Discover the most beautiful coves of Favignana, the largest of the Aegadian Islands, thanks to this easy bike route for the whole family.
- Imagine you are wearing comfortable and light clothing.
- A salt-scented breeze ruffles your hair and refreshes your face.
- You sit on a bike and start pedaling effortlessly on a flat dirt road.
- No cars, no traffic.
- An intense sea to your left, impossibly shaped rocks and flowering fields to your right.
- And the Sicilian sun tempering the road.
There are experiences that you only live once but remember for a lifetime 😉 Are you coming along for the ride?
Technical specifications
East side of the island
- Difficulty: Easy.
- Length: 17 km (approx).Â
- Slope: 30 m.
- Travel time: 1 h 45 min (at 10 km/h and without stops).
- Start: Favignana (bike rental).
- End: Favignana (bike rental).
- Date of realization (photographs): April, 2014.
This is the bike route we took during our visit.
West side of Favignana
- Difficulty: Easy/Medium.
- Length: 22 km (approx).Â
- Elevation gain: 187 m.
- Travel time: 2 h 15 min (at 10 km/h and without stops).
- Start: Favignana (bike rental).
- End: Favignana (bike rental).
We did not do this route due to lack of time (and because I am one of those who prefer to travel slowly but enjoying the road).
East Favignana Bike Route
The itinerary is easy to follow and well signposted. In any case, if you make a mistake, it is very easy and quick to turn around.
After all, this side of the island is 99.9% flat. Even if you don't have the strength in your legs, pedaling here is a pleasure.
San Nicola Point
As soon as you leave the city behind you take a detour that takes you away from the road traffic. And so, little by little and enjoying the scenery, you reach the first panoramic point of the route: Punta San Nicola.
From here you will see strange geometric formations on the coastline, as if a 1980's Pac-Man had taken bites out of the island's outline.
It is actually the remains left by the hundreds of limestone tuff mines (used in construction) that dotted the island centuries ago and have shaped the curious landscape that you will find throughout the trip.
2. Rossa Cove
Shortly after you reach the icing on the cake of the trip, the rocky beach of Cala Rossa.
I have never seen such an intensity of blues in the sea as I observed in this place.
It is not turquoise. It's not sky blue. It's the color that pops into your mind when you close your eyes and dream of a deep, shimmering, tantalizing ocean.
Here you can park the bikes for a while to enjoy the views of Levanzo in the background, go down to the rocks, ride along the coast and admire this cove from all perspectives. It is well worth it.
Although there were people sunbathing, I did not find it very suitable for swimming, especially if you go with small children.
3. Bue Marino Beach
After seeing Cala Rossa everything will be a little too much for you, but the small mine transformed into a dock of Bue Marino also has its charm.
The sea in this area is usually calmer than in the northern end of the island and the colors are still hypnotic.
And the dirt road along the coast that connects it to the Marsala lighthouse is not to be missed either.
4. Cala Azzurra and lighthouse of Punta Marsala
Cala Azzurra is another highlight of this bike route through Favignana.
Although it is not as visually spectacular as Cala Rossa, it does have an easily accessible sandy swimming area overlooking the Punta Marsala lighthouse.
5. Burrone Point
If you continue along the coastal path you reach Punta Burrone, with a beach, lido and beach bar in authentic Italian style.
Here we stopped to sunbathe for a while but we didn't have the courage to go in the water. The cold wind whipping around the island was not inviting to take a dip in the middle of April... 🙂 🙂
6. Lunga Point
Before returning to Favignana we reach Punta Lunga, a curious peninsula overlooking the south of the island.
7. Favignana
And finally, we took advantage of the bikes for a ride through the center of Favignana and its main square: Piazza Matrice.
How to get to Favignana
To reach the island you must take one of the boats leaving from the port of Trapani, the largest city on the west coast of Sicily.
You can buy your tickets at the ticket office marked on the map or through the website (12€ per way and person).
If you visit the area in high season I recommend buying them in advance, either one way or the other.
We were forced to take a ticket 1 hour later than we wanted and return a little earlier because the other shifts were full. And that's counting that we were only in mid-season (end of April, Easter).
Approximately 1 boat departs every hour during sunlight hours, depending on the month of the year, and the trip lasts 30 to 40 minutes.
Where to rent a bike
As soon as you arrive at the port of Favignana you will see that there are several bike rental stores to choose from.
Prices range from €3 to €8 per day depending on the season in almost all stores.
In our case, we chose Noleggio Campo, as they were the first ones we saw when we got off the boat. But I am sure that any establishment would have given us a similar service.
The cheapest are simple road bikes. Although they also offer mountain bikes, electric bikes and even small mopeds and cars (the latter, in my opinion, take all the fun and sustainability out of the ride).
When to go
The best time to visit Favignana is in early June:
- It is warm enough to enjoy swimming in the sea.
- The high season has not yet begun, so prices are lower.
- The sea is cleaner due to the lower number of tourists.
In any case, the island of Favignana always looks beautiful. And if you don't believe me, just look at the pictures taken by Nahuai in April 2014.
Where to eat
When we got hungry we were already close to Cala Azzurra, so we bought a tomato and buffalo sandwich at the bar of the same name.
They have a very suggestive coffee with pistachio cream. However, at that moment what I was craving for dessert was an ice cream 😉.
Where to stay
There is a wide variety of hotel offers on the island.
Although I can't tell you about any first-person examples, as we spent a week staying just outside Trapani, I suggest you take a look at the B&B Al Gattopardo guesthouse.
It is a lovely place in the center of Favignana with a courtyard full of flowers.
It is run by friendly owners who care about the environment and the place where they live. They use renewable energies, solar panels, ecological products... They even rent bicycles in the establishment.
And every morning they serve a delicious breakfast made with local products.
It's clear to me: if I were to return to Favignana, I would choose Al Gattopardo.
Useful Links
- Ferry timetable Trapani-Favignana.
- Hotel offers on the island.
- 5% discount when you take out your adventure travel insurance with IATI.
- Flights to Italy:Trabber,eDreams,Momondo, andVueling.Â
And if you are on route in the west of Sicily do not miss it:
- Complete 7-day tour of Sicily.
- Discover the temple of Segesta and a Greek theater overlooking the sea in Sicily.
- Trekking in the Zingaro Nature Reserve.
- Discover Erice: a medieval village on the heights of Sicily.
- Trekking in Sicily: around Mount Cofano.
Thank you so much for all your advice. We just arrived from Favignana and they were very useful!
Hi, Andrea! How glad I am that you found the tips in this article helpful 🙂 .
Thanks for telling me about it and a hug.