The ferry from Trapani takes 90 minutes. Most passengers stay on deck, watching Sicily shrink behind them. By the time Marettimo’s white cliffs appear, you’re 43 miles offshore in water that shows the seafloor 50 feet down.
This is the Egadi archipelago’s most remote island. Population 686. No cars in the village. Donkey paths wind past Roman ruins where mosaics still catch morning light. The harbor holds 12 fishing boats that leave before dawn and return by 2pm with the day’s catch.
Five Mediterranean islands keep this rhythm. Fishing villages where tourism arrived quietly, if at all. Stone houses facing turquoise coves. Morning markets selling capers and fresh-caught mackerel. The kind of places where you hear goat bells before you hear engines.
Marettimo: Where Roman governors built summer villas
The island sits at the western edge of the Egadi chain. Limestone cliffs rise 300 meters straight from the sea. Over 500 plant species grow in the interior, many found nowhere else. UNESCO designated it a Biosphere Reserve in 1991 to protect 53,992 hectares of marine habitat.
Casa Romana sits on the eastern slope. First-century villa with intact floor mosaics and bath chambers. No ropes, no guards. You walk through rooms where Roman administrators escaped Sicilian summer heat 2,000 years ago.
The village clusters around one harbor. Whitewashed houses with blue shutters. Three restaurants, two grocery stores, one church. Fishermen mend nets on the quay while tourists eat grilled swordfish at outdoor tables. Water temperature hits 77°F by July.
What you actually do here
Hiking the coastal paths
Punta Troia trail climbs to a Norman castle ruin. Two-hour round trip. The path follows old mule routes through wild rosemary and fennel. At the top, you see Tunisia on clear days, 125 miles southwest.
Cala Bianca sits on the island’s north side. Thirty-minute walk from the village through pine forest. White pebble beach in a protected cove. The water stays calm even when wind hits the exposed coasts. Locals swim here year-round.
Boat tours to the caves
Over 400 sea caves indent Marettimo’s coastline. Fishermen run tours in wooden boats for $40 per person. Grotta del Tuono echoes with wave crashes. Grotta del Presepio holds rock formations that look like nativity figures in certain light.
The tours stop at swimming spots where cliffs drop straight into 60-foot-deep water. You jump from the boat into turquoise that shows every rock below. Tours last three hours and leave at 9am daily from May through October.
The other four islands worth the ferry ride
Levanzo: 208 residents and 10,000-year-old cave art
Smallest inhabited Egadi island. One village, no paved roads beyond the harbor. Grotta del Genovese holds Paleolithic engravings discovered in 1949. You hike 90 minutes to reach it or take a boat. Guide required, $15 per person.
Cala Minnola offers the clearest snorkeling in the archipelago. Rocky bottom visible at 40 feet. Grouper and octopus common. The island gets maybe 5,000 visitors annually compared to Capri’s 2 million. Procida keeps similar quiet off Naples.
Favignana: Butterfly-shaped island with tuna history
Largest Egadi at 7.4 square miles. Population 3,407. The Florio family built a tuna processing plant here in 1859. It operated until 2007 and now serves as a museum. Admission $7, open April through September.
Cala Rossa cuts into the eastern shore. Natural pool with turquoise water between white limestone walls. Gets crowded in August but stays manageable in June and September. Rent bikes in town for $12 per day to explore 18 miles of coastal roads.
Pantelleria: Volcanic island closer to Tunisia than Sicily
This island sits 62 miles from Sicily, 43 miles from Africa. Black lava cliffs, terraced caper farms, cube-shaped dammuso houses with thick walls and domed roofs. Population 7,700. Specchio di Venere thermal lake reaches 122°F in summer.
Montagna Grande rises to 2,743 feet. Three-hour hike to the summit through Mediterranean scrub. Pantelleria produces sweet Passito wine from Zibibbo grapes grown in volcanic soil. Wineries offer tastings for $20. Ustica offers similar volcanic drama north of Palermo.
San Vito Lo Capo: Mainland beach that rivals the islands
Sicilian coastal town with 1.8 miles of white sand. Population 4,600. Monte Monaco cliffs rise behind the beach. Water clarity matches the islands at 60-foot visibility. Zingaro Nature Reserve borders the town with 4.3 miles of protected coastline.
The couscous festival runs each September. Arab-Sicilian tradition dating to medieval trade routes. Restaurants serve couscous di pesce year-round for $18. Drive from Palermo takes 90 minutes. Rooms cost $80-180 per night, half what you pay in Taormina.
Planning the island circuit
Trapani serves as the ferry hub. Liberty Lines runs hydrofoils to all three Egadi islands. Marettimo costs $30 one-way, Levanzo $25, Favignana $20. Ferries run twice daily in winter, six times daily in summer. Book tickets online or at the port.
Budget three days for Marettimo, two for Favignana, one for Levanzo. Pantelleria requires separate planning. Fly from Trapani in 40 minutes for $90 or take the six-hour ferry for $45. San Vito Lo Capo works as a day trip from Trapani or overnight stop.
Accommodation ranges from $60 stone cottages on Marettimo to $150 boutique hotels on Favignana. Book ahead for July and August. May, June, and September offer 70°F-80°F weather with half the crowds. Greek islands like Andros provide similar shoulder-season value.
Your questions about these islands answered
When do the islands get crowded?
August sees Italian families on vacation. Favignana beaches fill up, Marettimo stays manageable. Easter week brings religious processions and higher prices. Winter months (November-March) mean reduced ferry schedules and closed restaurants, but you’ll have trails to yourself. Spring wildflowers peak in April and May.
Can you island-hop without a car?
Yes. Ferries connect all three Egadi islands. Walk everywhere on Marettimo and Levanzo. Rent bikes on Favignana. Pantelleria requires a scooter ($35/day) or car. San Vito Lo Capo has bus service from Trapani ($8) but renting a car ($50/day) gives you access to Zingaro Reserve trailheads.
How do these compare to Aeolian Islands?
Aeolian Islands (Stromboli, Lipari, Salina) sit northeast of Sicily and draw 200,000 visitors annually. More developed tourism infrastructure, higher prices. Egadi Islands stay quieter with 50,000 total visitors. Similar authentic fishing culture exists on Caribbean islands like Bequia. Egadi offers better value and fewer crowds.
The afternoon ferry back to Trapani leaves at 4:30pm. Most visitors make it with time to spare. The ones who almost miss it are usually the ones who found a quiet cove and lost track of time watching fishermen pull in their nets.