Favignana boat tours: the complete guide

I was born on Favignana. My grandfather worked the tonnara — the tuna trap — under the Florio company, and I spent my twenties as a deckhand on the Trapani–Egadi boats before I wrote about the islands. I know which skipper actually stops for swimming and which cove is dead calm when the scirocco blows. Here’s what actually happens when you book a boat tour, which of the six options fits your trip, and the logistics nobody explains.

What a Favignana boat tour actually is

A day on the water from Trapani port, cruising the north coast of Favignana and the islands of Levanzo and sometimes Marettimo. You swim twice at turquoise coves that have no road access. You get a couple of hours ashore in Favignana town. The boat does the work of seeing the coast in one day — by land you’d need a bike, a car, or three days. The tours range from the €42 mini-cruise (large boat, simple lunch) to the €99 day tour (smaller group, ample lunch time ashore) to a 12-seat RIB (small, fast, nips into caves the big boats can’t). All run about 8 hours and all leave from Trapani.

The €42 mini-cruise versus the €99 day tour

The mini-cruise is the flagship. Over 1,700 people have booked it. It’s a large mixed boat — probably 200+ aboard — with a simple pasta lunch cooked on deck. Two swim stops, two hours in Favignana town, an hour in Levanzo, back by early evening. It’s crowded and a little party-ish, but the value is unbeatable and it works. 4.2 stars reflects the honest truth: big boat, basic lunch, still worth €42.

The €99 day tour is smaller (around 20 passengers), higher-end feeling, and the key difference is lunch. On the mini-cruise you eat on the boat. On the day tour you eat ashore in Favignana, which changes everything — you have an actual restaurant meal, you sit down, you see the town. The crew (Anna Maria and Franco, by the regulars) give more attention. 4.4 stars, 48 reviews — not as busy as the mini-cruise, but genuine praise from people who paid more and got more.

Which to pick? On budget, the mini-cruise. If it’s a special trip or you want breathing room, the day tour. Both hit the same coves.

The RIB and the private charter

A RIB is a 12-seat inflatable. It’s small, faster, and nips into caves the big boats can’t. You get intimacy and a different angle on the islands. 4.6 stars, but only 17 reviews — it’s less booked than the mini-cruise. One fair caveat from a real guest: on one trip the skipper spoke Italian all day and non-Italian speakers felt left out. Book expecting a boat ride, not a narrated tour.

A private 24-seat boat costs €1,580 for the whole charter — not per person. It’s for families or groups who want the boat and the itinerary to themselves. No reviews yet because it just launched.

From Trapani or from Palermo?

Most tours leave Trapani. It’s 30 minutes by ferry from the airport. If you’re based in Palermo — and many travellers are — there’s a €45 day trip that picks you up at 7:00–7:50 am, coaches you 2 hours to Trapani, then you take the boat. You’re back in Palermo by evening. It’s a long day (roughly 11–12 hours door to door), but it’s the only sane option if you don’t have a car. Guests say the operator phones the day before to arrange the pickup time.

The coves you can only see from the water

Cala Rossa is the signature. Turquoise water, old tufa quarry, rocky entry, the postcard shot. Everyone swims here. Bue Marino is deeper, dramatic quarry walls, no sand. Cala Azzurra is shallower and easier for kids. The Grotta dei Sospiri (cave of sighs) you see from the boat. Cala Rotonda too. These aren’t accessible by land. You need the boat.

Bring water shoes. The rocks are sharp.

The ferry and the bike

There’s no airport on Favignana. You fly into Trapani (Vincenzo Florio airport) or Palermo, then take the ferry. Liberty Lines hydrofoils run Trapani to Favignana in about 30 minutes, several times daily. A ticket costs €12–14 each way. The trip is smooth and frequent.

Once you’re on the island, rent a bike. €5–10 a day for a basic bike, more for e-bikes. The island is small (19 km²), flat, and bikes are the local transport. In summer the town centre is a ZTL (restricted traffic), so cars are discouraged anyway. A car is pointless.

One day or two nights?

You can do Favignana as a day trip. The boat tour covers the coast efficiently. But if you stay two nights, you cycle the ridge (Montagna Grossa), you swim the beaches slowly, you see Levanzo properly — the white hamlet and the Grotta del Genovese with its prehistoric cave art. The day trip is efficient. Two nights lets the island breathe.

Swimming season is May to October. June and September are sweet — warm water, thinner crowds. July and August are hot and busy (Italian holidays). Sunset is best from Punta Sottile lighthouse or Cala Rossa.

The tap water caveat

Like most small Sicilian islands, Favignana’s mains water is desalinated and cistern-fed. It tastes salty-mineral. It’s chlorinated and safe to brush teeth, but locals drink bottled water — so should you. The hotels know this.

The bottom line

Favignana is an island you have to see from the water. The turquoise coves are the reason you come. Book the €42 mini-cruise if budget matters — it still hits Cala Rossa and Levanzo and the lunch is tasty. Book the €99 day tour if you want space and a proper meal ashore. Either way, you’re on the water for 8 hours, you swim twice, and you see the island properly. The logistics are simple: fly to Trapani, take the 30-minute ferry, rent a bike for the day or stay two nights. Bring water shoes and sunscreen. Let the operator handle the route. That’s how you actually see Favignana.

Ready to book?

Compare live prices and dates for the boat tours in this guide, or read the honest tour reviews first.

Frequently asked questions