Hotel Le Saline - Trapani
Le Saline Hotel was realized in modern style to offer to its guests all the modern comforts. ... Read more »
CUSTONACI: history, traditions and nature on marble mountains
Custonaci is the city of marble, home to Sicily's largest marble quarries, the second largest... Read more »
Discovering Trapani's old town
You cannot leave Trapani without visiting its old town, walking around its narrow alleys and ... Read more »
Visiting the Pepoli Museum, with its paintings and coral works
The Pepoli Museum of fine arts is located in the former Carmelite convent standing next to th... Read more »
Favignana and the Aegadian islands, three pearls in the sea
Facing Trapani, so close you think you could touch them, the Egadi islands stand out against the horizon line, just where the sun sets. Wild and bright, Levanzo and Marettimo frame Favignana, the largest of three islands, with its unmistakable butterfly shape, with its highand rugged sea coast, now carved by the sea and winds, now by men who would pull out itsprecious stone from open-air quarries.
For the Greeks the Egadi (Aegadian) islands represented the outer limits of the known world. For the Phoenicians and the Carthaginians, they were major commercial outposts. The Romans turned them into their defensive bulwark against the armies of Hannibal and Hamilcar. And so did the Arabs, the Normans and the Spaniards, whose traces are found in the surnames of the inhabitants.
The most important and famous of the three islands is definitely Favignana, which the ancients called Aegusa or Favona, in honor of the wind that always blew on it. Once the island lost its strategic military relevance, it became important for fishing, especially tuna fishing. Tuna is also the main feature of local gastronomy, being cooked and eaten not just canned but in so many ways that you can hardly count them... stewed in tomato sauce (as a main dish or as a sauce for pasta), grilled as a steak, plus all its delicious by-products: 'bottarga' (dried and salted tuna roe), 'ficazza' (a sort of spicy tuna salami), 'tunnina' (smoked tuna loin) and so on.
The crystal-clear sea is Favignana's undisputed main attraction, with its countless shades along the island's coast all the way from Cala Azzurra, Grotta Perciata to the white beach at Lido Burrone. Breath-taking Cala Rossa's name (Red Cove) reminds us that its emerald green waters once turned red with blood during the First Punic War naval fought here in 241 BC. The event left on the seabed a great number of shards of amphorae, vases and other artifacts that have made Favignana a forerunner in underwater archeology.
Just a little further north lies Levanzo, the smallest of the three islands (just 10 sq km) and the closest to the port of Trapani, with its white houses nestled on the harbor filled with colorful fishing boats. Levanzo is a tiny piece of land that houses some of the oldest human evidence in Sicily: these figures of men and animals painted and scratched on the walls of Grotta del Genovese bring us back to the Mesolithic, with its obscure rites, its wild and mysterious life. These carvings are probably the oldest in Europe alongside a similar cave in France. Levanzo is also the perfect island for those, especially couples, seeking a quiet holiday, clear blue water and no worldliness. Levanzo is also a paradise for hiking and biking, with several paths available for amateurs and experts alike.
Further away from Trapani, Marettimo is yet another piece of wild nature in the middle of the sea. Originally known as HIERA (sacred) has also been identified by some as the ancient and legendary ITHACA, home of Odysseus. Its small town is made up by a few hundreds of simple white houses, sandwiched between the sea and the mountains. From the village you can venture on nature trails that will leave hiking fans breathless, with a rich variety of flora that can't be found anywhere in Sicily. The sea around the island is simply stunning, and creeps into beautiful natural caves carved into the rock.
Back in Trapani, one can't help looking back to these islands one last time, with a hint of melancholy and a silent hope to return some day.
No photos
Clicking on a thumbnail you can see the video in detail. All videos are freely taken from the web (youtube.com). On recommendation, we will remove the link to the video with copyright.
Italian TV show 'Linea Verde': the Aegadian islands from above
Favignana, the female island, a documentary
Amateur Video: Favignana by bike
The naval rams from Levanzo and Punic Wars
Further information
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On holiday in Favignana - Isole Egadi, discover what awaits you
TrapaniGate.it is also a guide to the best location in Trapani, with lots of useful information on the history, monuments, routes, etc.. Here you can find all the tips on what to see and what to do in Favignana - Isole Egadi, photos and videos, information on the distance from Trapani airport, etc..
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Levanzo's cave Grotta del Genovese: Europe's earliest paintings and carvings
The Grotta del Genovese is located on the north-west coast of the small island of Levanzo, the smallest but not the least attractive in the Archipelago. It lies about... Read more »
Favignana and the Aegadian islands, three pearls in the sea
Facing Trapani, so close you think you could touch them, the Egadi islands stand out against the horizon line, just where the sun sets. Wild and bright, Levanzo and Marettimo frame... Read more »
Favignana - Isole Egadi: ATTRACTIONS
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ACCOMMODATION IN TRAPANI
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Favignana and the Aegadian islands, three pearls in the sea on the map
Favignana and the Aegadian islands, three pearls in the sea
Events and activities
Erice's Medieval Pageant
Erice - da Monday, August 27, 2012 a Sunday, September 02, 2012
In the last week in August Erice celebrates its holy patroness "Our Lady of Custonaci". The tradition involves the setting up of votive altars in Erice's typical courtyards, the procession of... Read more »
Cous Cous Fest 2012
San Vito Lo Capo - da Tuesday, September 25, 2012 a Sunday, September 30, 2012
In 2012 the Cous Cous Fest celebrates fifteen years “Making Couscous, not War”. It is a culinary contest for countries in the Euro-Mediterranean area and beyond, taking a cue from the... Read more »
How to get around
SHUTTLES TO/FROM AIRPORT
Fill in the following fields and send the request to get information on or to book the transfer service to/from the airport.The arranged, authorized companies will offer you their best deal.
BUSES
Get to Trapani (historic centre and harbour), Marsala, Palermo travelling by the following bus service companies: AST, Salemi, Lumia and Terravision.
Travel Blog
About Trapani Airport - Article from the site avionews.it
Thursday, August 25, 2011
AVIONEWS - WAPANews Date: 25-Aug-2011 15:53Category: AirportsNATO goes to war and the Sicilians pay: the emblematic case of the airport of TrapaniRome, Italy - The... Read more »
The traffic data for the month of July 2011
Wednesday, August 03, 2011
In July 2011, the average decline of passenger movements stabilizes at around -23% and -24%. The statistics confirm the trend related to the necessary restrictions imposed... Read more »
Weather forecast in Favignana - Isole Egadi
| Min | Max | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon |  | 59° F | 72° F | |
| Tue | | 59° F | 70° F | |
| Wed |  | 61° F | 70° F |
Info & customer care
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