The Egadi Islands by Boat: Favignana, Levanzo and Marettimo (2026)

Off the western tip of Sicily, three islands sit in water so clear that boats seem to float above their own shadows. Favignana is cut by old tufa quarries, Levanzo is one white village and a few coves, and Marettimo is all mountain and sea cave. All three lie inside one of the largest marine protected areas in the Mediterranean, and that is what makes a day here different from Capri or Amalfi: fewer buildings, more rock, and rules that genuinely shape where a boat can stop.

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Planning several regions? Our hub on yacht charter in Italy compares the main cruising areas, and the guide to the best yacht spots in Sicily covers the rest of the island.

Harbours: where Egadi boats leave from

Trapani

The main gateway, with ferries, hydrofoils and a long waterfront of pontoons used by charter boats. Levanzo is roughly 15 km away and Favignana about 18.5 km, so a fast motorboat reaches the first swim stop in well under an hour on a calm day. Trapani Birgi airport is about 20 minutes by car; Palermo airport roughly an hour to an hour and a quarter.

Marsala

Around 23.5 km from Favignana, Marsala suits guests staying in the wine country or near the Stagnone lagoon. Birgi airport is roughly 20 minutes away.

Favignana

Staying on Favignana, you board in the island’s own harbour, minutes from the best coves, with no open water crossing. Hydrofoils from Trapani or Marsala take about 30 minutes. Levanzo and Marettimo have small harbours, useful as lunch stops or overnight bases.

Five Egadi routes

Times assume a planing motorboat on a calm day; sailing boats take longer. The skipper will choose the sheltered side on the day, so treat these as a starting point.

Route 1: Favignana east coast (half day from Favignana)

Head east to Cala Rossa, where pale quarry walls drop into turquoise water, then round the headland to the flat rock ledges of Bue Marino and on to Cala Azzurra in the south east. Each hop takes 10 to 20 minutes, so four hours allows three swims and a slow return. Lunch back in Favignana town.

Route 2: Favignana from Trapani or Marsala (half day)

Cross to Favignana (around 30 to 45 minutes in a fast boat), swim at Cala Rossa and Bue Marino, and return. If the wind is up, expect a switch to the lee side.

Route 3: Levanzo and Favignana (full day from Trapani)

Start at Levanzo with Cala Fredda, near the harbour, and Cala Minnola, where the seabed holds the remains of a Roman wreck from the 1st century BC with amphorae still visible to divers. Some skippers continue towards Cala Tramontana, whose small caves are best seen from the water. Lunch in Levanzo village, a short walk from the quay, then cross to Favignana for Cala Rossa and Bue Marino. Levanzo’s prehistoric Grotta del Genovese, with engravings and paintings, is visited with a guide; ask the skipper or Levanzo harbour how to fit it in.

Route 4: Marettimo sea caves (full day)

Marettimo lies around 40 km from Trapani and 37 km from Marsala, so plan a full day and a calm forecast; the crossing takes well over an hour. The reward is a coast of limestone cliffs and caves: the Grotta del Cammello, named after a camel shaped rock and lit at midday through a hole in its roof, the Grotta della Bombarda, which booms when the swell enters, and the Grotta del Presepe, whose formations recall a Nativity scene. Punta Troia is crowned by a castle with Saracen origins. Lunch in the village by the harbour. Parts of the island fall in the reserve’s strictest zone, so the route depends on the rules below.

Route 5: Three days of island hopping

Day one: Trapani to Levanzo, night on a mooring field. Day two: Favignana’s east coast, then Marettimo for the caves, night near Marettimo harbour. Day three: back via Favignana’s south coast. Add a land day for the Stagnone lagoon and the Phoenician island of Mozia, reached by a small shuttle boat from a jetty by the Marsala salt pans. The shallow lagoon is a regional nature reserve, not yacht water. A Marsala wine tasting fits well on the afternoon you leave the boat; our Sicilian wine guide explains the styles.

Rules: the Egadi Marine Protected Area in 2026

The Area Marina Protetta Isole Egadi was established in 1991 and covers around 54,000 hectares around Favignana, Levanzo, Marettimo and the islets of Formica and Maraone. It is managed by the Comune di Favignana. Our research turned up contradictory information on its ranking: Italy’s official tourism portal and the parks federation EUROPARC call it Italy’s largest marine reserve, while many travel sources call it Europe’s largest. We could not confirm the European claim on an official site.

The reserve’s regulation (the 2010 ministerial decree) sets four zones:

• Zone A (integral reserve): at Marettimo and around Maraone. No anchoring, mooring, diving or fishing. Maraone is closed to navigation; at Marettimo only authorised resident boats may navigate. Treat zone A as off limits.
• Zone B (general reserve): within 500 m of the coast, anchoring is reserved for authorised resident boats, and mooring needs authorisation up to a daily cap set each year. Beyond 500 m, zone C rules apply.
• Zones C and D: anchoring allowed outside sites of special environmental interest, with a fee for visiting boats; mooring with authorisation.
• Everywhere: jet skis and water skiing are banned in zones A, B and C; spearfishing is banned throughout. From a mooring field, swim only near your own boat, engine off.
• Speed: the regulation sets 5 knots within 300 m of the coast and 10 knots beyond in the zones where visitors may navigate (zone A stays off limits). The Trapani coastguard’s bathing ordinance adds distances from beaches and limits near shore; check current figures with the skipper or harbour.

