If you are travelling through western Sicily, an excursion to the Egadi Islands (also known as the Aegadian Islands) is a must. The island archipelago can easily be reached as a day trip from Trapani, and this is particularly true of the islands of Favignana and Levanzo, the two closest to Sicily’s west coast. You won’t find any large cruise ships or an endless array of beach clubs here, rather the Egadi Islands are known for their rustic charm and natural beauty. Favignana, the largest of the three islands, is particularly known for its crystal clear waters, beautiful coves and rugged landscapes. Levanzo is perfect for those looking to get away from it all and relax along a beautiful coastline. To help you plan your visit and get the most out of your time here, we put together this Sicily Travel Guide for Favignana and Levanzo, where we will highlight the best things to see in do during a day trip to the Egadi Islands.
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Egadi Islands (Aegadian Islands): Location & Map
The Egadi islands are located between 10 and 40 km off Sicily’s western coast, in between the coastal cities of Trapani and Marsala.
About the Egadi Islands
Not to be confused with the Volcanic Aeolian Islands off the northeastern Coast of Sicily, the Egadi Islands (also known as the Aegadian Islands) are a group of five small mountainous islands in the Mediterranean Sea off the northwest coast of Sicily. In addition to their natural beauty, the Egadi Islands constitute Europe’s largest marine protected area, which was established in 1991 and spans over 50,000 hectares. The area is renowned for its rich biodiversity, including numerous endemic species, coral reefs, and submerged caves, and also as a critical stopover for migratory birds travelling between Europe and Africa.
The two smallest islands, Formica and Maraone, are not typically visited by tourists. Formica is a private island that can only be visited after being authorized by the local management, whereas Maraone is essentially a small deserted island with no human settlement.
The three islands worthy of a visit are : Favignana, Levanzo, and Marettimo.
Favignana
Both the closest island to Sicily’s coast and the largest of the Egadi Islands means that Favignana is the most popular day trip option from Sicily. The island is also nicknamed La Farfalla (butterfly in Italian) due to its particular shape, and has a population of 4,500 residents. Of the three main islands, it is the flattest, particularly on the eastern side, making cycling along its coastal road a great way to explore it.
Its coastline is rugged and beautiful, with small sandy beaches popping up here and there, and some very beautiful rocky coves, such as Cala Rossa.
Favignana is also home to what was Sicily’s largest tuna fishery (Tonnara di Favignana), which today houses a museum.
Levanzo
Levanzo is the smallest of the three main islands, and the closest to Trapani. Its main village, Cala Dogana, seems to come straight from a postcard, with its white houses tightly nestled around the port, beautifully backdropped by the island’s highest point, Pizzo del Monaco (278 meters elevation).
On Levanzo, no cars are allowed as the island is primarily designed for pedestrian exploration, with a very limited road network. The island is mainly rock and slightly hilly, and has several beautiful beaches and coves around its coastline. One of its main attractions is the prehistoric cave, Grotta del Genovese, which is covered with 10,000-year-old wall paintings. Much like Marettimo, Levanzo only has a few hundred permanent residents. Levanzo is the perfect island for those wanting to relax in a peaceful natural landscape.
Marettimo
Marettimo, the furthest of the Egadi Islands from the Sicilian coast and the second-largest of the archipelago, is essentially a steep mountain rising from the Mediterranean Sea. It’s the most isolated due to its location, and it has the highest peak of any of the islands (Montefalcone with a height of 686 m (2,251 ft)), and is definitely has the most rugged landscape of any of the islands. The island only has a few hundred permanent residents, who live primarily from fishing and tourism.
Marettimo is a great destination for hikers, with various great trails across the island, including one that leads to the beautifully preserved Punta Troia castle, near the island’s northern tip. It also has many beautiful beaches, but they are more pebbly than sandy. The island’s coastline is also littered with caves that can be explored by boat.
