# Monte Altura Fortress, in Palau, with a Guided Visit What to do en La Maddalena Archipelago · La Maddalena Archipelago Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/sardinia/la-maddalena-archipelago/things-to-do/monte-altura-fortress-palau · Revisado: 2026-11-13 - Desde: 5 € per person - Temporada: From 1 April to 2 November; closed from 10 August to 1 September 2026 - Para quién: All ages; not all of it is accessible Guided visit · Palau · €5 · April to early November Above Palau, on top of a granite hill, there is a military citadel that is barely visible from below. The Monte Altura fortress was built in 1887 to watch over and defend the north-east coast of Sardinia, and it was made from the hill's own rock so that it blended into the landscape. Today it is visited with a guide, and from the top you see Palau, the archipelago and, on clear days, the mountains of Corsica, about 15 km away. What you see It is a complete 19th-century citadel, in good condition: storehouses, ammunition depots and the powder magazine, the quarters of officers, non-commissioned officers and soldiers, the mess rooms where they ate, the wash-houses and the telegraph office. The rocks emerge between the walls, and stone steps climb the granite to the lookout posts. The guides tell the history of the area with names that ring a bell: Domenico Millelire and the French attack of 1793 in which Napoleon Bonaparte took part, Admiral Horatio Nelson, Garibaldi and the sailors of the cruiser Trieste and the battleship Roma, sunk in the Second World War. 2026 hours The visit is guided, with departures at fixed times. From 1 April to 9 August and from 2 to 30 September, every hour from 10:15 to 17:15 or 18:15 depending on the month, with a break at midday. From 1 to 24 October, until 17:15; from 25 October to 2 November, from 9:15 to 16:15. In 2026 it closed from 10 August to 1 September and closes for winter from 3 November. Visits are in Italian and English; for Spanish, ask beforehand. Prices and booking €5 for adults, €2.50 for ages 11 to 18 and free up to 10. The combined ticket with the Roccia dell'Orso and Palau's Ethnographic Museum costs €7 (€4 for ages 11 to 18). You book online on its website or by phone and WhatsApp on +39 347 0913032. The visitor centre is at Via Punta Sardegna 4, in Palau. Bear in mind Not all of the route is accessible for people with reduced mobility. Animals are allowed. Wear closed shoes: there are steps and rock. It is a good plan for the afternoon you come back from the boat or for a windy day when the excursions do not sail. ## Cómo llegar y contacto - Coordenadas: 41.176, 9.368 ## Cerca de aquí - [Hotel La Vecchia Fonte](https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/sardinia/la-maddalena-archipelago/where-to-stay/hotel-la-vecchia-fonte), a 1.2 km - [La Gritta](https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/sardinia/la-maddalena-archipelago/where-to-eat/la-gritta-palau), a 2.3 km - [Roccia dell'Orso, the Bear-Shaped Rock above Palau](https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/sardinia/la-maddalena-archipelago/things-to-do/bear-rock-palau), a 4.0 km - [A Walk Round La Maddalena's Old Town and Cala Gavetta](https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/sardinia/la-maddalena-archipelago/things-to-do/la-maddalena-old-town-and-cala-gavetta), a 5.2 km - [Sergent Pepper's](https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/sardinia/la-maddalena-archipelago/where-to-eat/sergent-peppers-la-maddalena), a 5.3 km - [La Grotta](https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/sardinia/la-maddalena-archipelago/where-to-eat/la-grotta-la-maddalena), a 5.3 km - [Hotel Miralonga](https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/sardinia/la-maddalena-archipelago/where-to-stay/hotel-miralonga), a 6.1 km - [Boat Trip from Palau to Spargi, Santa Maria and the Budelli Pools](https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/sardinia/la-maddalena-archipelago/things-to-do/la-maddalena-archipelago-boat-trip), a 6.5 km ## Consejos ### Combine it with the Roccia dell'Orso The joint ticket saves money and both are in Palau. ### Check the calendar In 2026 it closed in the second half of August. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How much does the Monte Altura fortress cost? €5 adults, €2.50 for ages 11 to 18, free up to age 10. ### Can I visit it on my own? No, with a guided visit at fixed times. ### Are there visits in Spanish? On request and subject to availability; always in Italian and English. Destino: [La Maddalena Archipelago](https://www.geocalia.com/en/italy/sardinia/la-maddalena-archipelago.md)