Mooring fields and fees. Seasonal mooring fields are installed at the main coves, including Cala Rossa, Bue Marino and Cala Azzurra on Favignana, Cala Fredda and Cala Minnola on Levanzo, and sites around Marettimo. Fees vary with boat length and duration and are set annually; the reserve publishes them each year in its disciplinare, so check the current table with the reserve office or your skipper. Skippered charters normally arrange authorisation, but confirm it in writing. Operators also need their own annual permit from the reserve (in 2025 motorboat rental and charter permits were capped at 280), so it is fair to ask whether your boat holds one.

Seasonal restrictions in 2026. Boating sources report extra anchoring limits around Favignana and Levanzo from 15 July to 15 September, and an anchoring ban off Marettimo from 1 August to 31 December to protect the common eagle ray. We could not verify these dates on an official page, so check with the skipper or the reserve office in Favignana.

Types of boat and what a charter includes

• Open motorboats and RIBs: fast, ideal for half days; ask for a sun canopy.
• Cabin motor yachts: shade, a toilet and a cabin; comfortable for Marettimo.
• Sailing yachts and catamarans: slower and calmer, with cabins for multi day trips. Catamarans are stable at anchor.
• Traditional wooden boats: converted fishing boats, slower, often with lunch on board.

Usually included in a private skippered day: boat, skipper, insurance, snorkelling masks, often water and soft drinks. Often extra: fuel (especially for Marettimo), lunch, a hostess on larger yachts, harbour fees, reserve mooring and anchoring fees, final cleaning on multi day trips and the skipper’s meals. Ask for a written list.

Licence free hire. In Italy you may drive a boat without a licence within 6 nautical miles of the coast if the engine does not exceed 30 kW (about 40.8 hp), with further limits by engine type. Minimum age is 16 for boats up to 10 m and 18 for longer ones. Jet skis always need a licence. Marettimo is a long run for a small licence free boat, and the reserve zones still apply.

Egadi routes compared

Best months, winds and practical tips

Season. Day charters run mainly from late spring to early autumn. June and September bring warm water and quieter coves. August is the busiest month: Favignana’s mayor has described weekend congestion in the coves of Favignana and Levanzo, with boats arriving from Trapani and Marsala, and the coastguard steps up patrols. In August, go on a weekday and start early.

Winds. The maestrale (mistral) blows from the north west, can build quickly and makes the Marettimo crossing uncomfortable. The scirocco comes from the south east, warm and humid, pushing swell onto south and east facing coves. A good skipper will move the day to the sheltered side, sometimes on the morning itself.

What to bring. Reef safe sun cream, a hat, a light layer, water shoes, a dry bag, cash and identity documents.

Seasickness and booking. Afternoon crossings can be choppy: sit low towards the back, watch the horizon and take any remedy before boarding. A catamaran is gentlest. Book several weeks ahead for August, a week or two for June and September, and ask how weather cancellations are handled.

To combine the water with vineyards and golf, see yacht, wine and golf in Sicily; transfers and car hire are covered in our Italy travel planner.

Where to stay near the Egadi harbours

Western Sicily’s strongest luxury options are wine estates and design hotels within a short drive of the harbours. For a wider view, see the best luxury hotels in Sicily.

Baglio Sorìa Resort & Wine Experience, Trapani

A winery’s luxury resort among vineyards on the slopes of Mount Erice, with the Egadi on the horizon. It has 16 rooms, a pool, a restaurant, wine bars and tasting rooms. Trapani harbour is a short drive away; ask the hotel for exact timings, transfers and seasonal opening dates.

Best for: wine, views and an easy run to Trapani harbour.

Check rates at Baglio Sorìa

Baglio Oneto dei Principi di San Lorenzo, Marsala

A hillside wine resort among vineyards and olive groves in the Marsala countryside, with views towards the Egadi. It has 48 rooms, an outdoor pool, a Sicilian restaurant and tastings of its own wines. Marsala centre and harbour are about 20 minutes by car, Birgi airport roughly 10 to 15. Sources differ on whether there is a spa, so ask the hotel.

Best for: Marsala departures combined with Mozia and wine.

Check rates at Baglio Oneto

Cave Bianche Hotel, Favignana

A design hotel inside a former limestone quarry, with 49 minimalist rooms, gardens, a large pool and a terrace restaurant. Favignana harbour is a short drive or bike ride away, so a half day boat needs no crossing. Hotels on Favignana are seasonal, so check opening dates.

Best for: waking up on the island and swimming from the boat by mid morning.

Check rates at Cave Bianche Hotel

Almar Giardino di Costanza Resort & Spa, Mazara del Vallo

A five star resort in farmland about 7 km from Mazara del Vallo, with large suites, a courtyard pool, a spa, tennis and a beach club. Plan on around 40 minutes by car to Marsala harbour; it is the best choice if a spa matters on days off the water. Seasonal, roughly spring to autumn. Read our Almar Giardino di Costanza review.

Best for: spa lovers with a car.

Check rates at Almar Giardino di Costanza

Also reached from Trapani, further out: Pantelleria by boat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I anchor anywhere in the Egadi Marine Protected Area?

No. Anchoring is banned in zone A, restricted near the coast in zone B, and allowed with a fee in zones C and D outside sensitive sites. Seasonal limits may apply, so check with the skipper.

Can I see all three islands in one day?

Not comfortably. Levanzo and Favignana fit one full day from Trapani; Marettimo deserves its own day.

Do I need a licence to hire a boat?

Not for boats with engines up to 30 kW within 6 nautical miles of the coast, subject to age limits. Otherwise you need a licence or a skipper.

Trapani or Marsala?

Trapani has more boats and shorter crossings. Marsala suits guests staying in the wine country or near the Stagnone lagoon.