Island Hopping off Sicily
Ever since the first time I arrived in Sicily, I wanted to explore the many islands that surround it. As time passed, I would hear my family members and many other Sicilians talk about the beauty of these islands, making my desire even greater. For someone like me, water is always a source of attraction, and Sicily has an abundance of opportunities to experience picturesque places providing stunning water views, sandy beaches, and spectacular sunsets. Sicily is a boater’s paradise.
One of the easiest islands to visit, Isola delle Femmine, (translated in English is “The Island of Females”) is not too far from the capital city of Palermo. The island shares its name with the small coastal town of Isola delle Femmine, which is where you can find Captain Tony, owner of Escursioni Isola delle Femmine, for a boat ride and an island-visit excursion. The island is a short jaunt from the marina. On our visit there, we swam in the warm, clean waters just offshore and then we proceeded to swim to the island.
Boating off of Isola delle Femmine
There, as we came out of the water, we were greeted by environmentalist volunteers who gave us a tour of the Isola delle Femmine Marine Protected Area. In recent years the group has been repopulating the natural environment with native plants and providing guests with tours giving a history of its past. There is an array of different plants, and the island also hosts various migrating birds from Africa en route to Northern Europe. A trail is being built around the perimeter of the island for hikers, marine enthusiasts, and seabird watchers.
Our guide also pointed out several archeological sites as well. There is evidence of cisterns utilized during the Carthaginian period to store garum, a fermented fish sauce used as a condiment, which became a staple in the Roman era. You can also find the remains of a watchtower, built by the Kingdom of Sicily in the 16th century to guard against pirates. You can see many of these towers along the coast, and since they were situated short distances from each other, they could communicate using light, smoke, and reflective surfaces, informing of danger or other happenings.
When we returned to port in the town of Isola delle Femmine, we indulged in a wonderful fish dinner amazingly prepared at Gran Caffè di Giuseppe Bruno, a historic venue which for years has offered various local fish and artisanal excellence.
Catching a short ferry ride out of Trapini, you can visit the island of Favignana, the largest of the Egadi Islands. The name of the island comes from the warm favonio winds that come from the west, making the climate very comfortable. Favignana is a charming destination for divers and beach goers. The island doesn’t have many sandy beaches; however, the water is crystal clear. The most popular beach is Lido Burrone, which is a short walk from the port, but I recommend renting a bicycle and finding a more secluded beach elsewhere. I wouldn’t recommend taking a car to the island for a short visit. The car ferry is much slower than the passenger one, and it is an added expense that isn’t necessary. The best method of transportation is an electric bicycle, which are plentiful with various rental shops in the town of Favignana.
Punta Sottile Lighthouse in the distance
The island was developed by the Florio family for fishing and tuna processing; you can visit the tuna museum in case the weather doesn’t cooperate. At the port, you can still see the remains of the tuna processing plant that once produced the final product, from tuna fishing to filleting, butchering, cooking, to canning. The buildings were acquired by the Region of Sicily in the 1990s and restored between 2006 and 2008, when they were converted into a museum.
With Favignana’s natural beauty, you’ll want to spend as much time outside as possible. Our electric bikes took us to many sites to discover and places to swim. We found several beaches and settled for a swim at a rocky beach called Cala Ross. Later that night, we took a walk in the center of town, which is picturesque and has several options for good restaurants. We had a wonderful dinner at Scaliddre Ristorante Siciliano, of eggplant caponata, sliced tuna combined with red and white onion jam and orange sauce.
Scaliddre Ristorante Siciliano, caponata
Scaliddre Ristorante Siciliano, sliced tuna
The next day we took a boat excursion to Isola di Marettimo, a less populated island that mostly contains white houses, blue shutters, and ceramic plaques listing the names of their residents. Our boat excursion provided a ride along its coastline to view the beautiful dolomite rocks and enjoy a leisurely swim, where we carefully dodged the little jellyfish that floated around us. One little peninsula was named after a wild boar, since it resembled one quite distinctively and is the place where Punta Troia Castle sits, Marettimo’s most magnificent landmark. The little town has about 300 residents, which blooms to over twice as many in the summer months. I’d like to return there for hiking and to visit the Roman ruins, Case Romane, an area of Roman houses, and a Byzantine chapel called Chiesetta Bisantina.
After watching a remarkable sunrise, the morning of our last day on Favignana, we had just enough time to rent a boat to discover its coastal rock formations and caves, as well as take in another swim. If you are looking to get away from crowds for a few days and experience beaches and crystal-clear waters, then Favignana is the perfect place.
The Aeolian Islands are a must-see if you are interested in visiting the islands of Italy. This collection of seven volcanic islands is grouped as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and will capture your attention with views of unusual landscapes that were created by volcanoes. Here you will find Lipari, the biggest and most inhabited of the islands, which made a good basecamp for our visit.
It has been inhabited since 5000 B.C. and can be reached by ferry from Milazzo harbor on the mainland of Sicily. The small historical center of Lipari is populated by numerous shops and restaurants that serve the many tourists that visit during the summer months. Although it gets a large number of visitors, it pales compared to the overtourism in other parts of Italy like Capri. Here again, the best way to enjoy this island is by renting a boat for the day, viewing the cliff-lined coastline, and swimming in the incredibly clear waters. The food, as you would expect, is a seafood-lover’s paradise; every meal was a hit and inexpensive.
From Marina Corta, we took an economical boat excursion to Stromboli and swam off the black beach that is just at the base of an active volcano. It seems pretty bizarre to be so close to an active volcano, but after thousands of years of predictable volcanic activities, it’s a safe place for humans. The excursion also included a stop on the little island of Panarea, where we found a wonderful little bakery for a delicious homemade lunch. Coming back to the port of Lipari there was a spectacular sunset, and the captain hung out long enough to see a quick flare up at the top of the volcano in the dark sky.
There are so many more islands I’d like to explore surrounding Sicily, I know if I am able, I will do so; I just hope I don’t have to wait too long.