Very few tourists.. given the bad weather forecast, many decide to spend the long weekend among the beautiful Egadi islands.. but we, as always, do not let ourselves be discouraged.. and decide to set off certain that the weather will be our ally..
Our desire to travel is always huge, which is why we decided to spend the long weekend of 2 June in the wonderful Egadi Islands. Located off Trapani, on the eastern coast of Sicily, the islands are an unspoilt world reachable only by sea.
The islands are so close to the mainland that sailing times are very short.
The Egadi archipelago comprises three main islands, Favignana (the largest), Levanzo (the smallest) and Marettimo, and two large rocks, Maraone and Formica, emerging from the blue waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea, just a few miles from Trapani. The clear waters and fascinating coasts, the small hills, the bays, the caves and then the special appeal of the tuna fishery (one of the few surviving in the world), make the Egadi an appreciated tourist and seaside destination. People go to these islands to rest, to stop time, to re-educate themselves with taste and calm to the true meaning of things, of human relationships and with nature. On these islands you easily forget what stress is.
The islands have a gastronomic tradition of real standing, obviously based on the catch: simple dishes, but carefully made and tasty, always prepared with very fresh ingredients, produced directly on site. In the few restaurants on the island you eat well practically everywhere; but the best would be to make friends with the locals and taste the home cooking. We obviously recommend you try the tuna, which here they prepare in various versions: simply grilled, with onions, sweet and sour. Then the swordfish rolls, the fried prawns and squid, the exquisite boiled lobsters enriched with a drizzle of olive oil, the grouper or sea bream baked with potatoes.
Day 11 Jun 2006
We left on the afternoon of 1 JUNE, destination Palermo, Falcone e Borsellino airport. Here waiting for us was Giusepppe Taxi, a collaborator of the Residence L'isola di Levanzo. From the airport, after about 50 minutes by car, we reached the port of Trapani, where we boarded the Siremar hydrofoil, which after 45 minutes of sailing docked at the port of LEVANZO. The small village of Levanzo seen from the sea is beautiful…many white houses close to the small harbor, this is an evocative image of the island almost like a nativity scene.
The small Levanzo is about 8 nautical miles from Trapani and has an area of 10 sq km, with high coasts over the sea. Welcoming us was Giampiero, from the residence staff, once the luggage was loaded aboard his "defender" we headed to the residence. On the island there will be, if anything, 200 total meters of asphalt, that's why you notice numerous jeeps with big and comfortable wheels since the route to reach the residence is one of those winding ones. Around us, only vegetation, plants, sea…but above all silence!!!
The residence is recently built, everything inside is new and cared for down to the smallest details, Once the luggage is put away we go down to the village to have dinner in the only restaurant on the island. Suffice it to say that on the whole island there is only one mini market, 2 bars and one small shop for "shopping"...The evening is very short, tiredness takes over and after sorting out the last things we go to bed in search of energy…
Woman in leather jacket on rocky cliff path with wooden railing above crashing waves
Day 22 Jun 2006
JUNE 2 The next morning the sun shines on the island and early in the morning we go down to the village to have breakfast. The view of the port of Levanzo kissed by the sun is picture-postcard. Geologically, Levanzo is the oldest of the islands of the archipelago; its formation dates back to the Triassic period, about two hundred million years ago. The Grotta del Genovese is famous; its figures and graffiti testify to the presence of man on the island dating back more than 10,000 years ago and have given the island and its archipelago international renown. This morning, in fact, we will visit the caves.
Having climbed aboard a powerful jeep, we set off toward the caves...unfortunately the sky begins to cloud over and the wind (practically always present on the island) begins to become overpowering...we visit these beautiful caves...the graffiti are truly incredible, enough to leave you open-mouthed. Unfortunately, coming out of the cave we find a big problem...it's raining!!! We run to the jeep and make our way back to the residence.
We rest while waiting for good news from the sky...in the afternoon, although it has stopped raining and the sky is still grey, we decide to take a stroll to admire the wonderful coasts bathed by turquoise waters...this, in fact, is Cala Minnola.
On Levanzo everything is beautiful, the sun tries to break through the clouds and Selene immediately takes advantage of it to stay in her swimsuit and get a bit of a tan. The evenings on the island pass quickly and relaxingly; since there are no clubs, in fact, you go to bed very early and then are lively the next morning, ready for new excursions.
Limestone rocks on green water, a seagull resting, open sea and grey sky
Day 33 Jun 2006
JUNE 3 Unfortunately we wake up to a light but annoying rain that seriously jeopardizes this day too. The weather doesn't seem to be on our side at the start of this stay on the islands, mainly due to Balkan currents arriving over the peninsula; luckily there's Giampiero, the guy from the staff of L'isola, who reassures us by reminding us that on the Egadi Islands it rains very few times a year...let's hope so! We decide to move from the island anyway and, having boarded a hydrofoil, we head to FAVIGNANA. With its 19 sq km of surface area, about 9 nautical miles from Trapani, Favignana, the largest of the Egadi, is also called the Great Butterfly on the Mediterranean because of its characteristic shape.
