Best things to do in Favignana
Favignana is a little island situated about 20 km west of the coast of Sicily and can be reached by ferry or hydrofoil from the port of Trapani. It is part of the Aegadian Islands, together with the island of Marettimo and Levanzo, and has become a very popular tourist destination thanks to its beautiful coastline and clear blue waters. Nonetheless, the beach of Cala Rossa, one of the most famous spots on the island, is considered one of the top 10 beaches in the country and you’ll probably understand. Find out what to do, where to eat and spots you cannot miss during your visit to Favignana below...
When is the best time to visit?
The best time to visit Favignana will be during the summer month when beautiful weather is always assured, however, if you do not particularly like the crowds, I would recommend planning your trip to Favignana (and Sicily itself) during early autumn or late spring when prices are also much more affordable. Spending an entire day on the island will be more than enough to see all the main beaches and some other main attractions of the island. If you have a few more days available, however, I will definitely suggest including Levanzo and Marettimo in your travel plans. The first one is the smallest of all three islands and in my opinion the most picturesque, while Marettimo (still on my bucket list) is the wildest and untouched and probably also less touristic of the three.
Things to do in Favignana. Is it worth visiting?
Yes! If you are visiting the west coast of Sicily the Aegadian Islands are stops you do not want to miss. For most of the day you will be occupied with jumping in and out of the water on all the different and amazingly beautiful beaches (or ‘Calette’ as called by the locals) the island has to offer.
Spots you cannot miss!
Once you get to Favignana grab a map of the island and make sure you do not miss the most beautiful spots such as Cala Rossa, Bue Marino, Cala Azzurra, and Cala Rotonda which is great for snorkeling. Furthermore, all around the island, and especially in Bue Marino you will find caves of calcarenite rock (or ‘tufo’ in Italian) which make the surrounding area a very characteristic sight.
All four locations are mainly rocky beaches, and I would suggest you get some of those beach shoes to make it a little bit easier when getting in and out of the water (we were without and struggled a little bit). I would suggest you buy them somewhere in the town where you are staying on the mainland as they will charge you a lot on the island if you forget them. If you are looking for a little more sand then make sure not to miss out Lido Burrone. However, as this is the only sandy beach on the island it will be very crowded during high season months.
Where to eat in Favignana
Either before or after your beach hopping, take a little walk around the city center of Favignana which is by the way the perfect place for a nice lunch or dinner at a local restaurant. By the way, if needed, you will also find little kiosks or food trucks selling local panini at almost every popular beach. I had lunch at Bue Marino, and believe me that Panino (called Favignana if you want to try it, with additional pistachio on top) was more than enough to keep me going for the rest of the day together with a nice typical ‘Brioche with Gelato’ right before boarding our hydrofoil to get back to Trapani in the evening!
Some more sightseeing...
If you feel like it, you could also visit the ancient ‘Tonnara’ of Favignana, a few minutes' walk from the port, to get to know the history of the island and the bluefin tuna fishing tradition that was once the main source of income for the inhabitants of the island. For those of you who would like to see the famous ‘butterfly’ shape of Favignana from the top, a little 50min hike to Monte Santa Caterina is what you need. You will reach a high of 314m and get some amazing views of the whole island. There are also some Castle ruins at the top which are now abandoned, yet, as you will already be up there, it always worth having a look.
For tips and suggestions on the best way of visiting the island have a look here.
