Cala Azzurra Favignana: The Complete Visitor’s Guide

Cala Azzurra (AKA Scogliera Cala Azzurra) is a spectacular beach on Favignana Island (Isola di Favignana), near Sicily. In this guide, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about visiting the immense Cala Azzurra. We’ll include details about the beach’s location, how to get there and other important information about getting to and around Favignana. Of course, we’ll also include some photos, so you know what to expect when visiting.

Cala Azzurra (AKA Scogliera Cala Azzurra), Favignana

Cala Azzurra is one of the best beaches on Favignana Island. Certainly, if you’re visiting Favignana, Cala Azzurra should be high on your to-do list.

So, exactly where is Cala Azzurra located? Let’s find out below.

FYI – Cala Azzurra is also known as Scogliera Cala Azzurra and Cala Azzurra Beach. Basically, the most commonly used names, Cala Azzurra and Scogliera Cala Azzurra are used interchangeably. To keep things simple, we won’t use the term Scogliera Cala Azzurra throughout this guide. We’ll stick to Cala Azzurra.

Where Is Cala Azzurra in Favignana?

Cala Azzurra is located in the southeast corner of Favignana. So, exactly where is Favignana? Well, it’s one of the Egadi Islands (Aegadian Islands) located near the west coast of Sicily in Italy. To help you get your bearings, feel free to click on the image below to access an interactive map on Google Maps.

How to Get to Cala Azzurra in Favignana

Most people visiting Favignana will get around the island by bike. Indeed, we think that’s the most enjoyable and convenient way to get around the island. Basically, from the Favignana ferry terminal to Cala Azzurra, it’s around a 5km cycle, which takes around 15–20 minutes.

Personally, Beck and I first visited Cala Rossa from the Favignana ferry terminal. We then cycled to Cala del Bue Marino. Afterwards, we cycled to Cala Azzurra. From Cala del Bue Marino, it’s around a 2km cycle to Cala Azzurra, taking around 5–10 minutes.

When it comes to hiring a bike, we recommend going to Noleggio Bici e Motorini Isidoro. The local bike rental store is only a five-minute walk from the ferry terminal. Best of all, it’s only €5 to hire a bike for a full day. The bikes are in excellent condition, have gears and come with a lock. The staff at this store are also very friendly and helpful.

In comparison, you’ll find overpriced and less reliable bike rentals being flogged near the ferry terminal for around €10–15 for the day. Just ignore these offerings and head to the trustworthy bike rental store mentioned above.

Cala Azzurra, Favignana: A Beautiful Beach

Cala Azzurra is a sensational white sand beach on Favignana Island. Certainly, when it comes to traditional sandy beaches, Cala Azzurra is one of the best of them on the island. Once you arrive, it’s time to simply relax, unwind, sunbathe and soak in the salty seawater. Although, there’s more than meets the eye at this enchanting beach.

From the car park, you’ll follow a ramp down to the main section of the beach. This appears to be the only place on the beach to pop your towel down. But, there’s also another lovely area of the beach to see. Basically, you’ll find a trail that leads you over some rocks and towards the other end of the beach. After crossing the rocky terrain, you’ll arrive at another section of the beach, where it’s also possible to swim and sunbathe. This part of the beach is slightly more hidden, so it sees slightly fewer people.

Of course, if you’ve worked yourself up an appetite with all of the swimming and exploring, you’ll have to head to Bar Cala Azzurra. It’s located literally right next to the beach. Heads up though, it’s only open in the peak season. When Beck and I visited in March, it was closed.

FYI – you’ll find decent facilities at Cala Azzurra, compared with other beaches on Favignana Island. Next to the beach, you’ll find a small car park where bike racks are located.

Other Beaches to Explore on Favignana Island

Other than Cala Azzurra, Favignana is home to many sublime beaches and coves. Below, you’ll find a summary of the other well-known beaches in Favignana.

• Cala Rossa: one of the most popular beaches to explore on Favignana Island. It’s often the first beach that people will go to from the Favignana ferry terminal.
• Cala del Bue Marino: one of the most unique beaches on the island, featuring an old limestone quarry.
• Lido Burrone: the largest beach on the island, which features a beach club in the peak season.
• Spiaggia di Marasolo: a lesser-known beach with turquoise-coloured water that’s located near the island’s tunnel.
• Cala Rotonda: an excellent pebble beach on the western side of the island.
• Cala Grande: when we visited in the off-season, the beach was quite polluted. We can only hope that efforts will be made to keep the beach cleaner in the future.
• Spiaggia Praia: located in the town centre, the beach itself is really nothing special when compared with all of the other spectacular beaches on the island.

Other Things to Do on Favignana Island

Other than exploring Cala Azzurra and other pretty beaches, there are other noteworthy things to do in Favignana. In terms of other natural attractions, you should also visit Grotta Perciata, which is an extraordinary chasm featuring rock pools and sea caves.

Personally, after exploring all of the beaches and natural attractions, we spent the rest of our day around Favignana’s town centre, sampling delicious Italian cuisine and wandering the charming streets.

We started with seafood at Pescheria Florio. Then, we had granita and gelato at #ICECREAM. And, of course, we enjoyed an Aperol spritz at Monique Concept – YOLO!

Worth seeing near the town centre is Palazzo Florio, which is a gorgeous neogothic-style building. It’s surrounded by a small park which is a wonderful place to sit and relax after a day spent cycling around the island.

From many places on the island, you’ll see the imposing Castello di Santa Caterina, perched high on a hill in the middle of the island. If you’re up for a walk, it’s possible to hike to the castle ruins. Certainly, from Castello di Santa Caterina, you’ll enjoy breathtaking views of the island. We’ve heard it’s particularly good to visit the castle ruins for sunset.