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How to get to the Egadi Islands
Do It Yourself Option
To reach the islands, you’ll need to book a ticket to ride aboard a Liberty Lines hydrofoil ferry from either Trapani or Marsala. Favignana, Marsala is slightly closer to Marsala, whereas Trapani is slightly closer to Trapani, but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t make much of a difference. We generally suggest that Trapani is a better base given its proximity to other attractions in western Sicily. Also, Trapani has significantly more departures per day to the Egadi Islands than Marsala does.
The Liberty Lines hydrofoil ferries don’t allow cars – foot passengers only. However, about once a day, you can embark on a Siremar Ferry, a larger, slow-going ferry that can accommodate some vehicles. But as we mentioned earlier, you really don’t need a car to explore the Egadi Islands. Levanzo and Marettimo are best visited on foot, whereas Favignana is best visited by cycling around the island.
These are the approximate transit times for the Liberty Lines hydrofoil ferry between ports and islands:
Trapani <–> Levanzo : 25 min
Trapani <–> Favignana: 30 min
Trapani <–> Marettimo : 1h10
Marsala <–> Favignana: 30 min
Marsala <–> Levanzo : 50 min
Marsala <–> Marettimo : 1h10
Favignana <–> Levanzo: 10 min
Levanzo <–> Marettimo: 30 min
Favignana <–> Marettimo: 30 min
Booking Tickets
We highly recommend using Ferry Hoppers (you can even use the search form below to start your search – it will open a new webpage with your search results). It’s the best site & app to book ferries, fast ferries and hydrofoils across Europe. It’s great for researching ferry timetables, costs, and schedules, and booking is easy and straightforward. They also offer great customer support and have real-time ferry tracking.
We also find Ferry Hoppers very convenient to have all of our ferry crossing trips under one single app/website, even when using different ferry companies.
We generally recommend booking your tickets at least a few days in advance if possible, especially during high season, as ferries are mostly operating at full capacity from mid-June to late August.
It’s also important to secure your return ticket at the same time you book your outgoing ticket to avoid the fate of previous visitors who got stuck on the island overnight when they couldn’t get a return ticket on fully-booked hydrofoil trips back to Trapani later in the day.
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Typically, the seas between Trapani and the Egadi Islands are fairly calm during the summer and shoulder season months. Rough and choppy seas are more common in winter, and in instances of severely inclement weather, the ferry and hydrofoil service may be suspended.
Trapani Hydrofoil Dock Location
All Liberty Lines hydrofoils to the Egadi Islands depart from the Trapani port, immediately south of the historic old part of town (link to Google Maps), within walking distance of most hotels in town.
Parking
If you are not based in Trapani and driving in from out of town, since you don’t need to bring your car on the islands, you can use this paid car park (link to Google Maps), about a 5-minute walk to the Liberty Lines hydrofoil dock. You can actually get reduced parking rates by booking your spot in advance on the car park website (€12 per day; 2025 rates).
If this first lot is full, a second lot is available, further east, about a 10-to-15-minute walk from the hydrofoil dock (link to Google Maps).
Luggage Storage
If you don’t want to carry around with you heavier luggage items during your trip to the Egadi islands, you can store them here in this Stasher luggage storage facility across the road from the Liberty Lines hydrofoil dock (link to Google Maps).
Group Tour Option
For peace of mind, not having to deal with all of the transport logistics, and not having to try and perfectly time your hydrofoil trips, you can book an organized tour of the Egadi islands.
This tour is one of the most popular and well-rated ones. You’ll travel on a small speedboat (max 12 guests) and visit both Favignana (you’ll visit 4-5 beaches and have 2 hours of free time) and Levanzo (you’ll visit two beaches and spend about an hour on the island). The tour typically departs around 10 am and returns to Trapani around 6 pm.
How to Plan a Day Trip to the Egadi Islands
Day Trip Options: One Island or Multiple Islands?
It’s an important question and one that you should probably want to think of ahead of time.
