La Maddalena vs Cagliari: Which Boat Tour Is Better?

Sardinia’s two great boat-tour regions sit at opposite ends of the island, and they offer genuinely different days on the water. The north gives you La Maddalena, the postcard archipelago of seven protected islands. The south gives you the Gulf of Cagliari, where the dramatic Sella del Diavolo headland guards quiet coves — and where genuine private charters are easiest to book. This guide compares the two so you can choose the right boat day for your trip.

The one-line verdict

Choose La Maddalena for the famous archipelago scenery and unbeatable shared-tour value; choose the Gulf of Cagliari for an affordable private charter and quieter, small-boat coves. Where you are based on the island often decides it for you — the two regions are roughly five hours apart by road.

North vs south at a glance

La Maddalena: the famous archipelago

La Maddalena National Park is a protected marine reserve of seven islands strung between Sardinia and Corsica. Its shared day trips are good value: the From Palau: La Maddalena Islands Full-Day Trip by Boat is $56 per person and rated 4.4/5 from 2,878 reviews, with stops at Spargi and Santa Maria, a photo stop off Budelli’s Pink Beach and the natural pools, and a swim at Cala Coticcio on Caprera on some days (its next dates open on 15 May 2027). A boat of your own costs more: the private RIB covered in our La Maddalena private boat tour guide is $673 for up to ten.

Two access rules every visitor should know, both of which a skippered tour handles for you:

• The Pink Beach (Spiaggia Rosa) on Budelli is closed to landing. It has been protected since 1994 to preserve its rare pink sand; swimming is banned within a buoy line about 70 metres from shore, and pleasure boats must stay around 300 metres off. You admire it from the water — any tour promising a walk on the Pink Beach is misleading.
• It is a marine park, so anchoring and routes are regulated, and a small landing tax (€2.50 in the shoulder months, €5 in peak summer, paid in cash on arrival) applies on many tours.

The trade-off: the best La Maddalena tours are shared, and the archipelago gets busy in July and August.

Gulf of Cagliari: private coves in the south

The south coast is where private charters come into their own. The featured Cagliari charter leaves from the Su Siccu tourist harbour, a few minutes from the centre, and sails along the coast past the city skyline to coves away from the crowds, as far as Poetto Beach, with several swim stops. At $421 for the whole boat (skipper and fuel included, with a Prosecco aperitif, a Sardinian platter and snorkeling masks, rated 5.0/5), it is the affordable end of the private-charter market and ideal for small groups or celebrations.

Cagliari’s appeal is privacy and quiet: fewer crowds than the north, coves chosen on the day by your skipper, and a boat that is yours alone.

Cagliari has a shared option too, from the same waterfront. The Cagliari Boat Tour with 4 Swim Stops, Snorkeling & Prosecco takes up to 12 guests on a RIB from Molo Dogana on Via Roma for $56 per person (4.9/5 from 2,488 reviews, October 2026 check), with swim stops chosen by the skipper among Cala Mosca, Cala Fighera, the Sella del Diavolo, Marina Piccola and Poetto. For two people it is the cheaper way to see the same coves; from six people up, the private gozzo costs about the same per head.

A note on the Gulf of Orosei (east coast)

A third option sometimes comes up: the Gulf of Orosei on the east coast, home to Cala Goloritzè and its famous rock arch. Worth knowing before you plan around it — only rowing boats are allowed to land at Cala Goloritzè, so passenger boats and charters cruise past and stop to swim in the turquoise water rather than dropping you on the beach. Since summer 2025, landing independently on the Baunei beaches of the Gulf of Orosei requires a booked QR-code permit with a daily visitor cap — popular Cala Mariolu, for example, is held to 700 people on the beach at a time; a skippered tour navigates these rules for you.

How to choose

Sardinia’s prevailing summer wind is the maestrale — the mistral — which blows from the northwest and is strongest on exposed western and northern stretches of coast. On a maestrale day the open Costa Smeralda runs can be rough, so the more sheltered La Maddalena island hops are the smarter pick; the south-coast Cagliari coves are best for swimming and cave-spotting from around June to September.

Ready to Book?

If privacy and an affordable whole-boat day appeal, the featured Gulf of Cagliari private charter gives your group the boat to themselves — skipper, fuel, a Prosecco aperitif and snorkeling masks included, rated 5.0/5 with 24-hour free cancellation. Prefer the famous northern islands on a budget? Compare the shared La Maddalena tours on the home page and book the region that fits your trip.