Sailing charter Egadi Islands

Favignana is the largest and most inhabited island and the southernmost of the three that make up the Egadi archipelago. The homonymous town (about 5000 inhabitants) has a port inside the inlet, whose dock is very protected from winds that can also be sustained. There are 100 berths, 30 of which are for transit. Favignana is a typical island town dedicated to fishing and tourism: its tuna fishery, no longer in operation, is very famous, today transformed into a museum. From the vegetation of Mediterranean scrub and pine trees, the most beautiful landings are: Cala Rossa (cliff) and Cala Azzurra (beach with rocks), the most famous with turquoise waters, in a rocky landscape. The circumnavigation of the island allows you to see its coasts, of tuffaceous rock, with many inlets and some islets in the south: Preveto, Galeotta and Galera. Nearby you can moor at the small port of Punta Longa.
Just 3mn from the port of Favignana, we reach Levanzo with our sailboat. The village of the same name is an evocative amphitheater of sparse white houses around the marina, surrounded by crystal clear waters of various shades of blue. The island is made of white limestone and has no carriage roads except the one that reaches the faraglione. But arriving by sea it is much more suggestive. You can anchor and enjoy the beauty of the place, for a swim or diving, but remember that the coast that follows north is a protected area. It is therefore advisable to anchor in the other coves east of the port: Cala Fredda and Cala Minnola. Finally, Marèttimo: 12 mn to the west stands this almost wild island, but inhabited and with a very long history. Already populated by the Phoenicians, it was colonized by the Romans after the Punic wars. The Greek toponym meant “sacred island”, later renamed in Latin Marìtimo (although some say that the name derives from the thyme which grows copiously). It is an island of pebble beaches and beautiful caves (more than 400). The only inhabited center is a fishing port, on the east coast. The northern tip of the island houses a Norman castle overlooking the sea. Remember that, apart from the stretch of coast of the village, everything else is a nature reserve (general or integral). You can enter the general protected area but keep at least 500 m from the coast.
The holiday in the Egadi Islands on a sailing boat also allows for wonderful itineraries on the Sicilian coast. Trapani is only 7mn from Favignana, and from here a beautiful and uncontaminated coastal profile unfolds, with crystal clear waters. By sailing you reach Bonagia, then S. Vito lo Capo where you can moor at the well-equipped port. A visit to the town and the beautiful beach, one of the most beautiful in Sicily. Finally the vast gulf of Castellamare, and continuing east route, you can round Punta Raisi, Capo Gallo and arrive at the Mondello beaches and even in Palermo, after about 50 mn from Trapani. A week-long sailing holiday in the Egadi Islands can therefore include an exciting navigation of the Sicilian coasts.

Due to the exceptional biodiversity of the area, the largest Marine Protected Area in the Mediterranean (about 54 thousand hectares) was created in the Egadi archipelago in 1991, managed since 2001 by the municipality of Favignana. In addition to ensuring the balance of the marine ecosystem and being the lung of the Mar Nostrum, the AMP has the function of protecting and developing a variety of flora and fauna. There is the largest Posidonia Oceanica prairie in the Mediterranean, extensive coral and Vermetidae beds (overbuilding of mollusc shells). For the fauna, sightings of the monk seal, the presence of the Caretta Caretta sea turtle, some rare species of sharks and a colony of Storm Birds, an endemic species of the Mediterranean. The fish variety is enormous: among the most typical fish, the brown grouper, the sea bottom, the amberjack, the mackerel, the corvina and finally the sparidae, including the snapper and the pharaoh bream. Furthermore, the WAP is a promoter of rescue projects for fauna and cultural initiatives, for schools and for conscious tourism. These include the Blue Mile Sea Turtle Rescue Center and the monk seal observatory. To preserve this complex marine park, separate areas have been created by access level: A, B, C, D. The area embraces the three major islands in a semicircle and includes especially long stretches of the coasts of Levanzo and Marettimo. Area A (Integral Reserve) is the most limiting, since approaching is also forbidden. Area B (General Reserve), on the other hand, can be navigated but keeping a distance of 500 m from the coast. To visit the beauties of Marèttimo it is advisable to rely on the experience of local fishermen. They will take you and guide you with small boats to discover the treasures of the island, rocks, caves and stacks, respecting the limitations. In any case, before leaving for your boat holiday in the Egadi Islands, it is advisable to inquire on the official website: www.ampisoleegadi.it

To conserve the seabed, 17 mooring fields have been set up on the 3 islands, for a total of 182 buoys, active during the summer season. This allows pleasure boats to stop, respecting nature, in the most beautiful coves of the Egadi Islands
Campi buoys Egadi Favignana Island: Cala Rossa, Scindo Passo, Faraglione Est, Faraglione Ovest, Cala Azzurra, Bue Marino, Marasolo Preveto
Buoys Egadi Levanzo Island Punta Altarella, Cala Tramontana, Capo Grosso, Cala Fredda, Cala Minnola
Buoys Egadi Marettimo Island Conca, Scalo Maestro, Finocchio, Marino, Cala Manione