If you’re main interest is hiking in rugged desolate landscapes: head to Marettimo.
For some easier hiking and relaxed atmosphere: head to Levanzo.
For a livelier atmosphere and more beach and swimming options: head to Favignana.
While a visit to any of the islands can fill a full day, we recommend to those visiting as part of a day trip from Trapani to go for a Favignana – Levanzo combo. Start with Favignana in the morning and spend 4-5 hours there ending with a tasty lunch, before making your way to Levanzo and spending anther 2-3 hours before making your way back to Trapani.
What to Bring and What to Where
You will probably want to bring with you your basic beach gear: sunscreen, swimwear, towels, and hats (you won’t find many places offering share on the islands). We also highly recommend water shoes, as most beaches are quite rocky and you’ll have to navigate some sharp rocks to get into the water.
Good shoes for hiking and biking are also recommended.
Best Things to See and Do in Favignana
Explore the Island by Bicycle
One of the best ways to explore butterfly-shaped Favignana is by renting a bike and cycling along coastal roads (you can also rent e-bikes and scooters, but given the island’s small size those aren’t typically necessary). The western side of the island is a little less straightforward to visit by bike as the roads are mostly gravel, they don’t always follow the coast, and the land is more hilly. So we particularly recommend looping around the eastern side of the island, where the land is mostly flat and the roads follow the coastline fairly well. Looping the eastern side of the island would require about 15 km of cycling, and would take most people between 45-60 minutes to complete at a leisurely pace.
You can use this All Trails map as a rough guide, but you can’t really get lost, as you’ll always have the coast in view. Also, the starting/end points would be in Favignana town, where you are most likely to rent a bike. We did this route in a clockwise direction and really enjoyed it, and it also allows you to hit some of the smaller beaches first before they get too crowded.
Although there are more than half a dozen bike rental places in town, we can particularly recommend Noleggio Isodoro (link to Google Maps), which has the best and the most Google reviews of all those in town.
The scenery is spectacular from the get go, with beautiful views of Levanzo in the distance.
Enjoy a Relaxing Swim at One of the Several Beautiful Beaches and Coves
One of the great things about cycling around Favignana’s eastern coast is that the ride will allow you to hit several of the island’s most beautiful beaches and coves. Here are some of our favorites, presented in the order that you would cross if cycling in a clockwise direction around the eastern side of the island:
Cala Rossa: Cala Rossa is one of the most popular spots on the island, in part because of its beauty and in part because of its proximity to Favignana Town. It’s not a beach per se, there’s no sand to speak of, and it’s more of a scenic and sheltered cove with several rocky outcrops where people set up towels to lie down and relax to enjoy the views. Cala Rossa gets quite busy, so best to arrive early in the morning or late afternoon.
The water here is calm and is great for a swim, but the challenge here is actually getting into the water; you’ll have to navigate large rocks and sharp corals before reaching swimming depth – we wouldn’t attempt this without water shoes.
Bue Marino: This is one of our favorite spots in Favignana, where the shimmering turquoise waters are a sight to behold. Again, there is no sand here, but several layers of smooth rocks where you can lie down and relax (though the amount of space to lie down is rather limited, especially in the afternoon.
Much like Cala Rossa, while the swimming is great here, getting into the water can be a challenge, but a more fun one. Here, there are several spots from which you can gently jump into the water of rocky outcrops – and getting out of the water can be tricky too, as it requires clambering up some rocks, so not ideal for children or people with mobility issues.
Even if you don’t plan on swimming here, but sure to stop for the view.
Shortly after Bue Marino, on your way towards Cala Azzura, you’ll start to notice the Punta Marsala lighthouse emerge in the distance.
Cala Azzura: If you are looking for spectacular scenery with an easy place to swim, this is it! Here, a beautiful stretch of white sand leading into dreamy turquoise waters awaits you. This is also the best place for children due to the easy access to the water, and many also enjoy snorkelling here due to the calm and shallow waters of the sheltered bay.
