La Maddalena is today, with its historic village, included in the list of "The most beautiful villages in Italy"; its uncontaminated nature and a panorama characterized by the continuous succession of glimpses of sea and land, punctuated by sailing sails, enchants lovers of naturalistic sceneries with scenarios of extraordinary beauty, unique in the world.

A panoramic road runs along the entire perimeter of the main island and offers breathtaking views, bordered by granite and porphyry rocks that surround countless inlets, coves and beaches. A passable bridge connects the main island to Caprera, characterized by rich vegetation and a rich pine forest where it is not difficult to come across groups of wild goats (harmless, despite the beautiful horns of the male specimens).

The territory of the main islands tells the story of a site of great military importance, and has fortresses and installations of great interest. Its strategic position in the Mediterranean affected its fortunes: in 1793 the French army led by a young Corsican officer, Napoleon Bonaparte, attempted to invade it, stopped by the fleet commanded by Domenico Millelire from La Maddalena (first gold medal for military valor from the Royal Sardinian Marina, then Italian). The island also attracted, among others, the attention of Admiral Nelson, who stopped there, with his fleet, between 1803 and 1805, when he set sail in the direction of his last, victorious battle of Trafalgar.

La Maddalena was a military base for a long time, as evidenced by the Nino Lamboglia naval museum.

The name of Caprera is instead inextricably linked to that of Giuseppe Garibaldi, who spent his last years there and who is buried there, under a simple yet moving granite tombstone. the museum in the Arbuticci fortress recounts his heroic deeds, while a visit to his house offers more intimate glimpses of his private history.

La Maddalena has many faces: from the one that smiles at lovers of the "most beautiful sea in the whole Mediterranean" (to quote the famous French explorer and oceanographer Jacques Cousteau), to the one dedicated to sports enthusiasts, be they sea-related activities such as sailing, snorkelling, scuba diving and water skiing, but also trekking in nature (the paths that wind up among the rocks of Caprera, for example, are among the most evocative in Italy), excursions to horseback riding and jogging or bike rides in the pine forest.

The main island also offers a sparkling social life, and the evenings in Piazza Command come alive with young people thanks to the music of the concerts and DJ sets, while the dozens of small bars and taverns in the historic center and near Cala Gavetta offer more intimate live shows and concerts.

Restaurants and bars along the coast offer aperitifs on the rocks facing the sunset, with lounge music in the background.

For cinema lovers there is a rich program of films in the cool municipal park, but the event not to be missed is the film festival "The actor's suitcase", inspired by the figure of Gian Maria Volontè, which is held annually in between July and August in the beautiful scenery of the Colmi fortress. for a week the island is filled with famous actors, directors, screenwriters, and critics, who alternate in the roles of guests of the evenings and conductors of the acting workshop that is held on the island every year.

Last but not least, the archipelago offers historical and naturalistic museums for lovers of culture and nature

It is difficult, if not impossible, to describe in a few lines the extraordinary beauty of the beaches of the archipelago. Also because they are numerous. Just think that you can stay in La Maddalena for a month, go to the beach twice a day, and never go to the same place twice!

However, what can and must be mentioned is the clarity of the waters, mainly due to the sea currents that continuously cross the Bocche di Bonifacio, the stretch of sea between Corsica and Sardinia, in the middle of which the archipelago is located.

The islands of this archipelago are all granite in nature and the beaches are consequently made up of very fine white sand. There is even one, on the island of Budelli, pink in color (the very famous Pink Beach), now closed to trampling by tourists, but can still be visited from within the island, accompanied by a park guide.

We cannot fail to mention, then, the unique colors that the breathtaking views from the beaches or from the panoramic road offer and which are enhanced after a "Ponentata", a meteorological event that is, characterized by a few days of wind coming from the West, the Ponente, precisely, the dominant wind on these islands, dry and clean, sometimes very strong, but always a harbinger of good weather and particularly intense colors of the sea and the green of the interior.