La Maddalena  

A handful of islands spread over 200 km of coastland that dot the sea facing the Costa Smeralda, from the Gulf of Arzachena to the Bocche di Bonifacio. Seven islands in all, one more enchanting than the next, and approximately twenty larger islands that, especially during the springtime, show off all their beauty in the flora that includes many rare endemisms.

Although the islands of La Maddalena, the only one to be inhabited, Caprera, Santo Spirito, Spargi, Budelli, Santa Maria and Razzoli have been rediscovered by tourism, they boast an even more illustrious past. Their importance dates way back to the age of the Romans, as ships used to stop there before facing the open sea in the direction of the Tirreno. Pisani and Genovesi occupied them in the twelfth century, calling them "Isole dei Carrugi", or Islands of the Alleyways, and built guard towers against the Saracens. They also represented an important strategic spot for the Sabaudians: this originated the presence of the military harbour, which was later converted into a base of the Italian Navy during World War II.

As soon as you land on the island of La Maddalena (linked to Palau by means of ferries that travel back and forth non-stop, from 4:30 a.m. until 1:00 a.m., for a 15-minute crossing), you reach Piazza Garibaldi, where the ritual calls for a stop in one of those cheerful cafés that surround the square. You can then visit the historic centre, walking along narrow alleys and going up some steep stairs up to Cala Gavetta, a beautiful little harbour that is still being used by the fishermen on the island.

You can actually travel the entire perimeter of the island, a total of 21 km of scenic views on the entire Archipelago, or you can reach the island of Caprera by crossing the 600-meter bridge built in 1891.