The Egadi Islands (Isole Egadi, pronounced Ee-so-lay Eh-ga-dee) sit ten kilometres off Trapani on Sicily’s west coast. Three inhabited: Favignana the flat, bike-friendly centrepiece, Levanzo the smallest at 200 residents, Marettimo the remote walker’s island. Best visited May to October, day-trippable from Trapani but far better with a two-night base on Favignana.
Three ferry routes to know.
Trapani → Favignana
25 min · 10/day summer · Liberty Lines aliscafo · from €13
The workhorse route. Boats leave Trapani’s Molo Sanità every 60 to 90 minutes in summer, dropping to four a day in winter. Book the day before for weekends in July and August.
Trapani → Levanzo
20 min · 6/day summer · Liberty Lines aliscafo · from €12
Faster than Favignana because Levanzo is closer to Trapani. Some services stop at Favignana first, adding 20 minutes; check the timetable for direct sailings.
Favignana → Marettimo
1h 10min · 3/day summer · Liberty Lines aliscafo · from €16
The Marettimo run gets cancelled first when the sea rises. Plan a buffer day either side, especially in April to May and October. Trapani direct to Marettimo takes 1 hour 40 minutes at around €18.
Three practicalities that catch first-timers.
- Rent a bike on Favignana, not a scooter. Favignana is 20 square kilometres, flat, and criss-crossed by dirt tracks the scooters cannot use. Bike rental around €10 / day at the port, drops off you at Cala Rossa, Bue Marino and Cala Azzurra in 25 minutes each way.
- Cala Rossa is the shot. Bue Marino is the swim. Cala Rossa is the postcard bay with the abandoned tuff quarry walls, which means limited water access and afternoon crowds. Bue Marino next door has flat rock ledges, easier entry and half the visitors.
- Marettimo needs a night. Do not day-trip it. Marettimo has one village, no cars, and 26 kilometres of walking trails including the Punta Troia castle circuit and the Cammino del Solstizio. Day-trippers get four hours; the island needs at least two. The three affittacamere in the village are simple; book directly.