ONE DAY TOUR TO THE EGADA ISLANDS (FAVIGNANA AND LEVANZO)

South of Palermo and very close to the beautiful city of Trapani is the Aegadian Islands archipelago, one of the most beautiful in the Mediterranean. It is formed by 3 islands: Favignana, Levanzo Y Marettimo. We had read that the tour to the Aegadian Islands It is one of the unforgettable excursions if you are traveling through Sicily, so we do not doubt it for a second and we sign up for an express visit (it is what you have when you only have one day of time, hehe). If you are thinking of visiting this corner, in this post we will tell you our experience in the day tour to the Aegadian Islands (Favignana and Levanzo) from Trapani.

From Trapani, excursions depart every day to visit the Aegadian Islands. There is various types of excursion, in sailboats, catamarans, or in mini cruises That is the cheapest and most common way. We opt for this option.

To hire there are various agencies distributed throughout the city that sell the same tour at the same price, when we went in October 2018 it cost € 30 (plus € 2.50 of the entrance to the marine park). We hire with Egadi Escursioni in his office near the port, but come on, in the end you hire the one you hire you will go on the same boat.

Summer 2019 update: apparently prices have gone up and now the tour costs € 40.

What is the tour about?

We leave at 9:30 and return at 17:30. First we visited Favignana (It takes about 1 hour from the port of Trapani), where they left us 2 hours to our roll to explore the historic center on foot. There is also the option of renting a motorcycle and approaching some beach further away, or renting a bike.

Then again on board we turned the island until we reached Cala Azzurra, here we stop to take a bath from the ship itself. Around 2:00 pm we left for Levanzo and served the food inside the boat (sandwich, pasta, melon, water and wine).

In Levanzo We were a little over an hour, you can choose whether to visit the beautiful town, have a drink on one of its terraces or get close to Cala Fredda, a small beach just 5 minutes from the port, or on the other side visit the Faraglioni area. We return to Trapani (another boat hour) about 17.30.

The trip also made us super entertaining because we agreed with a very nice couple and Pietro, his handsome and funny son, three years old. That's how nice to travel 🙂

+ The good:

The tour is as it is offered. They fulfilled everything, besides the food is included and it was very good. It is a quick way to get to know these islands of Sicily, perfect for those who do not have too much time and want to continue traveling to other destinations.

- The bad:

Go ahead that we have no complaints from the company, but ... as for the tour, there were a couple of things we didn't like. The first is that, despite being at the beginning of October, there were many people (we agreed with a group of Veneto tourists who were on 2 buses ... so imagine how much they were hehe). We assume that in summer there will be even more people. There are other smaller boats (even sailboats) that have more “exclusivity” and also have a somewhat freer, and obviously more expensive itinerary.

The second point that left us somewhat colder is just time. We fully understand that such a tour has to be toooodo well tied, but it was a bit of a pain not to surround the island of Favignana entirely, even to see its famous coves from the boat. This is why, in the future, we will surely go back for free by ferry and explore the island at our leisure.

But hey, thanks to this one-day tour of the Aegadian Islands, we were able to get an idea of ​​how they are. Spoiler: beautiful, beautiful 🙂

It is the largest island in the Egadas, and where you have more time. The most important thing to do in Favignana is:

- Visit the historic helmet, with some streets and pedestrian squares very cool. Although it is worth walking away a little and seeing the true town.

- There are three interesting buildings: the Chiesa di Madre Maria SS Immacolata in the Piazza Matrice, the Palazzo Florio and the Stabilimento Florio, an old tuna cannery, which today is restored and houses a museum that can be visited with a guide (in Italian).

- From the town there is a road that winds along the slope of the highest mountain on the island, until you reach the Castle of Santa Caterina. We do not climb, but the views must be great (though, the beating to arrive also has to be beastly).

- There are many restaurants, cafes and patisseries Where to try local specialties, such as cassatella or a good cannolo. And the arancinis, of course.

- In the village of Favignana there is a small sandy beach. The water is transparent and, although the environment is not the most beautiful of all, it can be worth a quick dip.

Although if you want to go on beaches, on the island of Favignana there are a few that are wonderful. The best are:

• Bue Marino: It is not a beach in itself, but it is a small cliff, with a beach bar above, but you can enjoy crystal clear waters and we assume that a great snorkel.
• Cala Azzurra: at the southeast end is this small quiet and very beautiful cove.
• Lido Burrone: It is the largest beach on the island and the best for a couple of hours. It is near the town of Favignana and it is easy to reach.

Both in the port of Favignana and in other agencies on the main streets, you can rent scooters (€ 25 per day) and bicycles (€ 5).

It was the visit that we liked the most, more than anything because we didn't expect much and the arrival at the port left us with our mouths open and our eyes shaped like little hearts.

It is a small town arranged on the side of a mountain and hung over the water. It reminded us a little of Santorini (ok, saving the distances). From the port you can go to one side or another:

- To left from the port you first reach the tiny beach of pebbles. The water here is amazing! Then you ascend through the heart of the town and you reach a viewpoint over the cliffs on the other side of the island.

- To right There are a couple of restaurants from the port and the road continues to Cala Freda, where recreational boats tend to anchor for a swim or enjoy the surroundings. We didn't find the beach too good, although the water is quite clear.

Yes! Liberty Lines has connections from / to the port of Trapani. Tickets cost about € 25 each way (30 min approx). If you want to move between the three islands, prices are around € 8 (Favignana-Levanzo) and € 13 (Levanzo-Marettimo). Tip: book early in high season!Check the schedules and book the tickets.

So you can definitely visit the Aegadian Islands for free. Moreover, we are clear that the next visit, we will go with more time and take a ferry to Favignana, where we will stay several days to explore the island thoroughly by motorcycle (€ 25 a day, but it is safe to haggle if you are several days). And from there we will explore Levanzo and Marettimo well, that this time we have not even stepped on.

We also believe that it is very worthwhile stay to sleep to know the islands without the many tourists "of the day". Here you can find your little hotel:

- Cheap accommodation in Trapani
- Cheap accommodation in Favignana
- Cheap accommodation in Levanzo
- Accommodation in Marettimo

Now you have clearer how to visit the Aegadian Islands, both on a day trip from Trapani and from free? If you have time and are looking for some beautiful islands where you can relax, swim and eat well, do not think about it: the Egadas await you.