Sardinia · Gallura Nord-Est Sardegna
La Maddalena
The only inhabited town of a sixty-island granite archipelago between Sardinia and Corsica, and the place Giuseppe Garibaldi chose to die.
Picked by Peter Benei
Letter to come
Why La Maddalena is on our list
It holds Borghi più belli d'Italia, Bandiera Blu and Bandiera Lilla.
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Visiting
- J14°
- F15°
- M15°
- A17°
- M21°
- J27°
- J31°
- A30°
- S26°
- O23°
- N18°
- D15°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime air temperature, averages for 2020–2024. The sea is warmest in August at 27° and coldest in February at 14°. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
Going to the sea? How to find the free beaches in Italy.
Why come
La Maddalena occupies the main island of the archipelago of the same name, sixty-two granite islands and islets in the Strait of Bonifacio between northern Sardinia and southern Corsica. The town is the only inhabited center of the chain and the gateway to the Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago di La Maddalena, on the UNESCO tentative list since 2006. A six-hundred-metre causeway links the main island to Caprera, where Giuseppe Garibaldi settled in 1856 and lived for twenty-five years until his death in 1882.
His house, the Compendio Garibaldino, is a national monument with the memorial chapel and the original rooms preserved as he left them. Admiral Horatio Nelson anchored the British Mediterranean fleet here in 1803-04 and donated a crucifix and two silver candelabra to the parish church of Santa Maria Maddalena, where they are still kept. The waters around Spargi, Budelli and Santa Maria carry the Bandiera Blu rating.
How to get there
La Maddalena is on an island and is reached by ferry.
First time driving in Italy? Read our complete manual.
What to see
Compendio Garibaldino di Caprera
Giuseppe Garibaldi's house and burial place on the island of Caprera, occupied from 1856 to his death in 1882, now a national museum with the original furnishings.
Chiesa di Santa Maria Maddalena
Parish church on Piazza Santa Maria Maddalena, holding the crucifix and silver candelabra donated by Admiral Nelson in 1804 during the British fleet's stay.
Arcipelago di La Maddalena
National park of sixty-two islands and islets, with the famous pink beach of Budelli, Spargi, Santa Maria and Razzoli, on the UNESCO tentative list.
Museo del Mare
Naval and ethnographic museum in the town center with material from the British and Italian fleets and the maritime history of the archipelago.
Isola di Caprera
Second-largest island of the archipelago, linked to La Maddalena by the Moneta causeway, with hiking paths through holm oak and granite up to Monte Teialone.
Living here
Could you live here?
La Maddalena is an island.
- Reached by ferry. In the series we say we would never live on an island: the ferry is a commitment every time you leave.
The rules come from our series Where to Move in Italy, written from the places we have lived: Part 1, The End of the Road · Part 2, The Small Town · Part 3, The City · Part 4, The Postcard · Part 5, The Other Half. The towns we would pick are in Part 6, The Best Towns.
- Population 10,488, down 6% since 2015
- A national health service hospital in the comune · how healthcare works in Italy
- Homes in the center: €1,700 to €2,500 per m² to buy, €7.10 to €10.40 per m² a month to rent
All the numbers Common questions, designations, lists and sources.
More about living here
- Remote
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Full fibre reaches 48% of homes
- Primary school in the comune
- Earthquake zone 4, very low hazard
- Regional capital Cagliari, across the water
If you are moving here
Who lives here
5% of residents are foreign citizens, most often from Romania, Senegal and Ukraine, against 9% across Italy. 45 of them come from English-speaking countries or western and northern Europe, mostly France, the United States and the United Kingdom. There are 311 people over 65 for every 100 children under 15, against 216 across Italy. 48% of homes have no resident, holiday homes and empty ones counted together, against 27% across Italy. The old province of Sassari ranks 74th of 107 in Il Sole 24 Ore's quality of life ranking for 2025.
Health and schools
There is an emergency room in the comune.
Information, not medical advice. Confirm with a professional.
Taxes
A home that is not your main one pays 1.01% a year in property tax at the 2025 rate, charged on the cadastral value rather than the price. A main home pays none unless it is in a luxury category. The town adds 0.8% to your income tax, with nothing due on income under €11,000. 7% pensioner tax: this town qualifies, for someone with a foreign pension who has lived abroad for five years: 7% on foreign income, for ten years.
Information, not tax advice. Confirm with a professional.
What it costs
The average household in Sardinia spends about €1,790 a month, €530 of it on food, against about €2,170 across Italy. A family of three pays about €539 a year for water, on the Sardinia average. In Sassari, the capital of the old province, in September 2026, an espresso cost €1.31, a meal in a pizzeria €15.08 and a man's haircut €19.33.
Climate and risk
6% of residents live in a zone the national maps rate high for floods, 6% in a high or medium one. Under 1% live in a zone rated high or very high for landslides.
These shares cover the whole comune, not any one street. Check an address on IdroGEO.
Moving from abroad? Which visa you need. Sources: ISTAT, the Ministry of Health, ISPRA, the Finance Ministry, the Ministry of Enterprise, Poste Italiane, the comuni, the IB, International Schools Database, Il Sole 24 Ore, Cittadinanzattiva.
Known for
GARIBALDI
Giuseppe Garibaldi lived on Caprera from 1856 to 1882, retreated here between campaigns, and is buried at the Compendio Garibaldino on the island.
ARCHIPELAGO
Sixty-two granite islands and islets in the Strait of Bonifacio, national park since 1994, on the UNESCO World Heritage tentative list since 2006.
NELSON'S BASE
Admiral Horatio Nelson anchored the British Mediterranean fleet here in 1803-04, donated objects still kept in the parish church of Santa Maria Maddalena.
Common questions
- What is La Maddalena known for?
- La Maddalena is the only inhabited town of a sixty-island granite archipelago between Sardinia and Corsica, and the place Giuseppe Garibaldi chose to die.
- Where is La Maddalena?
- La Maddalena is a comune in the province of Gallura Nord-Est Sardegna, in Sardinia, at 19 meters above sea level.
- How do you get to La Maddalena?
- La Maddalena is on an island and is reached by ferry.
- When is the best time to visit La Maddalena?
- Best in May–Oct. July is the warmest month, averaging 31 degrees, and November the wettest, with about 11 rain days.
- Which other towns are like La Maddalena?
- Carloforte, Procida and Lipari.
- How many people live in La Maddalena?
- 10,488 residents, by ISTAT's count on 1 January 2025.
- Is La Maddalena a good place to live?
- La Maddalena is an island town, reached by ferry, which our Where to Move in Italy series treats as the furthest end of the road. There is a national health service hospital in the comune. Full fibre reaches 48% of homes.
Tags & data designations · numbers · sources
Landscape
The numbers
- Elevation: 19 m
- Population: 10,488
- Surface area: 52.01 km²
On the map
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
Similar
Towns like La Maddalena
What all six share with La Maddalena: near sea level
Carloforte
Province: Sulcis Iglesiente
both on the Sardinian coast · both islands, reached by ferry
Procida
Province: Napoli
both over 10,000 people · both islands, reached by ferry
Lipari
Province: Messina
both over 10,000 people · both islands, reached by ferry
Forio
Province: Napoli
both over 10,000 people · both islands, reached by ferry
Tortolì
Province: Ogliastra
both on the Sardinian coast · both over 10,000 people
Oristano
Province: Oristano
both on the Sardinian coast · both over 10,000 people
The letter
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