Favignana Island Travel Guide | Sicily 

By Roberto – (Updated Dec 2022)

⏱ 6 min

We went to Favignana Island in the summer of 2018, taking advantage that my cousin was marrying her Italian boyfriend from Palermo. I have to admit that we had never heard about this island, and after spending four complete days here, I have to say thanks to my cousin for the opportunity to visit this amazing place.

Favignana is a petite island close to Sicily, where fishermen and tradition mix with tourists and exceptional beaches. The island is like a tiny rock in the Mediterranean Sea, so don’t expect the long sandy beaches that are in Australia. Favignana is full of rocky coves (“calas” in Italian and Spanish) and INCREDIBLY blue waters.

It’s a perfect Summer destination for 3 days. This island can be partially discovered in one day, but some of the beaches and plans we share here in our Favignana Island Travel Guide, require a bit more time. 

When to go	June to September. We went in August and it was busy but not crowded.
How to get there	First fly to Sicily and go to the city of Trapani. From Trapani’s port, there are daily and frequent fast ferries (every 50 mins approx..) with the company Liberty Lines. The one-way trip takes around 30 minutes and is € 12-15. You can book online.
Don’t forget	Swimsuit, water shoes and cash
Cost

Everybody knows where Italy is, some know where Sicily is, but not many know where Favignana is. At the northwest of Sicily there is a group of 3 islands called the Aegadian Islands, which include Favignana, Marettimo and Levanzo. Favignana is the biggest and most visited.

The name Aegadian comes from the Battle of the Aegates of 241 BC, in which the Carthaginian fleet was defeated by the Roman fleet, the battle that ended the First Punic War.

Check below the map with the recommended beaches and other places of interest ⬇️

How to get around Favignana Island

Let’s imagine you have docked at Favignana’s port. What do you have to do? First, leave your stuff at your pre-booked accommodation and once you’re done, there are three thigs to do to get around the island.

Rent a bike: If you plan to go to the beaches/coves near the town (this is the 50% of them), you can rent a bike or an electrical bike. Why? Because it’s cheaper than the other options, faster in terms of paperwork, healthier and sustainable. Additionally, it’s the best method to discover the inner island. €10-15 regular bikes, €20-25 electrical.

Rent a motorcycle: Alternatively, if you’re tired or plan to go further to the coves on the west side of the island, then go for a 50 or 125 cc motorbike. €25-50. 

Rent a boat: This is the big fish. Undoubtedly it’s the best plan to visit coves and enjoy the freedom. We opted for this option one day and went around the whole island, stopping at 4-5 coves. The coves have great accessibility and the boat is easy to drive. 100% recommended. Prepare around € 200-350 for a private boat.

Where to rent: The majority of rental places are along the port area and easy to find. In case you don’t find what you want, just ask the locals. With recommendations and word of mouth you can also get deals. Try to negotiate a bit, especially for the boats, but don’t be rude insisting.

Best coves / calas and beaches on Favignana Island

Our Favignana Island Travel Guide wouldn’t be complete without raving about the beaches and coves on this paradisiacal island. Favignana has more than 15 beaches and calas and describing all would be an entire long post. Moreover, there are some first-class beaches and others that are humbler. After visiting all the coast with the boat and by land, our selection of the best beaches and coves would be the following:

Cala Bue Marino

The water is magical with light and dark blues and the stones give the place a mythical look. Favignana today is famous for its beaches, but time ago it was because of its stone quarries and tuna fishing. These quarries give the cala a unique atmosphere, that’s why it is our top recommendation. There are no restaurants or bars close by, so BYO.

Cala Rossa

Another top beach is Cala Rossa. The story is that the name rossa (pink) comes from the color of the water during the Punic War, due to the blood. Don’t let that deter you! This cala is bigger, a lot bigger than Bue Marino, but also the most visited. It is stunning and the water is incredibly clear. It is perhaps one of the clearest waters we have seen. There are different areas along the shore, with sand, gravel, or big rocks, giving you the sense that you are at different beaches.

Around the island, there are a few food stands to grab some tuna sandwiches and beers from, but nothing else. Be sure to pack your own food and water.

Cala Azzurra

Cala Azzurra has more sand than the others and looks like a big pool. The water is quite shallow and it’s a better option for relaxation or for families with kids. The water quality is also outstanding! Another good thing is that all three of these beaches are close to each other. So if by some strange chance that you don’t like one of them, you can visit the others. 

Other beaches we liked were Cala Preveto and Cala Rotonda (see the map above!). We stopped at these 5 marvelous beaches with the boat in a day, enjoying our breaks. 

What to eat on Favignana Island

Jejejej, some people may laugh about this but Favignana has two things to eat: tuna and gelato. Luckily, they don’t have tuna gelato! The food variety is quite limited, to be honest. They have really good tuna, tuna kebabs, pasta with tuna, tuna sandwiches, tuna salads, and there are trattorias that offer pizzas and arancini. And yes, pizza with tuna!

Apart from that, there are a few pasta restaurants, and meat is quite limited and expensive. The gelato and the granita (lemon slush) are a must. 

The majority of the places to eat are located in the center of the town, around the two main plazas or on small streets. Another must-try is the aperitivo. The Italian aperitivo is served before dinner and includes a variety of tasty bites including olives, salmon, cheese, some veggies… and wine on the side. Delightful.

Ellen wanted to include here, a special shoutout to the Kebabberia di Tonno. The tuna kebabs and bowls here (pictured above) have phenomenal flavor profiles as the tuna is prepared specially, including soaking the tuna in citrus juices from lemon and oranges. This makes the tuna incredibly tender, juicy, and delicious. It’s a must-try!

Other things to do in Favignana

Since you are going to be busy at the beach, looking for places to eat tuna, or just drinking a couple of beers with your beloved, you won’t have so much time to waste. Our feeling was that Favignana is about chilling at the beach, enjoying riding a bike with the smell of the sea, walking around the town, drinking beer and wine, and sharing laughs. 

If you want to discover more places, you can go to Castello di Santa Caterina – the highest point on the island with magnificent views, or to Florio Tonnara (the historic tuna fishery) – renovated to house a museum with artifacts from the First Punic War. Both places are a shown on the map too.

And that wraps up our Favignana Island Travel Guide! A short post for a small but unique island. Do we recommend a visit? Absolutely. The blue waters of the sea will stay in your memory forever. Please, let us know if you have any questions and we will try to help. All the best. 

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