In the strait of Bonifacio, between Sardinia and Corsica, is the Maddalena archipelago. Located off the Costa Smeralda, there are turquoise lagoons, uninhabited islands and white sandy beaches. We’d taken a tour organised by Neilson Holidays which involved a coach from the Baia dei Mori beach resort to the far northeast of Sardinia. On arrival, we joined a cruise boat which took us to the harbour town of La Maddalena before heading to the heavenly Spargi Island.
The Archipelago de La Maddalena feels more Caribbean that it does the Mediterranean. With seven islands and over 50 small islets, it boasts some of the most spectacular beaches in Italy. This uninhabited paradise has rocky coves and bays which can be admired from the sea. We stopped at Spargi which is the third largest island in the archipelago and situated within the Maddalena Archipelago National Park.
Isola di Spargi is on the western coast of the Maddalena, circular in shape with the landscape largely granite. The sea is breathtakingly clear and teeming with little fish, the surrounding rocks reminiscent of The Croods. Accordingly to seven-year-old POD although she was exactly right, there were similarities between the Nineties animation and Spargi. The island was in fact garrisoned during both World Wars and some of the fortifications remain visible today.
We had hoped we’d have one of the bays to ourselves but that was wishful thinking in peak season. But there was plenty of room for everyone and it is a remarkable island with its bright turquoise water. POD had the time of her life watching the fish below the surface and the sand was beautifully soft. Especially when she attempted to film the fish on my GoPro!
With no facilities on Spargi Island, it was always going to be a fleeting visit although we could have quite happily stayed for hours. As well as the rocky vistas, there were other bays and caves to discover. After leaving the island, we did stay in the area for a time and enjoyed a great lunch on board the boat before heading back to the Budoni area. We’d certainly love to see more of Sardinia, it had been a while since we’d been there and Archipelago de La Maddalena is certainly ripe for exploration. You can read about our first trip with Neilson Holidays here.