As you can imagine, Cala Azzura fills up quickly. Come early to find a spot. If you do find a spot, the beach will never feel overly busy due to its narrow crescent shape
Lido Burrone: This is where you will find the largest stretch of sand on the island. It’s also your typical Italian Lido, with a bunch of sunbeds available for rent. There are also several restaurants, snack bars and kiosks around the beach. It’s not the most beautiful beach on the island, but it’s very convenient for those who want more amenities close by.
Visit the Favignana Tuna Musuem
While visiting a Tuna Museum might not seem like the most fun thing to do on such a beautiful island, we can say that it’s definitely worth it. You have to keep in mind that tuna fishing in the area has been a centuries-long tradition and was a central feature of the social and economic identity of the whole island.
Stabilimento Florio delle Tonnare was one of the largest tonnaras (tuna factories) in the Mediterranean. It was established in 1859 by the wealthy Florio family and was in operation until 1977, when, like the majority of old tuna factories was forced to shut down operations following a prolonged period of large-scale commercial overfishing, making the practice unsustainable for traditional fishing methods used by the tonnaras.
The old tuna factory was restored and converted into a museum between 2006 and 2008. Here you’ll find ancient tools, information on tuna fishing history, and walls packed with stories about the Florio family, who basically built the island.
The museum has short visiting hours, and is open daily from 10 am to 2 pm.
The entrance fee is €9, which includes a 1-hour guided tour.
Visit Favignana Town and Grab Lunch
Favignana town is atypically small Sicilian town, features two small main squares (Piazza Europa and Piazza Madrice), and is definitely worthy of a quick stroll. The area around the marina is particularly scenic.
Favignana Town is also where you’ll find the largest concentration of restaurants, gelaterias, pasticcerias and souvenir shops. Unsurprisingly, the island is particularly famous for its red tuna in all its forms, whether grilled or served tartare. Another go-to here is the Pane Cunzatu sandwich: bread, tomatoes, mozzarella, capers and anchovies – a crunchy salty delight!!
Hike up to Santa Catarina Castle
For the best aerial view of the island, hike up Monte Santa Caterina, where, on its peak, you will find the abandoned ruins of the castle of the same name. Built over an ancient Saracen fortress, the castle was originally part of a system of watchtowers built by the Arabs when they ruled over the island during the late 15th century, and was further expanded in the 16th century.
From the port, it’s about a 3 km hike each way, and about a climb of 300 m in elevation. It will take most people about 1h30 to complete the hike and return to the start point. It’s best to start this hike early in the morning before it gets too hot.
You should note, however, that the trail isn’t well marked, so it’s best to follow your progress with an app such as AllTrails to make sure you are not taking unnecessary detours (the map below states 7.9 km in total, but that’s because it lists the start and end points further away from the port).
Not an AllTrails member yet? We highly recommend signing up for either their free or paid membership plans. The free plan allows you to find new trails and plan routes but it can only be used while hiking if you have access to mobile data. The paid membership plan (AllTrails+) allows you to download trail maps for offline use and provides live progress updates and off-route notifications.
If you are still uncertain – you should know that the All Trails mobile application was voted the 2023 iPhone App of the Year by Apple.
Best Things to See and Do In Levanzo
Enjoy the Village Views from the Port of Levanzo
Once you arrive on Levanzo from the main dock, you might not want to leave that spot as the view of the main village is simply spectacular. Another great spot to njoy great views of the row of scenic white houses is from the Ristorante Bar Arcobaleno (link to Google Maps), just off the ferry dock.
The village itself, known for its laid-back atmosphere and authentic Sicilian charm, is also worth a short wander.
