Crystal clear waters, pink sand, a series of coves and rocks, blue cliffs rising from deep seabeds, intense colours: the Maddalena Islands (Province of Sassari) are a must for whoever wants to discover the beauties of the Sardinian Sea. The islands are located inside the Straits of Bonifacio along the north-eastern coast of Sardinia and can be reached by ferry from Palau in 15 minutes. La Maddalena Island is surrounded by Budelli, Caprera, Razzoli, Santa Maria, Santo Stefano and Spargi. This group of small granitic rock islands has been inhabited since prehistoric times. The Maddalena islands were known by the Romans as "Cunicularia" and were utilised as a maritime traffic crossing point during the second and first century B.C. This is testified by the remains of a number of old cargo ships that are an interesting destination for today's diving excursion fans. The islands were first the object of a dispute between Pisa and Genova in the XIII century and subsequently were abandoned for a long period before being colonised again by Corsican shepherds and by the first Sardinian settlements in the XVI century. More recently they were used as a naval base and are presently one of the most popular destinations for boating tourists.