The Egadi archipelago in front of the coast of Trapani is the largest Marine Reserve of the Mediterranean (524 square kilometers).
It includes three big islands (Levanzo, Favignana and Marettimo), and two small uninhabited ones (Formica and Maraone). The sea is wonderful and the coastlines are indented. Few inhabitants live in the big islands and the atmosphere is the one of a place where time flows in a different way. Depths are wonderful.
The area includes a rich variety of places that derives from the different elements: the presence of wind, the geological characteristics and the hydrodynamic and morphological conditions.
There are also different forms of life. It is a paradise for those who love the sea. There are very small coves where just a few people can stay and many caves where you can go only by boat. Some caves can be visited only by divers.
There are colors, scents, tastes and sounds very different from those of the cities. One of the first things that here people think when they get up is “Where does the wind blow today from ? How is the sea ?”.
Marettimo is the farthest offshore island. When you get there, before you realize that the village is situated in the only flat part of the island, fishermen that are waiting for tourists will ask you to go to visit the island by boat. They take tourists to visit the caves around the island and tell the story and particularities of each one. The sea below changes its color very often and the rock faces falls sheer to the sea.
People could settle only in the area where there is the village. The rest of the area is mountainous. Mountain and the sea are the two souls of the island, the two words from which its name derives: mare (sea) and timo (thymus).
Cala Bianca is one the mot beautiful places of the island. You can visit also the Castle. People talk about their island in a very simple way. They usually ask tourists where they want to go because there are no beaches where you can go on foot. There are many mountains and coves where you can go only by boats. In the village there are just a few bars and restaurants because here you can live in harmony with nature.
Favignana is the largest of the three islands of the Egadi archipelago and is also the one more similar to a city. Nicknamed the butterfly that perched on the sea, Favignana was the queen of the tonnare when the Mattanza enriched the Florio’s. The sea is very limpid and each corner of this island is a landscape to discover: Cala Azzurra, Cala Rossa, Cala Rotunda and all those unnamed creeks.
Tourists just have to choose. White beaches or small coves surrounded by rocks from where kids can plunge and depths perfect for diving.
Levanzo: the green and mountainous Levanzo is the smallest of the Egadi islands but it is known throughout the world for the discovery of the Genoese’s Cave that contains paintings and graffitos of the final phase of the Paleolithic. The guided tours let you to see the figures of people, animals and fish, which date back to 10,000 -15,000 years ago.
How to arrive
You can reach the islands from Trapani and from Marsala www.usticalines.it
Fonte: Trapaniwelcome.it