How to Get to Favignana Island

To get to Favignana, you’ll need to catch a ferry from Trapani. Liberty Lines is the main ferry company running the service between Trapani and Favignana. You’ll find the Liberty Lines ticket office and ferry terminal located here. The journey time between Trapani and Favignana, on the Liberty Lines ferry service is around 30 minutes. The other company running this service is called Siremar. But, the service takes twice as long and is the same price. So, we don’t recommend using Siremar.

During the peak season, you can expect long queues at the Liberty Lines ticket office. To avoid this annoying delay, we recommend buying your tickets online in advance. That way, you can skip the queue for tickets and just join the queue for boarding. You can buy tickets online, directly with Liberty Lines or with the more user-friendly Direct Ferries.

A return ferry ticket is around €24–27 per person. In the peak season, you can expect a higher departure frequency, with around two services departing per hour beginning from around 7–8am. There are usually ferry departures from Favignana as late as 8pm. But, make sure to check departure times from Favignana and book tickets in advance, so you don’t get left stranded on the island!

Getting to Trapani

To get to Favignana (to see Cala Azzurra), you’ll first need to get to Trapani for the ferry. The easiest and quickest way to get to Trapani is to drive there yourself. We recommend parking at the large Piazza Vittorio Emanuele Car Park, which is very cheap (expect to pay around €0.20 per hour). From this car park, it’s around a 15–20 minute walk to the Liberty Lines ferry terminal.

If you don’t have your own set of wheels, we recommend hiring a car. Personally, Beck and I picked up our car hire from Catania International Airport. For an automatic car, we only paid around €7 ($7USD) per day! Of course, with all car hire companies in Sicily, make sure you’re fully aware of the terms and conditions of the car hire. That way, you won’t get stitched up with any unexpected fees when you return the car.

To find out more about renting a car with Discover Cars, read our Discover Cars review and Discover Cars Insurance review.

Public Transport

It’s also possible to get to Trapani using public transport. From Trapani International Airport, you can get an AST bus to the Trapani town centre. The journey takes around 45 minutes and costs around €4–5.

From Palermo International Airport, you’d first need to get to the Palermo town centre by taking the bus or train. Both options take around an hour and cost around €6. Then, you’d need to get a Segesta or Salemi bus from Palermo to Trapani, which takes around 75–90 minutes and costs around €11–12 per person. It’s easy to buy these bus tickets in advance using Busbud.

Where to Stay

Of course, you may need to spend the night in Trapani if you’re planning a day trip. We stayed at Solemar Beach Apartment Trapani. It’s a lovely apartment, set on the beach, on the outskirts of Trapani. Otherwise, you may even be planning to spend a few days on Favignana Island itself.

Although most people will simply just do a day trip to Favignana, it’s possible to stay on the island for as long as you like. Most of the accommodation options in Favignana are higher-end villas, hotel resorts, holiday homes and apartments. For your convenience, we’ve handpicked the most highly-rated and best value-for-money accommodation options in Favignana.

• Il Gelsomino: this apartment hotel is one of the best value-for-money stays on Favignana Island. Equipped with a kitchenette, you’ll be able to cook your own meals so you can keep the costs down.
• L’Oasi Villaggio Albergo: this eco-friendly resort is one of the most popular accommodation options on the island. When it comes to value for money, we recommend the Economy Double Room, which is a much cheaper rate than the other rooms.
• Resort Il Mulino: when it comes to ratings and reviews, this hotel is seriously impressive. It’s certainly one of the most highly-rated accommodation options on Favignana Island. Featuring a swimming pool, hot tub, restaurant and snack bar, there’s much to enjoy at the hotel!

Favignana Boat Tours

Most visitors to Favignana will explore independently by booking their own ferries and renting a bike on the island. But, there are also incredible Favignana boat tours worth considering. Certainly, exploring the Favignana coastline by boat is a wonderful experience. In fact, one of the main advantages of doing an organised boat tour is that you’ll get to explore the neighbouring island of Levanzo. Indeed, the combined Favignana and Levanzo boat tours are a fantastic way to explore more of the Egadi Islands if you don’t have much time.

GetYourGuide offers many brilliant boat tours to Favignana. The most popular and highly-rated GetYourGuide boat tour is currently the Favignana and Levanzo Mini-Cruise. By doing this tour, all of the planning is done for you! You’ll just simply enjoy a stress-free day exploring the Egadi Islands.

What to Wear and Pack

These are our gear essentials for visiting Cala Azzurra in Favignana.

• Swimming gear
• Quick-dry towel
• Water shoes (aqua shoes): to help protect your feet when exploring the pebble beaches.

Particularly, in summer, make sure to have plenty of water on you. Cycling is thirsty work! Also, you’ll want to be sun smart – otherwise, you’ll get sunburnt! So, apply plenty of sunscreen, wear a hat and cover your skin.

To find out more about all of the gear that we use and recommend, read our guides about our favourite travel gear, camera gear and hiking gear. Otherwise, read our comprehensive travel packing checklist.

Bonus Tips

• Cheap food on the island: head to Pasticceria FC for some cheap baked Italian treats. Indeed, you’ll find the perfect lunch there!
• Visit in the off-season: Cala Azzurra is much quieter outside of the peak season. When Beck and I visited in March, we had the place to ourselves. Although, as mentioned, Bar Cala Azzurra was closed.
• Other exceptional beaches to explore in Sicily: check out Capo Bianco, Spiaggetta delle Gole at the Alcantara Gorges and the many exceptional beaches at the Zingaro Nature Reserve.

Do you have any questions about visiting Cala Azzurra (AKA Scogliera Cala Azzurra) on Favignana Island? Please leave us a comment below and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.