The Egadi Islands

The three Egadi Islands are located just a few miles off the coast of Trapani, western Sicily. They are nature reserves.

With a population of around 5,000 spread over the three islands, Favignana is the largest and most populated, and Marettimo and Levanzo are smaller.It is possible to find bays and coves, mountain paths and a pace of life which is extremely relaxing.

The Egadis boast a long history.

There are some Paleolithic and Neolithic cave paintings. The most famous of these is the “Grotta del Genovese” on Levanzo. Discovered only in 1949 these incisions and charcoal and animal fat graffiti depict scenes from daily life including fishing for tuna, animal husbandry and even dancing.

In 241BC the First Punic War was brought to an end here. In fact, Catulus defeated the Carthaginian fleet there and a treaty was signed whereby Sicily was handed over to the Roman Empire.

In 1874 the islands were bought by the Florio family whose business interests included sulphur mining, tuna fisheries and Marsala wine. The Egadis were home to the largest tuna fishery in Sicily.

Favignana is the largest and most important of the islands. It lies some 10 miles off the Trapani coast and is a popular holiday destination in the summer months thanks to its crystalline azure waters in bays such as Cala Rossa. It has a small port and is dominated by the Fort of Santa Caterina, originally built by the Arabs as a watchtower, enlarged by the Normans and then used as a prison by the Bourbon Kings. It is also home to two buildings testifying to the influence of the Florio family: Palazzo Florio, built in 1876 near the harbour and the Florio building of tuna fishery. The latter, recentely refurbished, is a gorgeous museum where you can learn how about the traditional tuna cull and tuna processing. The last Mattanza, the traditional tuna cull, was in 2007.

Favignana has crystalline waters offering excellent swimming and good scuba-diving possibilities, especially in the sea caves such as Grotta Azzurra, Grotta dei Sospiri and Grotta degli Innamorati.

Levanzo is the smallest of the Egadis. It is hilly and the highest peak, “Pizzo del Monaco”, rises to 278m. Much of the coastline is made up of rocky cliffs and a few lovely beaches. Peace and quiet are ensured and stressful city life soon becomes a distant memory. The most important place is, as mentioned above, the Grotta dei Genovesi.

Marettimo is lying a full 15 miles off the coast of Trapani. It is wonderfully unspoilt both in terms of its marine life and its mountainous hinterland. Limestone cliffs plummet towards the cobalt-blue sea, endless panoramas abound and mountain paths offer wonderful walking. The local fishermen will be happy to accompany you on a boat trip around the island to see the numerous caves one of which, the Grotta del Cammello, hosts a pebbly beach and the remains of a Roman settlement.