The Maddalena Archipelago National Park sits to the north-east of Sardinia, close to the Bocche di Bonifacio (Strait of Bonifacio), in the municipality of La Maddalena.
The park was the first of its kind in Sardinia and extends across land and sea for more than 20,000 hectares taking in around 180 kilometres of coastline. The archipelago consists of different islands, islets and emerging rocks, including more than 60 islands, large and small, formed by the wind, waves in coastal storms and the currents in the nearby Bocche di Bonifacio.
The larger islands, as well as La Maddalena, include Budelli, Caprera, Razzoli, Santa Maria, Santo Stefano and Spargi.
Almost the entire La Maddalena National Park is part of the Sites of Community Importance (SCI). The area has more than 700 plant species, with over 50 local species and numerous other rare and interesting ones. There are also numerous priority habitats and of community importance.
From a flora point of view, the main species are those typically found along the Mediterranean coastal strip with the shrub dominated by juniper, strawberry trees, phillyrea, Mastic tree, myrtle, heather, broom, rockrose and euphorbia. Towards the coast, the vegetation wears away from shrub to garigues where glasswort species appear. The sandy surfaces are home to typical species in these environments.
As far as the fauna is concerned, the park is home to large see mammals such as fin whales, sperm whales and common bottlenose dolphins. It is also not uncommon to encounter Loggerhead sea turtles. The pinna nobilis, the largest bivalve crustacean, can be found on the seabeds. Volatiles include the Audouin’s gull
and the European shag.
One famous feature of the park is the Pink Beach at Budelli. Its sand mainly consists of the remains of a small organism which cling to shells as well as alga, coral and shells, giving the sand its typical pink colour.
The park’s headquarters is in La Maddalena, a small town founded in 1770 and was, for many years, an Italian naval base. Thanks to its position, the archipelago sits in a strategic point of the Mediterranean. This is why in the past it attracted the attention of historical figures like Napoleon Bonaparte and Admiral Horatio Nelson. Giuseppe Garibaldi spent the last 26 years of his life on the island of Caprera. Nowadays, his home is a museum known as the Compendio Garibaldino.
There are centres for environmental education and whale research inside the park as well as mineral and sea museums, displaying minerals, fossils, sand, shells, flora and fauna.
The park is part of the European network of areas of environmental excellence and is extremely well protected. All boating, fishing, scuba diving activities etc. are permitted but need to be authorised.
