Many of the Yacht Charter sailors know the island of Sardinia in the center of the Mediterranean, but not many know that f you travel to the northeastern corner of the island you’ll find a small archipelago of 7 islands, the largest being Isola Maddalena. On that island, the largest town shares the same name.
The town is the closest to mainland Sardinia, positioned on the strait of Bonifacio, which separates the island from Corsica. Though smaller than other Yacht Charter destinations in the region, La Maddalena is well known for its beautiful landscape of the Costa Smeralda and its remote location, generally regarded to be off the beaten track.
Due to its remote location, you can imagine that La Maddalena is positioned outside the main traffic routes, either by air, land or sea. The only direct link that should be enough to get most Yacht Charter sailors into town is the ferry leaving from Palau, Sardinia every half hour.
That makes the problem of reaching La Maddalena a problem of reaching one of the main towns in Sardinia really. The closest airport is the one in Olbia, which serves the whole Costa Smeralda region. Palau is accessible by land through the SS125 and the SS133, depending from which part of the island your Yacht Charter group is arriving.
Home to the famous pink sands and azure waters, the remote La Maddalena is the perfect location for those Yacht Charter seaman looking to escape to a serene location. The overall look of the town is made up of a few old houses which retain that Mediterranean look and lots of bars and cafes. The main attraction in town remains the Piazza Umberto I and the via Garibaldi which leads down to the port.
However, the best asset the locals boast are the wonderful beaches which manage to attract a surprisingly large number of Yacht Charter visitors each year. The two most famous are the Cala Francese and the Bassa Trinita. There’s also a National Park which bears the same name located on the island, on the granite rocks that give way to myrtle bushes here and there.
As you’d expect, the local cuisine is based on seafood and fish, plentiful in the surrounding waters, the many restaurants serving up simple yet delicious recipes in the truest Sardinian style. Among the most notorious meat dishes are the Porceddu, the Carraxiu and rabbit a Succhittu. Fish dishes include the burrida (dogfish with walnuts and vinegar), the merca (mullet steeped in salt water and herbs) and bottarga (salted or dried mullet or tuna eggs).
The local shops found along the main road in town sell Sardinian rugs and local delicacies which are sure to whet the appetite of any Yacht Charter enthusiast.
When it comes to nighttime entertainment, La Maddalena is not exactly the most happening place in Sardinia, but remember this is reason so many Yacht Charter holidaymakers chose to come here. Other than cozy cafes, bars and restaurants and an occasional stroll on the waterway, there is little to do here once the sun goes down.
Bathing and exploring the beautiful beaches is definitely the most popular activity for tourists who come to La Maddalena. Also Yacht Charter adventurers might also find it interesting to simply start exploring the island. There is also a former US Naval base close-by that used to be active during the Cold War and acted as a submarine base too which is worth checking out.
The events here are mostly religious or related in some way to a Saint’s day. Such is the Sunday Pentecost of the Holy Spirit which takes place at the Trinity church in May and the Santa Maria Maddalena (patron saint) which is celebrated in July.
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