The island of La Maddalena, from which the park takes its name, is the largest of the more than 60 islands and islets that make up the archipelago. The island is home to the village of La Maddalena, known as 'La Piccola Parigi' (Little Paris), which is considered one of the most beautiful seaside villages in Sardinia and has architectural elements of great value and importance.

Frequented since prehistoric times, it began to be more densely populated around the end of the 1700s. The island has historically always been important due to its strategic position in the Mediterranean Sea. In 1973 it was the scene of an attempted invasion by the French army led by Napoleon Bonaparte. Domenico Millelire in command of the Sardinian fleet repulsed the French, convincing them to desist from the enterprise.

On the island is Cala Francese, a very important granite quarry that remained active until 1930. It seems that the granite extracted in these quarries was used to make numerous works, including the Ismailia monument to the defence of the Suez Canal in Egypt and the tomb of Clelia, the eldest daughter of Giuseppe Garibaldi, hero of the two worlds.