La Maddalena and Costa Smeralda itinerary: 1 to 2 days
Plans for one and two days in La Maddalena and the Costa Smeralda, day by day: the old town of La Maddalena around Piazza Garibaldi and a day boat round the archipelago to Spargi and Budelli's pink beach, back for the evening on Via Garibaldi first; then a day on the Costa Smeralda with the village of San Pantaleo, the beaches of Liscia Ruja, Capriccioli and the Principe and the evening in Porto Cervo, and a day on Caprera, with Garibaldi's house and the cove of Cala Coticcio, the Panoramica road to Bassa Trinita and La Maddalena town. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 2 days
La Maddalena and Costa Smeralda in 1 day
Day 1
Historic centre of La Maddalena (Piazza Garibaldi)
The island's small town around Piazza Garibaldi, with the town hall, cafés and narrow streets running down to the harbour.
Boat tour to Spargi and Budelli (Pink Beach)
Day boat from La Maddalena harbour round the archipelago, with swimming stops in the coves of Spargi and Budelli's pink beach seen from the sea.
Via Garibaldi
La Maddalena's main street, closed to traffic, with shops and cafés, lively for the evening walk and aperitivo.
La Maddalena and Costa Smeralda in 2 days
Day 1
San Pantaleo village
Granite village in the hills behind the Costa Smeralda, with a little church square of cafés and artisans' shops.
Liscia Ruja beach
One of the longest beaches of the Costa Smeralda, a wide sweep of pale sand with clear, shallow water.
Capriccioli beach
Small sandy coves divided by granite boulders and juniper, with clear water, popular with families.
Spiaggia del Principe
A beach of white sand in a quiet bay of the Costa Smeralda, reached by a short walk from the car park.
Stella Maris Church, Porto Cervo
White church on the hill above the Porto Cervo marina, built in the curving local style, with a view over the bay.
Porto Cervo Piazzetta
The heart of Porto Cervo, the resort built in the 1960s by the Aga Khan, with designer shops, cafés and the yacht marina below.
Day 2
Compendio Garibaldino (Garibaldi's house), Caprera
Giuseppe Garibaldi's white farmhouse on Caprera, where he lived his last years, with his rooms, belongings and tomb among the pines.
Cala Coticcio, Caprera
A cove of clear, turquoise water and granite rocks on Caprera's east coast, reached by a rough path or by boat.
Bassa Trinita beach (Panoramica road)
A long beach of fine sand and dunes on the north side of La Maddalena, reached along the island's Panoramica road.
Historic centre of La Maddalena (Piazza Garibaldi)
The island's small town around Piazza Garibaldi, with the town hall, cafés and narrow streets running down to the harbour.
Via Garibaldi
La Maddalena's main street, closed to traffic, with shops and cafés, lively for the evening walk and aperitivo.
When to go to La Maddalena and Costa Smeralda
May, June and September are the best months: warm sea, clear water and fewer people than in July and August, when the Costa Smeralda is at its most crowded and expensive. The mistral wind can blow strongly for days and rough up the sea, so keep boat trips flexible. From November to March much of Porto Cervo and the beach bars close.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in La Maddalena and Costa Smeralda on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in La Maddalena and Costa Smeralda on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in La Maddalena and Costa Smeralda on GetYourGuide
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Italy from Airalo
Some of these are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Tips for La Maddalena and Costa Smeralda
- A car makes these days easy: car ferries cross from Palau to La Maddalena in about 20 minutes, many times a day, and Caprera is joined to La Maddalena by a causeway.
- Cala Coticcio is reached on foot by a rough path; in summer the National Park limits numbers and access is with authorised guides, so book ahead.
- Day boats round the archipelago leave La Maddalena in the morning from spring to autumn; book a day ahead in summer, and landing on Budelli's pink beach is not allowed.
- Costa Smeralda beaches get busy and their car parks fill early in July and August: arrive in the morning, and bring shoes for rocks.
- Porto Cervo, its beaches and most shops and bars are at their best from about May to October; out of season much is closed.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Bassa Trinita beach (Panoramica road): Samanera88, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Boat tour to Spargi and Budelli (Pink Beach): trevis_lu (Luca Giudicatti), CC BY-SA 2.0
- Cala Coticcio, Caprera: Rolenc, CC BY 3.0
- Capriccioli beach: gpatgn, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Compendio Garibaldino (Garibaldi's house), Caprera: Steddie1970, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Historic centre of La Maddalena (Piazza Garibaldi): Gianni Careddu, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Porto Cervo Piazzetta: Alistair Wettin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- San Pantaleo village: Niki.L, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Stella Maris Church, Porto Cervo: gpatgn, CC BY-SA 3.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
