FavignanaAegadian Islands · Italy

All About Favignana

Favignana is the largest and most dynamic destination in the five-island Aegadian archipelago. A landmass measuring 19.8 square kilometers, it was ruled by a series of empires over centuries, from the Carthaginians and Romans to the Arabs and Normans. The name Favignana comes from Favonius, an Anemoi responsible for west winds and summer breeze. Today, a stunningly rugged coastline, alluring old-world charm, and the promise of gorgeous beaches draw people from across the world to Favignana as soon as the weather turns warm. Famous for tuna fishing and its unusual butterfly-like shape, the island’s closeness to Trapani makes it an ideal choice for a short getaway from Sicily.
 

Routes and Ferries to Favignana

For an out-and-out seafaring holiday, tourists first sail to Palermo from Tunis, Naples, Genoa, Salerno, Lipari, or several other places. From Palermo, they can travel to Trapani on land and then use their ferry tickets to Favignana. Once in Trapani, there are scheduled hydrofoils and slower ferries to the island. The voyage takes anywhere from 45 minutes to over four hours if the ferry stops elsewhere en route. If already touring the Aegadian archipelago, ferry tickets to Favignana from Marettimo and Levanzo are available on most days. Check out the Ferryscanner website for all available itineraries.

To reach Favignana, boat travel is inevitable. However, when flying in, the best choices are either Falcone-Borsellino Airport in Palermo or the Vincenzo Florio Airport in Trapani. Both the airports have multiple low-cost flights arriving from across Europe. If landing in Palermo, travelers must take a taxi or bus to Trapani in order to catch the ferry.
 

Port of Favignana

As the only harbor on the island, the Port of Favignana stays busy throughout the day. Located in the island’s north-central region, the port serves fishing boats, yachts, hydrofoils, and ferries. Those arriving with ferry tickets to Favignana will find that the ferry terminal has a café and a souvenir shop. There is plenty more activity visible upon disembarking at the port. Tourists can rent bikes and small boats nearby. The 26-berth marina is forever lively, with restaurants, bars, and a supermarket around its edges.
 

Best Beaches

A beautiful beach awaits sunseekers no matter the direction they venture out in Favignana. While the famous sandy stretch of Lido Burrone attracts hundreds of sunbathers every day during the summers, there are tiny coves around the island that present offbeat travelers with intimate escapes.

Spiaggia Praia

Situated near the port, Spiaggia Praia is convenient to reach and thus packed during summertime. To savor the calm blue waters and the serenity of the environment, visit the beach in the morning. An excellent option for families, umbrellas, and loungers are usually available on rent at Spiaggia Praia. While sunbathing, beach-goers can wave at passengers sailing with ferry tickets to Favignana as they drink and eat refreshments picked up from the on-site shack.

Cala Rossa

Cala Rossa is a short 10-minute scooter ride from the ferry terminal and a popular beach in Favignana among tourists. The water is beautiful and clear, with schools of fish often visible without having to wear a snorkel. Cala Rossa’s surroundings are incredibly rocky, and it is best to wear water shoes when at the beach. The views, though, are spectacular and reason enough to make the journey. For a leisurely option, choose to arrive here via boat. Adventurous souls can visit the caves closeby, while others can have a drink, some snacks, and use the free WIFI offered at the beach’s solitary food stall.

Cala Azzurra

Among the top five beaches in Favignana, Cala Azzurra is easy to reach from the port and has a bicycle parking area. Located on the southeast coast, this rocky stretch has limited spaces for sunbathing. Still, the water stays low, is transparent, and is a delight to explore using snorkeling gear. There are also a few amateur spots along the beach for cliff jumping. Cala Azzurra has no facilities except for two food trucks selling refreshments. The beach gets crowded post 11:00, so plan to come as early as possible.

Cala Preveto

Cala Preveto is a 10-minute drive or a 45-minute walk from the Port of Favignana. In the south-central part of the island, the beach is primarily rocky with a small pebble strip. A hidden gem of a beach in Levanzo, Cala Preveto stays crowd-free during peak tourist season. The water here is still and low. Access to this beach that faces Isloa Preveto is through a downhill trail past the Tunnel of Favignana.

