Favignana, Levanzo and Marettimo are the three islands of the small archipelago located off the coast of Trapani: transparent waters and the beauty of the coastline make these places the holiday destination chosen by those who love the sea and live on a boat.
A journey through history, starting at Trapani, from the Greek word Drepanon meaning sickle due to the shape of the land that juts out into the sea. Trapani is a friendly town where you can breathe the authentic Sicilian air. Strolling around the historic centre is a continuous reminder of past eras and the mix of cultures that make up the town’s modern identity: from the oldest district Casalicchio, to the Jewish Giudecca, to the medieval ruins of the Castello di Terra, to the Castello di Mare or of the Colombaia. In the main street, you should look out for the Senatorial Palace and Palazzo Riccio of St. Joachim, and the churches of Purgatorio, which house “i Misteri” (twenty sculptural groups depicting the passion of Christ) and the College. To the south of the city, you will find the salt marshes, which are a unique environment from which began the salt trade around the Mediterranean.
Favignana has been described as the butterfly of the mediterranean due to its shape that looks like two wings in the blue flower of the sea. It became famous for the huge tuna trapping and preparing facility that still dominates the landscape, and which provided in the past the main activities for the islanders. Favignana covers about 20 square kilometres and has the Montagna Grossa or Big Mountain crossing the western side, while the eastern part is flatter and has the largest village. Travelling along the coast you will see beautiful hidden bays and sandy beaches.
There are two main beaches: Cala Azzurra, a small sandy bay to the south of the town, and the large beach of Lido Burrone, to the southwest, but the rocky coves are more spectacular especially Cala Rossa and the nearby Cala del Bue Marino. The tuff quarries have made this zone famous and are well worth a visit with a flashlight, while Punta Ferro is a must for diving enthusiasts, which you will find on the other side of the island, with the bays of Cala Rotonda and Cala Grande.
The small island of Levanzo, that has an area of just 6km, is covered by hills with the highest being Pizzo del Monaco (278 m). One solitary road runs through the island from north to south, making it a romantic place to go for a walk in absolute calm. Between Levanzo and the coast of Sicily, you can see the islets of Maraone and Formica where you can there are still remains of an old tuna fishery.The only town here is Cala Dogana, to the south of the island and overlooks a cove with crystal clear waters.
For the adventurous tourists, there is the most isolated of the Egadi, the beautiful and wild island of Marettimo, with its small port and no hotels. Those arriving by boat can try to find accommodation in fishermen's houses with rooms for visitors. Behind the Scalo Nuovo is the Scalo Vecchio, which is still used by fishermen. From here you can see Punta Troia crowned by the ruins of a Spanish era castle (XVII century), which was used as a prison until 1844.
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