Sardinia & La Maddalena

Typical afternoon wind

4–6 Beaufort · Mistral

Passage lengths

1–4 hours

Suits

Some seasons

Season

May–September

Granite islands and water the colour of a swimming pool, with a genuine Mistral that can pin you down for a day.

The Maddalena archipelago packs a remarkable amount of cruising into a small area, and the anchorages are as good as anywhere in the Med. The complication is the Mistral, which accelerates through the Strait of Bonifacio between Sardinia and Corsica and can arrive with force. Plan the week so you are not committed to the strait on a bad day.

A typical week

1. Day 1 Olbia or Portisco to Cala Coticcio, Caprera
2. Day 2 La Maddalena town
3. Day 3 Budelli and the Spargi anchorages
4. Day 4 Across to the Lavezzi islands
5. Day 5 Santa Teresa or Palau
6. Day 6 Cannigione
7. Day 7 Back to base

Roughly 70 to 100 nautical miles over the week

Worth the detour

• La Maddalena archipelago national park
• Budelli's pink beach seen from the water
• Costa Smeralda anchorages
• Corsica's Lavezzi islands across the strait

Watch out for

• The Mistral funnels hard through the Strait of Bonifacio
• Park permits are required in the Maddalena archipelago
• Anchoring is restricted in several of the best-known bays

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