Page 5 - The_Egadi_Islands

https://www.thethinkingtraveller.com/italy/sicily/areas-of-sicily/islands-and-archipelagos

Long before the Florios came to exploit the island’s resources,
Favignana had been a Roman outpost. During the First Punic War,
several naval battles were fought off the coast of Favignana,
including one sanguinary clash which turned the water red – hence
the name of Cala Rossa, one of the island’s most picturesque bays.
The spoils of the Roman victory included Favignana, which
provided the Roman Empire with a rich source of tuff stone.

Quarries were dug all over the island and these angular depressions
are very much part of the topographical make-up of Favignana
today. Our villa, Zu Nillu, is set in and above its very own Roman
quarry.

If tuff stone quarrying and tuna fishing are things of the past,
tourism is very much Favignana’s present, even though the island
remains largely a destination for Italians in the know. What most
people come for are the island’s transparent, electric blue waters.
Numerous idyllic coves have been sculpted into the coastline by
Mother Nature, including the irresistible trio of Cala Rossa, Cala
Azzurra and Cala Rotonda. Alternating with these coves are a

myriad of sea grottoes, such as Grotta Azzurra, Grotta dei Sospiri
(sospiri means “sighs” – it is said that the cave moans or sighs when
the wind blows from a particular direction), and Grotta degli
Innamorati (Lovers’ Cave). These can be visited by boat (we
thoroughly recommend you see the island from the sea) and are
particularly popular with scuba divers and snorkellers.

As you might imagine, Favignana’s culinary traditions are

closely connected to the sea. Tuna – in all its guises, from the
choicest cut to salty bottarga (dried and cured tuna roe) - is still
very much on the menu, even if the last mattanza took place in
2007. All eateries, from the humblest trattoria to the most
sophisticated ristorante, boast menus rich in fish and seafood,
freshly caught, respectfully cooked and delicious to eat.

The most popular form of transport on Favignana is the
bicycle, and thanks to the island’s diminutive size (it measures under
9km from east to west), it is easy to see it all in a few days.

If, while staying on Favignana, you wish to explore further
afield, just hop on one of the frequent hydrofoil crossings to the
other Egadi Islands, Levanzo and Marettimo, or to Trapani on Sicily.