Favignana

A sun-soaked island off the coast of Sicily, Favignana is in a world of its own, making it the perfect (true) getaway. The Egadi archipelago is off the west coast, between Trapani and Marsala. Together with Levanzano and Marittima, along with miniscule rocky isles Formica and Maraione, Favignana is the largest of the islands, clocking in at 19 square kilometers of land mass (9 kilometers long by 4 kilometers wide). It is narrower in the middle with two fanned-out sections on each end, leading to the description of the island by painter-sculpter Salvatore Fiume as "a butterfly on the sea". Known for its beautiful beaches, coves and reefs, it really is a place that feels "apart" -perfect for those wanting to "vacate" and detach from the world for a week. Of course, it isn't truly detached; there are ferries to the mainland regularly!

Named for favonio, meaning the warm westerly winds, it offers many beautiful coves. There is only one town on the island, and much of the island is slashed by dry stone walls, flat arid land, macchia Mediterranean brush, with some woods and hills in the middle. Centuries of mining have created intriguing features in the landscapes and seascapes, where the tuff stone was extracted.

The former tonnara, tuna processing building, now houses two museums, one about the tuna fishing and another with archeological relics. There is also a sea turtle recovery facility there to nurse ailing turtles and return them to the sea.

Villa Florio is a neogothic palazzo that was built in 1878 and now belongs to the town, and has an information office. The Castello di Santa Caterina dates back a lot farther, to the period of Saracen domination, in the 800s. It then passed to the various rulers and feudal lords. Today, it affords a stellar panorama over the island and the sea.

Laid-back and completely casual, be sure to enjoy the different beaches, a visit to the labyrith of the mines, sunsets from the lighthouse point, a nice seafood meal, and a bit of down-time. In town, there is some shopping, or just sit and people-watch in Piazza Madrice or Piazza Mazzini. While the main port is on the north side of the island in Favignana Town, on the south side is the pretty, smaller Porticciolo di Punta Lunga, worth a visit. It is also a good place to rent a boat for the day.

Giulia C., CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons