GAIA Institute
An EU citizen? For a language course your ID card is enough: no visa, no residence permit for stays under three months. The same applies to Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.
GAIA Institute is an Italian language school for foreigners in La Maddalena (Sardegna): intensive courses of about 20 hours per week plus lighter options, usually starting every Monday. The school also helps you find accommodation. Below you will find the key facts, a mini guide to La Maddalena to plan your stay, and a form to write to the school directly.
The school
The course
Also offers themed courses in: cooking
Prices
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Ciao gentile staff di GAIA Institute, I'd like to know the price of your Italian courses. Could you send me the total cost including enrolment fee, materials and accommodation, and the available start dates for the coming months? Grazie infinite del vostro aiuto e ci vediamo presto!
Arrive ready.
With the ti app you read graded stories with support in 14 languages. Five minutes a day between now and departure.
Half of the A1 path is open, no sign-up
€5,83 a month on the yearly plan
★★★★★(6)by Alessio, a teacher since 2018
Start with A1 ↗︎Search for amo Italian
Why choose this school
- 20 hours of class a week
- The school arranges your accommodation
- Courses start every Mondayfrom 1 week
What's around you
not to be missedairport
Frequent ferries from Palau and local buses on the island.
Olbia Costa Smeralda (OLB), 35 km away
What is worth knowing before you book
Prices, enrolment fee, real lesson hours, accommodation and cancellation: the same questions apply to every school. Read the full guide →
Day trips nearby
At the weekend, without a car:
- Olbia33 km
Trenitalia regional trains from La Maddalena station. ARST buses to the coast and inland.
Distances are as the crow flies.
Weather right now
Write to the school
La Maddalena at a glance
GAIA Institute is in La Maddalena (Sardegna). Outside the classroom this is where the language gets practised: at the coffee counter, in the square, at the market.
Frequently asked questions
When do Italian courses at GAIA Institute start?
How many lesson hours per week are there?
How much does an Italian course in La Maddalena cost?
Does the school help with accommodation?
Can I prepare for or take an official exam (CILS, CELI, PLIDA)?
How do I get to La Maddalena?
What not to miss in La Maddalena
- Parco Nazionale dell'ArcipelagoSixty islands of granite and clear water: the boat trip is a must.
- Caprera e il Compendio GaribaldinoThe house where Garibaldi lived and died, a few minutes by bike from the centre.
- Giro in barca tra Budelli, Spargi e Santa MariaA day in a dinghy among empty coves: book at the harbour in the morning.
Planning your Italian course in La Maddalena: fly into Olbia (OLB), book the course 2–3 weeks ahead (classes fill up faster in high season, June–September) and, if you can, match your study week with one of the city events listed below: using your Italian at a local festival is worth a week of lessons.
Before you leave for La Maddalena, start from home.
With the ti app you arrive in La Maddalena already understanding what you hear: graded stories with translation in 14 languages, exercises and an A1–C2 path.
Half of the A1 path is open, no sign-up
★★★★★(6)by Alessio, a teacher since 2018
Start with A1 ↗︎Search for amo Italian
All 108 schools
Events this year
The city's big festivals, food fairs and cultural seasons through the year. They're not just entertainment: they're the best training ground for your Italian. At a local festival you end up ordering, asking directions, chatting with locals: the real language, the kind books don't teach. If you can, line up a week of your course with one of these.
Festa di Santa Maria Maddalena On 22 July the island celebrates its patron saint with a procession at sea, decorated boats and fireworks. A deeply local festival: excellent for the vocabulary of seafaring traditions. | 22 July |
Regate nell'arcipelago Between spring and summer the archipelago hosts sailing regattas at every level and the harbour fills with crews. Useful for the vocabulary of sailing, the sea and the weather. | spring–summer |
Estate maddalenina In summer concerts, open-air cinema and markets keep Piazza Umberto I and the seafront alive well into the night. Informal evenings, ideal for chatting with islanders. | June–September |