Travel Guide
This Underrated European Island Known As The ‘Santorini Of Italy’ Is All The Rage Right Now
May
Home to Blanche ‘choras’ that cling vertiginously to cliff-sides, and picture-ready blue dome church buildings, it’s no marvel Santorini is likely one of the hottest European summer season getaways.
If solely Greece’s most picturesque island weren’t so extremely crowded, and overnights in these iconic cave lodges with swim-up suites wouldn’t value 1000’s of euros an evening…
But hey, who mentioned Santorini retains a monopoly on the whitewashed-island aesthetic?
Over in Italy, within the Tyrrhenian Sea, there’s a tiny island most vacationers are but to find, and Instagrammers haven’t ruined, providing quaint coastal cities, lovely sea coves, and a style of that sluggish Mediterranean life:
Ever Heard Of Italy’s Hidden Santorini?
Lying off the coast of Sicily, a brief 30-minute hydrofoil journey from the busy port metropolis of Trapani, Favignana is the most important island within the Egadi archipelago, and the up-and-coming summer hotspot you’ve got been ready to listen to about.
I imply, it is even been handpicked by Christopher Nolan because the setting for his subsequent huge Hollywood blockbuster, The Odyssey, which is, you recognize, a traditional Greek story.
A tiny landmass overlaying an space of solely 14.2 sq. miles but packed stuffed with historical sights and pure wonders, Favignana is a type of locations you may simply see in full over a few days or an extended weekend, however you will not be in a rush to go away when you’re there.
Picture a flat shoreline interspersed with coastal settlements and shallow bays bathed by turquoise waters, and a lush countryside criss-crossed by biking pathways, passing idyllic farms and rolling vineyards: la dolce vita at its prime.
Oh, and did we point out the picture-perfect capital?
A Charming Harbor Town & Delicious Food
The major city on the island, Favignana (similar identify because the island) is dotted with family-owned trattorias, cozy cafe terraces and gelato retailers, and it is well-known for its low-rise cubic buildings coloured gentle sand or off-white:
Not putting white, like Santorini, however the parallels are there to be discovered, particularly alongside the waterfront, the place there’s numerous boutique lodges and renovated villas which have been given a chalk-white makeover.
One of the perfect seashores on the island, Cala Rossa is a peaceable sand-and-gravel strip backed by a limestone cliff, a scenic 20-minute bike journey away, and should you occur to be craving some pasta and native wine, Trattoria da Papù has an extended listing of Sicilian delicacies at reasonably priced costs.
Have You Seen All Those Turquoise Calas?
Beyond the quaint harborside capital, Favignana is house to a storied tuna cannery. Once the property of the Florio household, it’s now a museum chronicling the island’s wealthy tuna fishing historical past—evidently, there is not any higher place to get souvenirs.
A fairytale fortress on high of a hill overlooking the teal-colored Mediterranean and a rocky shoreline, Castello di Santa Caterina is a must-do hike for tradition buffs and nature lovers alike, and for the water infants on the market, choices are limitless:
There’s Bue Marino, a stretch of coast encompassing stone quarries and secret coves; Grotta Perciata, a sea cave framed by lovely arches and providing picture ops and snorkeling alternatives; and remember the aptly named Cala Azzura, with among the bluest seas you’ve got ever seen.
Favignana Is Fairly Affordable—And Better Even, Uncrowded!
Santorini-esque as it might be, Favignana is nowhere as crowded, or costly as the long-lasting Greek island: precise visitation figures are unclear, however it appears to common under a million per year, and we suspect it is primarily Sicily-originated.
As for all that scrumptious pistachio pasta, made-on-the-spot sourdough pizzas, and nonna-baked mandorle sweets, you will hardly blow the finances by treating your self a bit in Favignana:
Expect to pay roughly $10–$15 for a major dish in an area restaurant, or $30–$40 for a 3-course dinner by the harbor.
Accommodation-wise, a one-bedroom condominium within the heart of Favignana Town will set you again $ 82 an evening (try La casetta in Centro), or should you’re extra of a lodge particular person, a single room on the 3-star Favignana Hotel prices from $123 to boook.
This summer season, Americans can fly nonstop from New York (JFK) to Catania (CTA), in southeastern Sicily.
Though it’s 145 miles from Trapani, the gateway to the Egadi Islands, Catania has prepare and bus companies going just about in all places in Sicily: as soon as there, you will don’t have any difficulty discovering a land-side connection to Trapani.
One-way hydrofoil or ferry tickets from Trapani to Favignana begin from a reasonable $7.
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