The Archipelago of Maddalena

Surface Area: 5,134 hectares of land and 15,046 hectares of sea

This beautiful archipelago is an enchanting, natural oasis, surrounded by a warm, transparent sea. However, the powerful Mistral and West winds can quickly transform this idyllic scene into a wild landscape, whipped by impressive waves.

In fact, over the centuries, the wind and sea have sculptured the granite rocks into the characteristic "tafoni", or niches, which run from one island to the next, as far as the mainland.
The archipelago is made up of seven main islands: La Maddalena, the only inhabited island, Caprera, Santo Stefano, Spargi, Budelli, Razzoli and Santa Maria.


Access to the island of Caprera is from La Maddalena across a causeway. The road runs through a beautiful pinewood before arriving at the very popular House-Museum, which was once the home of Giuseppe Garibaldi. The islands' spectacular coasts are made up of high cliffs, charming bays and fine, sandy beaches.


The transparent water reveals a rich seabed, whilst the impressive granite formations, covered in dense vegetation, form the striking backdrop to this picture postcard.
The whole territory abounds in dense copses of holm oak and strawberry bushes, vast expanses of pinewoods and, in spring, isolated flowering orchids.

The characteristic Mediterranean scrub, made up of cistus, myrtle and juniper bushes, runs right down to the sandy beaches.
The archipelago is the ideal habitat and nesting ground for many species of birds, such as jackdaw (corpus monedula), kestrels (falco tinnunculus), sparrow hawk (acipiter nisus) and buzzards (buteo buteo).

The bushes and rocks of the island of Budelli are also home to the rare 'Marginata' Turtle.
The archipelago of La Maddalena was declared a National Park in 1996 to safeguard the enchanting natural environment.