Enjoy A Coastal Walk
There are several beautiful walking trails on Levanzo (three primary trails to be exact), and although some of them start on roads, there are almost no vehicles on the island, so you don’t have to worry about traffic. All three trails start from the main Levanzo village
Unless you intend to spend lots of time on the island, you might have to pick a direction. The Eastern Trail is the shortest (link to Google Maps), about 2 km in length in each direction, which means it can be walked, including return, in about 1 hour. It’s the flattest of the three trails, and the scenery is quite spectacular along the way.
The Western Trail (link to Google Maps) is a bit longer and doesn’t hug the coastline as much, but leads to a historical gem, the Grotta Genovenese (more on this cave further below). To walk the full length of the trail, you’ll need to cover about 4 km in each direction, with an elevation of about 150m, so you are looking at about 2h30 – 3h including the return leg and a visit to the cave.
The Central Trail (link to Google Maps) is similar to the Western Trail in terms of length and elevation gain, but crosses through the middle of the island and ends at the Capo Grosso Lighthouse.
Enjoy a Relaxing Swim At One of Several Beautiful Beaches and Coves
There are five main beach/cove areas that are ideal for swimming on Levanzo, though you’ll likely need good water shoes to enter the water at any of these due to the rocky terrain under shallow water. The Eastern Trail allows you to reach two of these:
–Cala Fredda: The first beach you’ll reach along the trail. It’s a small sandy beach surrounded by dreamy waters. The sheltered nature of the cave keeps the water calm, and entrance into the water is easy compared to some of the other spots.
–Cala Minnola: A beautiful turquoise cove backdropped by a pine forest and a cozy shaded picnic area.
The Western Trail passes by Cala Faraglione, a small cove and rocky beach with a photogenic sea stack, whereas a short detour from the Central Trail takes you to Cala Tramontana, a stunning and desolate cove where few people venture to.
Finally, there’s also Cala Dogana, a tiny swimming area right next to the marina in the main village.
Visit the Grotta Genovese
At the very of the Western Trail lies the Grotta del Genovese, a cave that houses one of the most significant prehistoric sites in the world. Inside the walls of the cave are painted figures of men and animals, which date back to the Paleolithic Age. It’s believed that humans inhabited the cave between 10,000 and 6,000 BC. It’s crazy to think that this cave wasn’t discovered until 1949.
How Long Do You Need in the Egadi Islands
You can easily spend a few days fully exploring and enjoying the Egadi Islands, but if, like most visitors, you intend to visit the islands as a day trip from Trapani (or elsewhere in Sicily), you should aim for at least a couple of hours on each island.
For Levanzo, to see everything we listed above and try all the hiking trails, you’ll need the better part of the full day, but 2-3 hours should suffice to get a proper feel for the island and what it has to offer.
You’ll probably need more than a day to explore Favignana fully, but 4-5 hours on the island should suffice to explore the eastern coast, spend some time on the beach, visit the museum and have lunch, and this would allow you some time to visit Levanzo before heading back to Trapani.
Best Time to Visit the Egadi Islands
Best Time of the Year
Technically, the Egadi Islands can be visited year-round, although the summer months can get quite hot and crowded with Italian tourists (particularly in August). In contrast, the weather is more unpredictable during the winter, and many shops, restaurants and accommodation options close down for the season. Favignana, the liveliest of the three islands, may even feel like a ghost town. Another consideration is that the daily ferry service is less frequent than in winter and that trips will sometimes be cancelled due to stormy weather.
We generally recommend visiting in late spring (May, June) or early autumn (September, October), as these shoulder season months offer slightly milder but still warm temperatures and a more relaxed visiting atmosphere. Accommodation options are also generally cheaper outside of the peak summer months.
For warmer seas while you swim, September and October are ideal as the seas will still have retained much of their summer heat.
For hiking, May and October are probably ideal to avoid the hottest days.
Best Time of Day
It’s best to start your visit early in the day, especially if you want to hit some of the beaches, before they get too busy. Starting early also allows you to maximize your time during a day trip from Trapani.
Are the Egadi Islands Worth it?
