The Port of Palau – Where to Dock in Sardinia
Located off the Maddalena Archipelago, the port of Palau is strategically situated for exploring the Costa Smeralda, the Strait of Bonifacio, and southern Corsica. The Palau Marina is the ideal base for exploring the islands of the Maddalena Archipelago, which are part of the Maddalena Natural Park (La Maddalena, Caprera, Santo Stefano, Spargi, Budelli, Santa Maria, Razzoli, and the smaller islands) and the islands of southern Corsica, which are part of the Bocche di Bonifacio International Park (Lavezzi, Cavallo, Isola Piana).
The port facility consists of a large L-shaped pier equipped with bollards, a portion of which is reserved for the Italian Navy. The tourist section of the port is located south of the pier and is reserved for recreational boaters, who can dock at quays and floating piers (7 floating piers, 1 masonry pier) with boats up to 18 meters in length. These facilities are managed by the municipality.
The water depths along the docks range from 1.5 to 4 meters. At the port entrance, there is a fuel station and a dock for free transit and for vessels in transit. Outside the port is an area equipped with buoys where you can drop anchor. The seabed provides good holding.
The port has an 18-metric-ton crane and a 60-metric-ton travel lift. A storage area is located on the eastern side of the port.
When entering or leaving the harbor, you must pay close attention to tourist boats and ferries traveling to La Maddalena. You should also watch out for the many rental Rubber Boats that typically return to the harbor in the evening.
The port of Palau is equipped with running water, electricity, restrooms, showers, recycling bins, and boat rentals. The marina is located right in the center of the town of Palau, which offers a variety of services useful for boaters and tourists: car rentals, a supermarket, gas cylinder sales, and marine supply stores.
At the Park Authority office located on the main street in Palau, you can also obtain permits and authorizations for the various activities that can be carried out within the protected area of the Maddalena Archipelago. We recommend visiting the Park Authority’s website (www.lamaddalenapark.it) to check the procedures and costs for obtaining permits and authorizations.
e-mail: portoturistico@palau.it
e-mail: portopalau@tiscali.it
Port public opening hours Monday to Saturday: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
