favignana | sicily
Favignana Vibes
Low traffic, magical, wild beach paradise. Italian-local tourist playground. Sicily pleasantly surprised me and hope those of you who love a sense of adventure, outdoors, and beach serenity can someday enjoy this beautiful place.
Favignana is off the western coast of Sicily, right off the port of Trapani on the Sicilian coast. It is the largest of the three Egadi Islands, and is much flatter than the other two islands, which makes it far more desirable and accessible for tourism. Historically, it was most famous for it’s tuna fisheries. Make sure you brush up on your Italian before coming out. Not too many people speak English well. ☺
Accommodation
A beautiful boutique hotel & agurtuismo spot right below the mountain side. A quick 20 min walk, or 5 min bike ride to the beach. Gorgeous lighthouse and sunset views from above the olive orchards.
Sister hotel, a bit closer to the beach. It looked GORGEOUS in real life, but was booked up for the time when we were on the island.
Transportation:
From Palermo Airport to Trapani:
There is a SEGESTA bus right outside the airport arrivals that takes you directly to Trapani in about 1.25 hrs time. It’s around 8 € pp, and very delightful bus experience (air con, comfy seats, etc.). Don’t be intimidated, it’s super easy!
From Trapani to Favignana: Take the Liberty Lines ferry boat.
No need to book in advanced, you can buy when you arrive. The boat’s first stop is at Lorenzo another small island in the archipelago, so get off at the second stop for Favignana. This should only take you about 30 minutes. Cost Round Trip Ticket: 12 € pp
Around the Island: Rent bicycles, motorized bicycles, or scooters when you arrive.
Most rental places are right off the port. We decided to rent motorized bicycles because we thought they’d be great for going faster on major roads, or opting in for regular biking on smaller dirt roads. It’s a small island, only 7.6 miles in total, so super easy to get around in a few days. Cost Motorized Bicycle: 10 € per day
Activities
The main thing to do in Favignana is to adventure via bike/motorbike around the island to different beaches. The best swimming beaches are dependent on the wind patterns. Be sure to check the wind patterns before heading out for the day to either the northern or southern side of the island to beach. Also, don’t be shocked to see a few topless ladies here and there on the beaches. No bra, no problem.
A few favorites below…
Cala Rossa:
Most stunning view in Favignana. It was very windy the day we went so, we did less lounging and more view gawking. However, there were a handful of people enjoying the small swimming holes down by the water’s edge. A MUST.
Cala Azura:
Lounging beach with beautiful clear blue water. Could see all the way down 10 feet deep as if I was in a swimming pool. Beach was covered with a sea grass which was light, and cushy below feet; it was easy and comfy to sun bath on.
Lido Burrone:
Lounging beach with great food on the beach and day lounging accommodations. Make sure you go early though to get a lounge chair especially during the high seasons. They go fast.
ALERT Secret beach:
Go through the tunnel that takes you to the western part of the island (toward the lighthouse), and take an immediate left. You’ll see a bunch of bikes/motorbikes parked. Park your bike, and veer either right or left down the small trails. We went past haystacks and down toward the coast to find a secluded beach with mostly (what looked/sounded like) local Italian tourists.
Food
The food in Sicily is unreal and was definitely one of the most memorable parts of the trip. They have a number of signature dishes like Caponata, Cannoli, Granitas y Brioche, Arencinis, seafood, and Pistachio everything which are unique to the island. Be sure to seek it out – you won’t be disappointed.
Tuna Sandwich Shop (no name) | $ | Right next to Calla Rosa beach
You won’t miss him. He blasts Bob Marley and tells you not to take photos of his spot. The sandos are huge for cheap made with fresh tomato, basil, locally caught tuna olive oil and bread.
Bar Marineru | $ | Espresso con Pistachio | Right off the Favignana port
Quick delicious espresso shot with pistachio crema. A snazzy treat you won’t want to miss.
Granitas | $ | Similar to slushies, you can find them all over the island. We tried lemon and almond flavors; easy to find right next to many of the main beaches. They are a delicious mid-day cooling treat.
Cibo Chiacchiere e Vino | $$ - $$$ | Down by the Balate area of the island.
This is a must. We went twice while we were in Favignana because it was so beautiful for small tapas style dinner while watching the sunset.
15- 75€ (Depending on how much wine you drink and food you eat)
Agurtuismo L'alencio | $$ - $$$ | Also, right by Dimora closer to the Balata side of the island.
Another amazing gem of a spot for epic sunset aperol spritz or apperativos, and slowly roll into dinner after the sun goes down. We had a beautiful grilled tuna steak here, and the waiter surprised us with some fancy sorbet alcohol drinks after dinner.
Dimora dell’Olivastro | Free! | At the hotel
Breakfast buffet was free with our stay at Dimora dell’Olivastro, and boy, was it delicious. There were fresh baked pastries every morning, fruit, yogurt, granolas, pan, home-made ricotta (still warm from preparation!), and eggs from the chicken coop on site. The espresso was incredible and they also provided fresh squeezed orange juice, if desired.
