A tiny island off the coast of Sicily, Favignana is the largest one of Aegadian Islands, which also include Marettimo and Levanzo. Whilst Favignana was once prominently involved with tuna fishing and packing, it is now focussed on tourism. But you won’t find scores of people flocking to the white sand beaches with cool boxes in hand, like some other European holiday destinations; the island is relatively untouched by the cruel hands of mass tourism and remains a safe haven for those looking for some peace and quiet.

Cala Rossa, Favignana, Italy by rivaalessandro

Places to Stay

There are a variety of different hotels to stay in around the island and you can be sure a beautiful view of the azure sea is never far away. My two favourites are the Hotel Tempo di Mare and the Hotel Cave Bianche.

The Hotel Tempo di Mare is a four star, stunning white-walled hotel whose entranceway beautifully frames the crystalline waters. It is not a huge hotel and has around 45 rooms, each designed in a simple but chic way with white linens and hints of pale blue. There is a restaurant within the hotel which serves delicious Italian and Sicilian fusion food, using the mouth-wateringly plentiful frutti-di-mare.

The Cave Bianche is a little further away from the island’s main city, only around a 10-15 minute drive, and is set in an old mining quarry. This is a striking hotel unlike anything else in the world; submerged within a quarry with huge vaulted ceilings and characteristic pale sandstone walls. There is also a large pool and Jacuzzi’s not to mention plenty of sunbeds, so you can take advantage of the warming Mediterranean sun.

All in all both hotels are stunning and a real design feat, certainly eons better than what you would find on the Costa del Sol!

Church in Favignana, Sicily, Italy by giovanni.gambaro

Beaches

There are a number of beaches scattered throughout the island, the best has to be the gorgeous Lido Burrone and Cala Azzurra. Both of these beaches are around the south of the island and easily accessible by car or moped. The real thing that makes them special is the fact that the sea is so clear, and the sea beds are covered with luminous white sand stretching out from the coastline. This makes it easy to see all of the amazing sea-life around the area, including octopi, moray eels, crabs and jellyfish, although the majority of these will be found in deeper waters so you don’t have to worry about getting stung!

Sunset at Favignana, Sicily, Italy by payhere

How to get there?

I am from London and so one way I found to get there was flying from Heathrow to Palermo in Sicily which is only a short flight, then hire a car from Palermo to Trapani and then hop on a hydrofoil for around 20 minutes to then get to Favignana’s main port. If all this may seem a little too much, why not try a cruise and stay Caribbean cruise? They are run regularly by many operators and stop right alongside Sicily making it much easier for you to get to Favignana.

However you find it, Favignana is a real hidden gem, so why not discover it now before everybody else does?

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