The ultimate guide to sailing the Maddalena Archipelago 1

The Maddalena archipelago is located at the northern tip of Sardinia, just before the Strait of Bonifacio, the stretch of sea separating Sardinia from Corsica. There are two points where you can embark to visit the archipelago, namely Marina Cala dei Sardi, in the Gulf of Cugnana where Portisco marina is also located, and Cannigione. The former is the only Italian marina owned by a charter company, NSS charter. This marina is designed to make arrival and boarding operation easier for charterers. Cala Corsara nell'Arcipelago della MaddalenaSetting sail at Cala dei Sardi, you can reach La Maddalena in just less than two hours, but it would be a shame to head straight there. Taking advantage of the few hours of daylight after check-in, you can reach one of the many small and lovely bays on the coast a few miles away from Cala dei Sardi and then head for the archipelago the next morning. The best time to visit the archipelago is from April to the first part of July. June and July in particular are two great months, when temperatures are mild but warm enough for swimming. After the first fortnight of July, the crowding begins and will reach its peak in the two middle weeks of August, when there are so many boats at sea that some bays look like harbors. As you can see on the pictures taken from the video attached to this article, which was filmed in June 2022, the overcrowding will quickly disappear outside the peak season, and this natural paradise will only be visited by a small number of boats. From the end of May to the beginning of July and from the end of August to the whole of October, the archipelago is a place you won't forget. Weather in the archipelago The weather situation in the archipelago is as good as any boater could wish for. Among the islands, windless days are very rare, which means that you are always well ventilated on the boat and even when temperatures are high, as long as you are on a boat you are fine. The wind generally blows between 7 to 15 knots from NW or W, but there are days when it picks up a lot, as happened to us when we found west winds at 40 knots, but, as we experienced first-hand, even on such windy days there is always a bay where you can stay in peace. The only caution is that with very strong W-NW winds, you shouldn't head to the straits. You should rather stay between islands, where you can always find good shelter. The harbours in the Maddalena archipelago The harbours of the archipelago are all located on La Maddalena island. In La Maddalena town we find Cala Gavetta and Cala Balbiani, the two municipal docks next to each other with 140 berths in total. A little further north, but still in front of La Maddalena town, there is Cala Mangiavolpe marina, made up of two floating docks with 100 berths in total. Here you are sheltered from all winds, even the strongest. I numeri di telefono dei Marina e dei Servizi nell'Arcipelago della Maddalena Another harbour is located on the east coast of La Maddalena in Cala Lunga (not to be confused with Cala Lunga on Spargi island). Here is Porto Massimo, a small marina with 150 berths, which is charming and very well equipped.Here you are sheltered from all winds of the 1st, 3rd and 4th quadrants. Waste disposal in the archipelago Waste disposal in the archipelago is a problem. You can only leave your waste in the harbours and in Cala Spalmatore at the buoy field operators, so you will have to plan to enter the harbour every now and then for that purpose. Buoy fields There are several buoy fields in the archipelago, and all of them but one are owned by the park authority.Only the Cala Spalmatore buoy field is private. In order to dock at the park's buoys, you have to pay a small park entrance fee. This can be paid at https://www.pagopa.gov.it/ which is the payment site of the Italian public administration. If you prefer not to pay via the PagoPA site because you find it too complicated or because you don't read Italian (the site is in Italian only), you can wait until you are visited by the park staff who go from boat to boat to ask for the park's payment receipt, and pay directly to them with a small surcharge. On the other hand the Cala Spalmatore buoy field, as mentioned earlier, is private.As soon as you arrive you need to contact Michela and Armando, the field managers. They will hand you the buoy and you will have to pay them 100 euros per night (2022 price list) regardless of the length of your boat. Seabeds Most seabeds are mixed seaweed-sand or sand-rock. In the coves near the coast the seabed is generally sandy, and becomes weedy or rocky further away.In some places, recognizable by the colour of the water turning brown, the seabed is muddy.It is a very compact and hard mud where anchors have a hard time penetrating, so if you have to cast anchor on mud, make sure the anchor has set. Boat traffic in the archipelago One of the biggest dangers of the archipelago in peak season is the heavy boat traffic.Among many boaters, you will always find the often foreign and somewhat tipsy motorboater acting as if he were the master of the sea, speeding along at 20 knots in his autopilot-driven boat while doing something else. Such a behaviour is the cause of the few serious accidents that occur from time to time in these waters. To counter this phenomenon, you have to be extremely careful and wary of boats that are seen advancing on a perfectly straight course. Whether you have the right of way or not, in such cases it is a good idea to manoeuvre and avoid any danger. La Maddalena: what to see ashore Ashore there is not much to see. You can visit La Maddalena town, which is pretty, but also very small, with just a couple of streets running parallel. On the other hand, there are many bars where you can have a great breakfast, and several good restaurants. As described in the video to which this article is linked, it is worth visiting the home of Garibaldi, who lived in the archipelago for as much as 26 years and left from here for his war adventures. The house is located in Caprera. You can leave the boat at La Maddalena and reach the house by taxi thanks to the long bridge connecting La Maddalena to Caprera. The house has been turned into a museum and helps to learn about the human side of the hero of two worlds, and to appreciate the controversial history of this part of Italy.

The ultimate guide to sailing the Maddalena Archipelago

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The ultimate guide to sailing the Maddalena Archipelago

In the northern region of Sardinia lies the stunning Maddalena Archipelago, a group of islands renowned for their crystal-clear waters, secluded beaches and rich marine life. Sailing in these pristine waters is an unforgettable experience.

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