Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago di La Maddalena
Seventeen islands, countless islets and some of the clearest water in the Mediterranean make this national park a jaw-dropping patchwork of pink granite, juniper scrub and turquoise lagoons. Arriving here feels less like Sardinia and more like a misplaced corner of the Maldives.
What the park actually looks like
The archipelago's colour palette is almost absurd: water shifts from pale mint in the shallows to deep cobalt offshore, while centuries of wind have sculpted the granite into smooth, rust-red boulders that tumble straight into the sea.
Protected since 1994, the park limits motorboat access to many coves, which is exactly why the snorkelling remains so pristine — posidonia seagrass meadows shelter octopus, sea bream and the occasional loggerhead turtle.
How to explore it
The classic approach is a full-day giro dell'arcipelago boat tour departing from La Maddalena's main quay; most stop at Spargi, Budelli and Santa Maria, giving you time to swim at each.
If you prefer independence, kayak rentals and small motorboat hire (licence required for over 40 hp) are available at the harbour — paddling into hidden sea caves on Caprera at your own pace is genuinely unforgettable.
Budget at least two days if you want to reach the outer islands of Razzoli and Santa Maria, where the water is at its most theatrical and the crowds thin to almost nothing.
Budelli's Spiaggia Rosa
The famous Pink Beach on Budelli gets its blush from crushed coral, shell fragments and a microscopic organism called Minuscula bimaculata — you can no longer land on it, but you can anchor offshore and stare, which is honestly enough.
Rangers patrol the area seriously; respect the buoy lines and you'll be rewarded with a view that looks like a retouched postcard but is entirely real.
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