Island of Favignana. A butterfly in the middle of the sea.

The island of Favignana is the largest of the Egadi archipelago. From above its shape seems to be a butterfly in the blue sea.  It is located opposite the west coast of Sicily in front of the city of Trapani. It is very well connected by hydrofoils that leave from Trapani or Marsala and in less than 40 minutes reach the harbor of the island.

Favignana is an island that I love particularly. Where you can find a  wild and authentic natural place. It’s easy to get to and to explore. By bicycle  everyone can reach all the most beautiful places on the island. If you are looking for a holiday  full of beaches and nightclubs… This island is not the right place. In Favignana there is only a beach that is large enough to accommodate a lot of tourists (over 100 people). From year to year the beach bars are increasingly numerous but always many less than other tourist destinations. In compensation it offers many coves and rocky bays with a splendid sea.

The village of Favignana is very nice with a typical Sicilian square where  you can relax  eating a “granita”, a exquisite cannolo or  “cassata”. In the country you still feel the presence of the Florio family. This family of entrepreneurs became so rich with the trade of spices, that 150 years ago bought the Egadi archipelago. On the island,  the beautiful liberty style villa still remains which overlooks the harbour and the ancient Tonnara Florio.

This settlement gave  work to the inhabitants of the island until 1980. Here the famous red tuna was prepared and canned . The tuna was fished through the “tonnara” fishing net and with “mattanza” rituals. The “mattanza” of tuna was abolished because the animal rights activists considered it too bloody. In recent years, they have changed their minds… by rehabilitating this method. The real danger for tuna is not in fact this ancient method of fishing…but modern and much more technological ones. Today the shoals of tuna are intercepted with fishfinders and tuna flying net before reaching the Mediterranean sea. Hundreds of tonnes of tuna are fished every day with these systems… Result: The tuna is being extinguished.

The Tonnara Florio has been skilfully recovered and transformed into a museum. The visit is very interesting especially thanks to the good guides and the tales of the last survivors of that life. My visit was enriched thanks to the tales of “Uncle Beppe” the last “worker” of the establishment and then keeper. In addition to sympathy, Beppe took us back in the years telling of the lives of the workers in all departments of the factory. His nostalgia for that productive and happy time was palpable.

There were also two exhibitions inside. One related to archaeological finds made in the sea of the Egadi. In particular, you can admire 4 “rostrum” of Roman ships. In the world, there are very few artifacts of this instrument of offense used by Roman ships. Here you can see a perfectly preserved one. In another room was set up a photographic exhibition of the photographer Herbert List. A photo report on the “mattanza” of 1952.

I don’t explain what a mattanza is, but I refer you to this post dedicated to this ancient red tuna fishing.

After the visit I recommend a nice coffee with the cream of “pistachio” at U bar du Marinaru (the sailor).

But lets speak about finding a perfect place to bathe in these crystal clear waters. Where are the places to see? First of all check where the wind comes from… it is advisable to go to the part of the island opposite from the origin of the wind. So if there is a wind of Mistral or Tramontana (wind from the north)  it is best to go to the south of the island. The beach of Lido Burrone is quite well equipped and there you find also a restaurant. This sandy beach is reachable within 10 minutes by bicycle from the village centre. But the places I prefer are Cala Azzurra and the Bue Marino. The first in particular offers a sea of Caribbean colors.

You can’t come to Favignana without going to Cala Rossa (Red Cove), but to see this place in the best conditions there must be no wind and no waves. Because with the calm sea it looks like a swimming pool. Unfortunately the access to the sea is not the best… there is no beach but only rock.

However it is not a problem to find a quiet place to dive in this blue water, but I recommend avoiding the month of August. In these years this archipelago is a favorite destination for many tourists, so in the summer months the crowding could become truly unbearable. The months of June and September are definitely the best.

A nice excursion is the walk up to the castle of Santa Caterina. The castle is in a state of abandonment, for this reason you need to pay a lot of attention. But the view that you have from the top of the mountain leaves you really breathless and justifies the effort to get to the top of the mountains. (Avoid doing this excursion in the hottest hours….).

In relation to food, you can eat  well. Theil fish is the exclusive ingredient (tuna and swordfish).

I have been there in May with friends. I stayed at the hotel Tempo di Mare. Great!. The hotel is close to the center of the village and in front of the sea (view on the island of Levanzo). The property is really nice. We were in a group of 16 people and for convenience we booked the full breaksfast. The goodness and care of the food  surprised us. Definitely next time I will try to return to this hotel.

Sunset in Favignana

Thanks to the frequency of Ryanair’s low cost flights you can go to Favignana for just a weekend. Getting to the island from the airport is quick and easy. A great destination to escape the hectic life of the city.

If you want more information about how to organize your trip, please contact me.

I will be happy to help you!

Useful Information

Nearest Airport: 

Trapani Airport – TPS ( 18 km far from Trapani Harbor)

Low Cost Airlines operating on these Airports: Ryanair. (with many destanations)

Ferry booking website: Liberty Lines

Transfer Service (From and To Trapani Airport): Trapani Tourism Service