Favignana and Levanzo Egadi Islands Cruise with Lunch from Trapani

Trapani harbour and the sail out

Trapani sits on a narrow, sickle-shaped peninsula at the western tip of Sicily, and its harbour has been the gateway to the Egadi Islands since ancient times. The cruise leaves from the quay on Via Ammiraglio Staiti, the long seafront road lined with ferry and hydrofoil docks, a few minutes on foot from the historic centre with its baroque churches and the elegant Corso Vittorio Emanuele.

As the boat leaves port, look back for one of the finest views in western Sicily: the old town stretched along the water, the Torre di Ligny watchtower at the tip of the peninsula, the salt pans and windmills to the south and the medieval town of Erice high on its mountain. The crossing to Favignana takes around an hour, a relaxed start to a Favignana day trip from Trapani.

Swimming along the coast of Favignana

Favignana is the largest of the Egadi Islands, and its outline, two hilly wings joined by a flat middle, has earned it the nickname 'the butterfly of the Mediterranean'. The coast is cut by low cliffs and old tuff quarries, where blocks of soft golden stone were cut by hand for centuries and shipped to build towns across Sicily.

The boat follows this shoreline and stops in a sheltered spot so you can swim straight from the deck in water that is famously clear, over sandy and rocky bottoms in every shade of turquoise. The crew chooses the place on the day according to wind and sea; the island's best-known coves, such as Cala Rossa and Bue Marino, lie on its eastern side. Bring a mask if you have one: fish are easy to spot close to the rocks.

Free time in Favignana town

After the swim the boat docks in Favignana's harbour and you have free time to explore the island's only town. Its heart is Piazza Madrice, a cheerful square with cafés and the main church, linked to the port by short lanes of shops selling local tuna products, capers and ceramics. An elegant late 19th-century palace built by the family who ran the island's tuna fishery overlooks the waterfront.

The great landmark is the former tonnara, the vast tuna cannery by the sea, now restored as a museum that tells the story of the mattanza, the traditional tuna catch that shaped island life for generations. If you prefer the beach, Lido Burrone, the main sandy bay, is a short taxi ride away. Is Favignana worth visiting? Even a few hours here show why it is one of Sicily's favourite island escapes.

Levanzo village and its coves

Levanzo is the smallest of the three Egadi Islands and the most peaceful: a single village of white houses with blue shutters curves around a tiny harbour, with almost no traffic and a slow, timeless rhythm. Fishing boats still unload here in the morning, and in the afternoon the loudest sound is often the sea against the rocks.

During your free time you can sit by the harbour, swim from the rocks near the village or follow the path above the port for wide views back towards Favignana. The island is also known for the Grotta del Genovese, a cave on the north-west coast with prehistoric paintings and engravings of animals and human figures thousands of years old; visits there need a separate booking and are not part of this trip. A Levanzo boat tour like this one is the simplest way to see the island in a single day.

The Egadi marine reserve and the best time to go

The waters around Favignana, Levanzo and Marettimo form the Egadi Islands Marine Protected Area, created to protect wide meadows of Posidonia seagrass, the main reason the sea here is so transparent, along with fish, octopus and nesting sea turtles. A small reserve entry fee is collected on site from each visitor; it is not included in the booking, so keep some cash with you.

The best time to visit Favignana and Levanzo is from late May to early October, when the sea is warm enough for a long swim; June and September are quieter and less hot than August. Mornings are usually calmest on the water, which is why the cruise leaves at 09:30. You are back in Trapani in the late afternoon, with time for a sunset stroll along the seafront.