The uninhabited Isola di Spargi is the third largest island in the La Maddalena Archipelago, which is a group of islands made up of La Maddalena, Caprera, Budelli, Santo Stefano, Santa Maria and Razzoli in Northern Sardinia, Italy.
The island has an area of 4.20 km² and a coastline of 11 km, the highest point being 153 meters high and called “punta di Guardia Preposti”.
We visited this island when we spent 11 days exploring the Emerald Coast, which is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited.
We took an organized boat tour, which stopped at Isola Budelli (more info here), Spargi and several islets around and I can only tell you that it is a must-do if you are in Costa Smeralda.
There is no way to describe the colour of the sea, as it has different shades of turquoise, blue and emerald, with very crystalline waters, white sand, rocks and vegetation around it. Just astonishing!
The most famous beaches on the small island are Cala Corsara, Cala Conneri, Cala Soraya and Cala Granara. Still, there are many other bays with white sand and emerald waters that makes up the spectacular nature of the island.
The waters are also excellent for those who like to dive and snorkel, especially at Secca di Spargi (or Secca Washington).
Secca di Spargi is a marked and recommended area for diving, as it consists of large blocks of granite, together with rocks and landslides including tafoni and depressions, ranging in depth from 6m to 25m.
With several species of fish and a very active marine life, it is a perfect place for diving.
Next to Spargi, there is “little sister” islet called Spargiotto. Exposed to mistral storms, it is a place of particular environmental importance, where rare species of sea birds nest, such as the adorned cormorant, the Corsican gull, among others.
Isola di Spargi was fortified during both world wars, and some ruins are still standing, including the Zanotto fort, which it is the best-preserved in the area and is in the north of the island.
At the bottom of the ocean that surrounds the island, there are several finds and remain of a 35-meter Roman ship from the 2nd century BC which was recovered and today exposed in the “Museu Archeologico Navale Lamboglia”. More info here: http://www.lamaddalena.it/museo_lamboglia.htm
For being a very scenic place with crystal clear waters and beautiful beaches, unfortunately in the peak of summer, between July and August, the island is way too crowded.
Dozens of boat anchor and hundreds of tourists disembark there, making the landscape just a sea of people in front of you.
How to get to the island?
Like Isola Budelli, it is only possible to reach Isola di Spargi by private, rented or organized boat tours departing from Costa Smeralda, La Maddalena, Palau and Santa Teresa Gallura.
Several tourist agencies make trips where they go straight to the island or make some stops passing through the other islands of the archipelago (that was the tour I did).
Just remembering that not all islands in the archipelago can be visited. However, the organized tours stop at the best spots to see – albeit from a distance – the most beautiful and interesting spots, in addition to allowing tourists to swim in certain places.
If you want to go with your boat, it is mandatory to ask permission from the Maddalena Park Administration and access is only allowed in some parts of the Archipelago. See more information here: http://autorizzazioni.lamaddalenapark.it/index.php?ln=en
Or if you want, you can rent a boat with a pilot, just for you and your friends/family and thus choosing the best spots to stop and enjoy this incredible place.
Today I conclude my series about Sardinia. I wrote several posts about the most beautiful beaches on the Costa Smeralda here, about St Teresa di Gallura here, about the islands of La Maddalena and Caprera here and Isola di Budelli here.
I hope you like it and don’t forget to tell me about your experience and if you enjoyed this blog post, share it with a friend!
Have a lovely day!
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