Grotta Perciata, Favignana: The Ultimate Visitor’s Guide

Grotta Perciata (Perciata Cave) is an immense cove on Favignana Island (Isola di Favignana). The cove features epic sea caves, rock formations and crystal-clear turquoise water. In this guide, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know about visiting Grotta Perciata on Favignana.

About Grotta Perciata, Favignana

Grotta Perciata is an unsung natural attraction on the island of Favignana. Many people visiting the island don’t know about Grotta Perciata and simply pass by during their trip. But, this cove is certainly worth stopping at to explore.

So, exactly where is Grotta Perciata located in Favignana? Let’s find out below.

A Map of Grotta Perciata, Favignana

Grotta Perciata is located on the southeast coast of Favignana. So, exactly where is Favignana? Well, it’s one of the Egadi Islands (Aegadian Islands) located near the west coast of Sicily, 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 Grotta Perciata on Favignana

A popular way to get to Grotta Perciata is to cycle there. Indeed, most people visiting Favignana will get around the island by bike. It’s an enjoyable and convenient way to get around the island. From the Favignana ferry terminal to Grotta Perciata, it’s around a 3.5km cycle, which takes around 15 minutes.

Personally, Beck and I cycled around Favignana on a day trip. We didn’t head straight to Grotta Perciata when we arrived on the island. Exploring the island in a clockwise direction, we first visited Cala Rossa, then Cala del Bue Marino and Cala Azzurra, before arriving at Grotta Perciata.

When it comes to hiring a bike for the day, we recommend going to Noleggio Bici e Motorini Isidoro. The bike rental store is only a five-minute walk from the ferry terminal. The hard-to-miss orange-frame bikes are in fantastic condition, have gears and come with a lock. The staff are also very friendly and helpful – they’ll even help fit your bike. Perhaps, best of all, it’s only €5 to hire a bike for a full day.

In comparison, you’ll find overpriced and less reliable bike rentals being flogged near the ferry terminal for around €10–15 per day.

Visiting Grotta Perciata: Features and Photos

Given Grotta’s Perciata’s unassuming location next to the road, many people simply cycle by without even noticing the natural attraction. Indeed, the cove is just a stone’s throw away from the road. Once you arrive, you can simply leave your bikes by the side of the road and begin exploring the awesome cove.

The small chasm features mind-blowing sea caves and rock formations. In particular, there is one extraordinary natural arch formed by one of the sea caves. This is worth a visit in its own right.

You’ll find the cove features levelled rock platforms and steps, which makes it easy to access the crystal clear waters. The main flat rock platform, between the road and the water, is an easy spot to place your towel and hang out.

Grotta Perciata is a fantastic place for snorkelling. Expect to see stunning coral, sea cucumber, jellyfish and various types of fish. Otherwise, the translucent turquoise-coloured water will suffice for a simple swim!

One of the best things about Grotta Perciata is that it never seems to get too busy. You can expect many of the beaches in Favignana to get overcrowded, especially during peak season. But, because Grotta Perciata is underrated and simply less known, it attracts fewer visitors. So, expect a relatively quiet and peaceful visit.

Best Beaches on Favignana

Grotta Perciata is located near some of the most popular beaches in Favignana. It actually falls in between Lido Burrone and Cala Azzurra. Of course, there are many spectacular beaches to explore on the island. Below, you’ll find a summary of the best beaches in Favignana.

• Cala Rossa: one of the most scenic beaches on the island.
• Cala del Bue Marino: a unique cove, featuring an old limestone quarry.
• Cala Azzurra: a small white sand beach, located south of Grotta Perciata.
• Lido Burrone: a beautiful white sand beach just north of Grotta Perciata that’s certainly worth visiting.
• Spiaggia di Marasolo: a lesser-known beach with turquoise-coloured water that’s located near the island’s tunnel.
• Cala Rotonda: the best beach on the western side of the island.

How to Get to Favignana

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, this service takes around an hour and is roughly the same price. So, there’s no point in using Siremar, unless Liberty Lines is booked out.

During the peak season, you can expect queues at the Liberty Lines ticket office. To avoid this, 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 e-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 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 book your outbound tickets in advance, so you don’t get left stranded on the island!

Getting to Trapani

To catch the ferry to Favignana (to see Grotta Perciata), you’ll first need to get to Trapani. The easiest way to get to Trapani is to drive there yourself. We recommend parking at Piazza Vittorio Emanuele Car Park, which is very cheap (expect to pay around €0.20 per hour). Although it’s a large car park, it can fill quickly, especially in the peak season. Safe to say, if you arrive before 9am, you should find a spot. 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!

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 Trapani town. 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 about €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 online in advance using Busbud.

You may need to spend the night in Trapani if you’re doing a day trip to Favignana. That’s exactly what we did. We stayed at Solemar Beach Apartment Trapani. It’s a lovely apartment, set on the beach on the outskirts of Trapani. Otherwise, it’s possible to stay on Favignana itself.

Where to Stay On Favignana

Most of the accommodation options in Favignana are higher-end luxury properties. But, with a bit of digging, you will find some affordable accommodation options. For your convenience, we’ve handpicked the best budget, mid-range and luxury options in Favignana using Booking.com (where you can find great deals).

• Budget – Dimora Quattro Vanelle: this is the most affordable accommodation option on the island. Dimora Quattro Vanelle is a delightful guest house featuring a garden, free parking, a terrace and BBQ facilities. Each room is equipped with a coffee machine and a private bathroom, while some rooms even have a kitchen with an oven.
• Mid-range – Il Gelsomino: this modern apartment hotel is one of the best value-for-money stays on Favignana. Equipped with a kitchenette and dining area, Il Gelsomino is an excellent mid-range self-catering accommodation option.
• Luxury – Resort Il Mulino: this hotel resort has phenomenal ratings and reviews. Resort Il Mulino is certainly one of the most highly-rated accommodation options on Favignana. The resort features a swimming pool, hot tub, restaurant and snack bar.

Favignana Tours

Most visitors to Favignana will explore independently. Although, many people choose to do a Favignana boat tour. Certainly, exploring Favignana by boat is one of the best ways to experience the island’s stunning coastline. 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 great way to explore more of the Egadi Islands if you don’t have much time.

GetYourGuide offers many superb boat tours to Favignana. The most popular and highly-rated GetYourGuide boat tour is currently the Favignana and Levanzo Mini-Cruise.

What to Wear and Pack

These are our gear essentials for visiting Grotta Perciata in Favignana.

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

Particularly, in summer, make sure to have plenty of water on you. Getting around the island by bike 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

• Take snorkelling gear: the cove is one of the best places for snorkelling on the island.
• Nearby food and drinks: just around the corner from Gotta Perciata, you’ll find the La Costa Sunset Bar, which is usually only open during the peak season.
• Beaches to explore in Sicily: if you’re exploring beaches on Favignana, we’re sure you’ll want to know about the best beaches in Sicily. check out Capo Bianco, Spiaggia San Vito lo Capo in San Vito lo Capo and the many awesome beaches at the Zingaro Nature Reserve.

Please leave us a comment below.