ahotelinitaly.com blog

Favignana is the largest of the Egadi Islands, which lie off the western tip of Sicily. A mere 4100 souls live on the 14 square miles of Favignana, though the numbers are increasingly swollen by tourists, who arrive by hydrofoil from Trapani on mainland Sicily. It has an ancient history, being colonised by the Phoenicians, who found it a useful resting point on their Mediterranean trade routes. And in 241BC, Rome and Carthage fought a huge naval battle here over ownership of the island. 200 Roman galleys saw off 400 Phoenician ships and took 10,000 prisoners. Bodies were apparently washed onto the northern shore by the hundred, giving the bay the nickname of Cala Rossa, or Red Cove.

Passing from Rome to the Saracens, the Normans, Aragon and Genoa, the islands became prized for the huge shoals of tuna found offshore. Tufa stone was the other major business, the fine volcanic rock being used for building. The island saw steady decline and depopulation during the 20th century, and like so much of southern Italy, it saw many of its people leave for the United States. Today, the island is reborn as a tourist destination, and is famous for its caves of volcanic rock. The traditional ‘tonnara’ fishing technique, with the trapping and killing (mattanza) of bluefin tuna is another local peculiarity. The rocky beaches mean this isn’t ideal sunbathing territory, but the island’s shores are very big on snorkeling and scuba diving.

Click here for hotels in the area, Trapani included.