Favignana: Italy’s Secret Paradise

It’s no secret that we think that Sicily is one of the best kept secrets in the world. The Italian desert island doesn’t get the same notoriety of the Amalfi Coast, Rome, Naples, Milan, Lake Como, etc. etc. and honestly, that’s what makes it a better tourist destination - there simply aren’t many foreign tourists! Sicily is really where Italians go when they want to get away for the week, which should tell you something about its appeal. That all being said, there s another layer to Sicily that even most Italians don’t even get to see: the Egadi/Aegadian Archipelago, which consists of five islands - Favignana, Levanzo, Marettimo, Formica, and Maraone.

The five islands are located off of Sicily’s northwestern coast and are charming untouched, old-world, gems. The largest and most frequented of the five is Favignana (side-note: Formica and Maraone are not visited - one is privately owned and the other is pretty much a rock).

Favignana is a build your own adventure destination. It’s not built up with with excursions, theme parks, or resorts where you follow some sort of itinerary. However, if you see the things you’re supposed to see (which we will tell you about below) we guarantee that this adorable little island will steal your heart forever.

Getting to Favignana

Getting to Favignana is actually pretty easy if you’re already on Sicily. There are two departure points for ferries: Trapani and Marsala. Trapani is going to be the easiest and most frequent daily ferry. Leaving from Trapani will cost you about $12 USD each way and ferries depart every 30 minutes or so. When we went it was easy to buy our ticket right at the gate and go. It will take about an hour to get to Favignana.

What to do in Favignana

Favignana Town

The town of Favignana is adorable and has plenty of restaurants serving fresh seafood and, of course, Italian wine. The cobblestone streets and old architecture are perfect to get your Instagram on. It’s a small town so walk down every corridor and enter every shop.

Spiaggia di Cala Rossa

The crown jewel of Favignana is Cala Rossa beach and it’s a friggin gem! I was floored when we hopped off the bike and walked through about 300 yards of stone ruins that opened up to the water so clear that it could have been poured out of a bottle.

Cala Rossa is one of the most unique beaches on the planet. There is a small beach area of pebble sand but the majority of the cove is lined with the same stone ruins that we walked past on the way in. The cliffs have super cool alcoves, known as the Tuff Caves, in them, which are famous in their own right, and you’ll find sunbathers laying on what looks like it could have been someones living room in the 1600’s.

Santa Caterina

An abandoned fortress overlooking all of Favignana - the views from the top are absolutely gorgeous, well worth the steep uphill trek to the top. Don’t expect a visitor center or any tour groups though, it’s literally an abandoned stone fortress at the top of a small mountain.

Spiaggia di Lido Burrone

Another beach that we visited, this one has more of a public beach feel to it with some small restaurants all around. It’s a very pretty spot to stop as you ride around the island. We did it on a whim and stayed for a few hours. After a few glasses of wine we kept our adventure going!

Scuba Dive

Secca del Torro and Scoglio Corrente are the two runs that we heard about but didn’t get the chance to dive ourselves.

Rent a boat

If you’re in an Italian coastal town, odds are that it’s a fishing village or that it was that way once upon a time. Favignana is no exception. While in town be sure to charter a boat and enjoy one Italy’s oldest pastimes. Not only that but there are a handful of beaches and alcoves which are only accessible by water. Fun fact: small boats don’t require a license so if you’re brave enough you can hop in and ride without much worry.

Rent a scooter

This is a must. Favignana is pretty small, like so small that you could circle the entire island in a day, if you’re not making any stops you can do the whole island in an afternoon. The roads are lightly traveled so if you’re a novice biker or get nervous on super busy roads you won’t have an issue. There are plenty of businesses to rent from on the dock area when you depart the ferry - you’ll need a drivers license and about $100 for the day.

Where we ate

La Costa Sunset Bar & Bistrot Cala Trono Favignana

Basically a patio on the beach overlooking the sea and the mountains. It’s a super laid-back restaurant with fresh seafood that we were able to drive to and walk right in. I was literally empty, which made for a perfect afternoon in paradise.