Beach Bue Marino

An iconic beach in Favignana, Bue Marino is next to an old quarry with an unusual and appealing network of caves. Once a hangout spot for monk seals, access to the blue and green colored sea is by jumping into the water from flat-lying rocks that form the beach’s central area. While the cliffs provide shade during the afternoon, the beach is not the safest for little children. A food truck selling tuna sandwiches and cold drinks parks nearby in the summer.
 

Places to Visit

What do yummy food, ancient ruins, fascinating natural wonders, and an iconic fishing heritage have in common? Well, these all relate to the diverse and exceptional places you can visit on the island of Favignana.

Castello di Santa Caterina

Atop a 300m high hill in Favignana lie the ruins of the 15^th-century fort, Castello di Santa Caterina. Used by the military as a lookout during WWII, it presently is abandoned and slowly falling apart. The castle, however, provides an interesting insight into the island’s locational importance. Moreover, the stunning views from this vantage point are mesmerizing. On a clear day, one can see Levanzo and even the western coast of Sicily. An hour-long hike worth taking, there are a couple of easy-to-follow trails going up the fort from the village center.

Ex Stabilimento Florio delle Tonnare di Favignana and Formica

Dive into the island’s fishing legacy by visiting an old Florio tuna factory built-in 1859 that is now an interactive museum. For an entry price of €6, visitors learn more about how tuna was caught and processed in the region. The fee includes a guided tour in English and Italian lead by old factory workers. On display are videos explaining the process, interviews with workers, and information about the influential Florio family. As one of the few exciting places to visit in Favignana, the factory is popular among tourists and can get crowded in August.

Osteria del Sotto Sale

Distressed wood paneling on the walls, quirky artifacts all around, the town’s postbox above one of its tables, and oozing a rustic, almost unassumingly hipster vibe, that’s Osteria del Sotto Sale for you. The best place to eat in Favignana, this tavern takes pride in its immaculate service and menu comprising of classic Sicilian dishes. Located near the town square and a casual offshoot of its sister concern, Restaurant Sotto Sale, finding a seat at the osteria is a lottery. When ordering, try the delicately made octopus in red wine sauce, the pistachio crème brûlée, and don’t miss out on the homemade busiate – a particular type of long macaroni made in Sicily.

Tuff Quarries

Dotted around the island are several abandoned yet captivating tuff quarries, once mined for their rocks used in building. Chipped off methodologically, the remaining calcarenite rocks now form a web of impressive caves and tunnels with cathedral-like high ceilings. In several such quarries, locals have planted trees, creating one-of-a-kind gardens that visitors can stroll around.

Isola Preveto

An islet 200 meters off the coast, Isola Preveto is an exciting place to visit in Favignana. Rocky, with a natural appeal, it is home to herring seagulls whose eggs hatch on the island in May. Preveto has a lovely sandy beach with fantastic snorkeling possibilities. To reach Preveto beach, you can either swim from the Favignana coast or take a sea taxi.
 

Transportation Around Favignana

As the largest of the Aegadian Islands, Favignana has a fair amount of transport options compared to Marettimo and Levanzo. Local travel on the water is unsurprisingly the best way to visit some of the island’s more remote areas. Visitors can rent small boats without a license for the day. If uncomfortable with that, tour agencies offer sea taxis wherein they drop and pick you up from a particular beach at an agreed-upon time. Another possibility is taking any of the numerous half-day and full-day pre-organized boat tours.

Moreover, after purchasing ferry tickets to Favignana, tourists can use Ferryscanner to book day trips from the island to Marettimo and Levanzo on hydrofoils and slower ferries. Journey durations range from 10 minutes for Levanzo to an hour for Marettimo. Tickets cost between €7 and €14, depending on the boat and time of year.

Traversing on-land in Favignana is best done via a scooter or car, especially if staying for an extended period. Rental charges alter from €30 to €70 for the day. A cheaper and healthier choice is renting a bicycle. The eastern part of the island especially is flat. A bus goes around Favignana three times during the day, stopping at various places along the coast and in-land. The bus ticket costs €1.10 per trip or €3 for the day. The tourist train, Egadilandia, is more of an excursion that takes passengers on a select route, lasting 1 hour and 30 minutes, for €8.