We definitely think so! The dreamy, crystal clear waters, beautiful coastlines and the tranquil atmosphere (relative to the main island of Sicily) make a visit to the Egadi Islands completely worthwhile. They are the perfect place to combine wilderness, adventure, swimming and relaxation.
Things to See and Do Near the Egadi Islands
Visit Trapani
Trapani is one of the largest towns on Sicily’s western coast, and is particularly known as the gateway to the Egadi islands and lies just below the mountain-top medieval village of Erice. It is also home to several scenic beaches and a nature reserve that includes a salt museum in an old salt mill. Although it doesn’t have many “must-see” attractions of its own, it has a beautiful and lively historic center with many restaurants.
For more information, check out our guide on the Best Things to See and Do in Trapani.
Visit Erice
Erice is a hilltop medieval town, a charming place where time seems to have stood still. Here, an interesting array of cobblestone streets, a stone cathedral, and not one but two stunning cliffside castles await your discovery. Due to its altitude and proximity to the sea, Erice is often shrouded by clouds, providing a unique and foggy atmosphere while you discover this town full of history. On clear days, you’ll have breathtaking views of Sicily’s western coastline and the Tyrrhenian Sea.
For more information, check out our guide on the Best Things to See and Do in Erice.
Visit the Zingaro Nature Reserve
Zingaro was one of our favorite hiking destinations on the island, where a beautiful coastal trail swerves along the reserve’s stunning mountainous coastline that offers hikers and beach-goers multiple opportunities for swimming in warm, crystal-clear turquoise waters set within idyllic, secluded coves. We had a blast here and highly recommend spending at least half a day here.
For more information, check out our guide on Sicily’s Zingaro Nature Reserve.
Where to Stay Near the Egadi Islands
In our opinion, the best place to stay if visiting the islands as a day trip, is in Trapani, whose location makes it a great base from which to explore several other attractions in western Sicily including the Egadi Islands. All of the following are some of the best mid-range hotel accommodations in Trapani:
Near the town center:
Central Gallery Rooms- Palazzo D’Ali’ Staiti XIX
These next two options are a bit further from the town center but are located right on the beach.
Photography Gear
If you like our photography, you might be interested in some of the gear we use to shoot our travel and hiking destinations.
Camera Body – Nikon Z 6ii Fx-series Mirrorless Body
Main Lens – NIKON 24-120mm F/4G ED VR AF-S
Zoom Lens – Sigma 745-306 150-600mm f/5-6.3
Polarizing filters – Urth Circular Polarizing (CPL)
Camera Tripod – K&F Concept 64-inch Camera Tripod
Mini-tripod – Lammcou Flexible Camera Tripod
Camera/hiking backpack – Vanguard Alta Rise 48 Backpack
Universal Travel Adapter – VYLEE Universal International Power Travel Plug
Other Travel Essentials
Travel Insurance
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e-Sim cards
Airalo is the world’s first and largest eSIM store with eSIM plans for 200+ countries and regions worldwide. With Airalo eSIMs, travellers can get connected the moment they land at their destination and avoid nasty data roaming charges
eSIMS are a sustainable alternative to single-use SIM cards – they are 100% digital, require less energy to produce and be re-used rather than disposed of.
Car Rentals
Discover Cars is our go-to website for car rentals. We almost always find our preferred rate there.
Transfer from Airport
Welcome Pickups is our favourite private transfer service, which you can pre-book at a fixed price. Currently available in 220 cities all over the world (mostly in Europe, but with several major cities in Asia, the Middle East and the US).
Kiwitaxi is another private transfer service – we haven’t tried it yet, but it’s currently available in a few more countries (102 as of 2024).
Hotels and Accommodations (coming soon)
Photography Prints
If you found this blog useful, you can help support our blog by purchasing low-cost digital prints. Printed physical prints are also available for purchase.
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Well, that wraps it up! We hope you enjoyed our Segesta Archaeological Park Travel Guide and that it will prove useful for planning your trip.
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