The queen of the Tonnare, the pearl of the archipelago, the butterfly on the sea, the island of the winds, the island of the goats, ideal for families, offers very white beaches and rocky coasts. A peculiarity of great importance on the island of Favignana are the tuff quarries. Tuff represented in the past, along with fishing and agriculture, one of the most important economic resources for the people of Favignana. Favignana tuff, cut into blocks or "cantuni," was in fact exported throughout Sicily and to North Africa. Today the tuff quarries, in the north-eastern area of the island, help make the landscape extremely singular and original. Life on the island is quite different from Levanzo; banks, shops, cars, restaurants make Favignana the tourist point of greatest attraction in the islands.
As soon as we arrive on the island, Selene and I first rent bicycles, but then, considering the many distances between the various coves to visit, we retrace our steps and rent a faster vehicle...a scooter...In our opinion it's the most convenient means, as it's faster for reaching destinations. The first stop is Bue Marino, a cliff face that really has the shape of an ox. The colors of the water are breathtaking and the somewhat dull sky contributes even more to bringing out the pastel colors of the sea. Shortly after we come across Cala Rossa, considered by many to be the most beautiful part of Favignana. Here, in fact, its sea, turquoise in color, creates a striking contrast with the very white tuff walls around it. The boats anchored in it would seem suspended in the air if it weren't for their shadow drawn on the bottom.
Our tour continues; we arrive at Cala Azzurra, located between Punta Marsala and Punta Fanfalo, characterized by incredibly transparent water with a white seabed and pink hues. Skirting the island, you pass through a tunnel that goes through the island's only mountain, called precisely Montagna Grossa or Colle Santa Catarina, which connects the inhabited part to the wilder and rougher part of the island; from here you reach the lighthouse, from which with the naked eye you can easily see the island of MARETTIMO. Unfortunately, due to the bad sea conditions, we were advised against reaching and visiting it......Not by chance, the best approach to getting to know Marettimo is to take a boat trip around the island to admire the coast, the wonderful sea caves and the crystal-clear seabeds.
A shame for sure, but we will have to come back to the Egadi, so we'll also visit the third island of the archipelago JJL Marettimo is the island that first (about 600,000 years ago) became an island; it is 20 miles from Trapani, the farthest from the western coast of Sicily, with an area of 12 sq km; Marettimo has purely mountainous characteristics. The island is a perfect destination for every type of tourist: passionate cave explorers, sea lovers, fans of underwater exploration, archaeology enthusiasts and generally all those who wish to get away from the clamor and smog of cities to dive into an uncontaminated paradise. The island of Marettimo can be considered one of the last paradises among the rare still-uncontaminated seaside locations. Our journey through Favignana ends with the setting of the sun and, very tired, we make our way back to Levanzo.
Bue Marino
Day 44 Jun 2006
JUNE 4 The next morning opens with a very pleasant surprise: there is a sky as clear as we had never seen in the 3 days we'd been on Levanzo up to then. We immediately put on our swimsuits and, once breakfast is done, we decide to go to Cala Fredda, and not by chance does the word itself indicate the temperature of its beautiful waters. Finally in swimsuits!!! It was about time, after days with sweatshirts and shirts; today, armed with creams and swimsuits, we are finally in the sun like lizards. The day passes peacefully, between photos and swims in the beautiful, though cold, waters of the little cove.
As we make our way back to the residence, the usual daily downpour couldn't leave us alone, accompanied however by a beautiful rainbow. Our stay on the islands is about to end; one more day and we will return to our Milan.
woman standing on coastal road in front of rocky islet under cloudy sky
Day 55 Jun 2006
JUNE 5 Once the luggage is packed and our apartment left clean, early in the morning we decide to go back to Cala Fredda for a few hours to sunbathe.
We were supposed to return to Milan, to chaotic Milanese life, tanned and relaxed; unfortunately the adverse weather conditions meant we didn't come back really dark, but we certainly had fun and, above all, we discovered a new little dot on the map of Italy.
The time available to us, unfortunately, was diminishing minute by minute; we set off again, but with a promise...to the Egadi Islands we will definitely return one day, because the silence of the island, the colors of the sea, the people who live on these islands, are emotions to be relived at least once more in one's life...at least...
The more time passes, the more we realize how many magnificent and uncontaminated places there are in Italy......the Egadi Islands, for example, fit perfectly into this consideration.
Coastal city seen from the airplane window, wing in foreground, scattered clouds
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