5 hours | 18-metre 1956 motorship, Caprera, Budelli, Spargi. Lunch to buy | Palau or La Maddalena | 4.7 · 657 |
| Santa Teresa day, our top pick | $70 | per person | 8 hours | Local lunch cooked on board, two beach stops, town | Santa Teresa Gallura port, 8:00 to 8:15 | 4.3 · 1,571 |
Boat size
Big boat, new boat or a small motorship
Three-deck boat, 150-seat boat, or an 18-metre motorship.
On a boat trip Palau La Maddalena day, size changes the feel more than the route. The four-stop La Maddalena day trip boat carries up to 210 passengers on three decks, with the lower deck in the shade; the new boat built in 2025 seats 150. Both listings warn that the beaches are crowded in high season.
The $80 day runs on a refurbished 1956 motorship, 18 by 4.5 metres, with two bathrooms and a covered deck. It skips the town for longer swims: two hours at Cala Connari and 1.5 hours at Cavaliere beach on Budelli, reached by dinghy. Josephine from Denmark: «The boat was not crowded at all, and there were good vibes all round.»
Before you book
Five things to check before you pay
A few minutes on the listing makes your boat trip Palau La Maddalena day easier at the harbour.
- Which weekday
On the $56 day, Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays bring Cala Coticcio; other days bring the town.
- Cash for the landing fee
Up to five euros a head, in cash, on most boats. It is never in the price.
- Your own snorkel mask
No listing says masks are handed out, and one strongly recommends bringing your own.
- Time to park
Leave a good hour to drive and park; late arrivals can lose the seat and the refund.
- Cancellation
All twelve listings offer free cancellation. Check the deadline on the booking page before you pay.
Our verdict
Our verdict for those staying in Palau
Book the guided day at $62 if you want one choice among the La Maddalena tours from Palau: 6,436 reviewers rate it 4.6, the most reviews here, and you get three swim stops, a live guide and an hour in town. On a budget, take the $56 day and pick the weekday. For lunch in the price, the $67 pasta boat. For long swims and a smaller boat, the $80 motorship, rated 4.7.
Book direct
La Maddalena boat trips from Palau: four to book
The guided day, the lowest fare, the pasta boat and the vintage motorship. All four are priced per person.
Lowest price here2,876 reviews
7 hFrom Palau: La Maddalena Islands Full-Day Trip by Boat
★ 4.4 · 2,876 reviews
- Seven hours, Departs Palau at 10:30
- Beach stops at Spargi, Santa Maria
- Cheapest here
- Free cancellation
$56$8.00 / hour
Check availability→ 
Two hours at Santa Maria2,104 reviews
7 hFrom Palau: La Maddalena Archipelago Boat Tour with Pasta
★ 4.0 · 2,104 reviews
- Seven hours, Pasta with mussels and prawns
- Two hours at Santa Maria
- Cala Corsara stop, 90 minutes
- Free cancellation
$67$9.57 / hour
Check availability→ 
Two hours at Cala Connari657 reviews
6.5 hBoat Tour to Caprera and La Maddalena Archipelago
★ 4.7 · 657 reviews
- 6.5 hours, Restored 1956 motorship, 18 metres
- Two hours at Cala Connari
- Swim stop at Cala Serena
- Free cancellation
$80$12.31 / hour
Check availability→ Common questions
Boat trip Palau La Maddalena: questions, answered
Where does a boat trip Palau La Maddalena day start?
At Palau harbour, mostly around the maritime station on Piazza del Molo and its numbered jetties. Each listing names its own point. Three trips can also start in La Maddalena port.
What time do the boats leave Palau and come back?
Four of the eight sail at 10:30, with check-in from 9:00 or 9:30. Where a listing gives a return time, it is 17:00 to 17:30; one says 16:30 in October.
Is lunch included on boat trips from Palau to Maddalena?
On one: the $67 day serves pasta with mussels and prawns, and drinks are extra. On the other seven, food is sold on board. Our top pick from Santa Teresa also serves a lunch cooked on board.
Do you pay a landing fee on top of the price?
Yes. The town of La Maddalena charges up to five euros a head, usually in cash on the day, and it is not in any price. Children under seven do not pay it.
Can you go on the Pink Beach at Budelli?
No. On every trip the Pink Beach on Budelli is seen from the boat only. You swim nearby, in the natural pools of Budelli, on seven of the eight Palau days.
Is this a good Sardinia boat day trip if I only have one day?
Yes: every Palau day stops at Spargi and passes Budelli in six to eight hours, and seven of the eight stop in La Maddalena town. For Caprera, pick the $56 day on its swim days or the $80 motorship.
Your options
Picking your boat trip to La Maddalena
If Palau is your base, a boat trip Palau La Maddalena day is the easy start: by one listing's count, a La Maddalena boat tour from Palau reaches Spargi in under 15 minutes. Book early in high season: one listing says its boat is always fully loaded.
Go deeper
More guides to La Maddalena
From Santa Teresa
From Santa Teresa
The day that sets out from the northern tip of Sardinia.
The islandsThe islands
Spargi, Budelli, Santa Maria and Caprera, one by one.
Lunch on boardLunch on board
The boats that serve lunch, and what is on the plate.
Which one to pickWhich one to pick
Choosing by port, boat, price and the islands you want.
