# La Maddalena and Caprera by car from Olbia: old town, Garibaldi's house, lunch at La Grotta and the panoramic road

Car ferry to La Maddalena, a stroll around Cala Gavetta, Garibaldi's house and tomb on Caprera, seafood lunch at La Grotta and the afternoon on the panoramic road.

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/sardinia/la-maddalena-archipelago/itineraries/caprera-and-garibaldi-by-car-from-olbia · Revisado: 2026-11-13

## El día
- 08:00 · Salida: 45 min by car (From Olbia to the port of Palau)
  - 15 min by ferry (Car ferry with Delcomar or Maddalena Lines; frequent departures)
- 09:30 · A Walk Round La Maddalena's Old Town and Cala Gavetta (Cala Gavetta, the church of Santa Maria Maddalena and the town hall)
  - 15 min by car
- 11:00 · The Compendio Garibaldino on Caprera, the House Where Garibaldi Lived (booking compulsory · €8, free for under-18s · closed on Mondays)
  - 15 min by car
- 13:30 · La Grotta (booking in summer; cover charge €5 and fish by weight) · La Grotta, €€€€
  - 10 min by car, 3,9 km
- 15:30 · The La Maddalena Panoramic Road and the Bridge to Caprera (swimming stops at the coves in the north of the island)
- 18:30 · Vuelta: 15 min by ferry (Ferry from La Maddalena to Palau)
  - 45 min by car (From Palau to Olbia)

The other half of La Maddalena is seen from dry land. You take the car across on the ferry from Palau, stroll around the old town and Cala Gavetta, cross the bridge to Caprera to see Garibaldi's farm and tomb, eat seafood at La Grotta, a restaurant dating from 1958, and spend the afternoon on the panoramic road and its coves.

## Getting there from Spain

Fly to Olbia (OLB), with a direct flight from Barcelona. Hire a car at the airport and drive 45 minutes to Palau. There you put the car on the Delcomar or Maddalena Lines ferry: twenty minutes to La Maddalena, with frequent sailings all day. In July and August go early: the vehicle ferries fill up at peak times.

## The day, hour by hour

8:00 · Leave Olbia and take the ferry at Palau.

9:30 · Old town and Cala Gavetta. Park and walk through the eighteenth-century lanes, the church of Santa Maria Maddalena and the little harbour of Cala Gavetta, with the Garibaldi column.

11:00 · Compendio Garibaldino. A quarter of an hour by car, on the other side of the Passo della Moneta bridge. The white house, the iron house with its library, the mill and the olive press he built, and his granite tomb. Booking is compulsory, €8, free for under-18s. Closed on Mondays.

13:30 · Lunch at La Grotta. Back in the centre. Fish of the day sold by weight, spaghetti alla Grotta or the house lobster. Expect an expensive restaurant: the restaurant itself reckons €60–100 per person in the evening without lobster, plus a €5 cover charge.

15:30 · Panoramic road. Head for the north of the island and stop at the coves: Bassa Trinita, Cala Francese, Spalmatore. Bring a towel.

18:30 · Ferry to Palau and back to Olbia, where you arrive around 20:00.

## Cómo llegar

### By car
Take it across on the ferry: without it, Caprera and the northern coves are far away.

### Without a car
Cross on foot and hire a scooter or bike on La Maddalena; several accommodations have agreements with rental companies.

## Consejos

### Book the Compendio
Without a booking you may be turned away.

### Never on a Monday
The Compendio is closed.

### Ask the price of the fish
At La Grotta it is charged by weight.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Is it worth taking the car across to La Maddalena?
For Caprera and the panoramic road, yes. For the boat trip, no.

### How long is the ferry?
About 20 minutes from Palau.

### How much is the Compendio Garibaldino?
€8; €2 for ages 18 to 25; free for under-18s.

### Which days should you avoid?
Monday, because the Compendio is closed.