Levanzo is one among the smallest islands of the Aegadian archipelago, a few kms from Trapani in the south west of Sicily. Placed in a picturesque landscape, Levanzo faces the Mediterranean sea, near the isle of Marettimo. It is also regarded as a beautiful place to spend the summer vacations, but I suggest that you visit Levanzo a bit before the summer, because this small isle has just 200 inhabitants that could become many in the summer. For this reason, if you want to enjoy a vacation in a place where time seems to be stopped, the ideal time to visit it is in June. You should also avoid visiting this place in the winter because many tourist services work only in the summer. Just think that in the winter you couldn’t even find an opened restaurant to have dinner or lunch. The best time to visit Levanzo is only in these two months: June and the early days of September. July and August should be forbidden if you are looking for a relaxing vacation. You must also know that Levanzo is a part of the municipality of Favignana, the latter is really overcrowded in the summer. Some people ask if it is better to visit Marettimo and Favignana rather than Levanzo. I recommend that you also visit this island because it is enriched with bays, beaches and landscapes that tourists must absolutely see. Here are more information about this isle.
The origin of the name
In the ancient times, Levanzo was known by various names, such as Buccina and Forbantia. The Arabs, instead, called it with the name of Djazirat ‘al Yâbisah, that means “L’Arida” in Italian, “The Arid” in English. About the origin of the current name, there are several hypothesis. It could come from the water supply method used on the island, that consists of an old leverage put into a well off the beach turned to the south, from this, it comes the name “ Leva in su” in Italian (Lever up). Another hypothesis makes the name derive from a mutation of the word “Laepantio”, a name that perhaps could get its origin from an illustrious lineage man, who would have dominated Levanzo, or from the fishers of this island.
Beaches
This small isle has secluded and picturesque sand and pebble beaches placed along the path leading to the cliff called Faraglione. In the south- east area, you can enjoy the stunning waters of the two bays you can reach by sea or by land: Cala Fredda and Cala Minnola. The first is a sand beach outfitted with a comfortable slipway, while the second is a wild and unspoiled bay. You can also admire and swim in the waters of the following bays: Cala Tramontana and Cala Faraglione. The first is the biggest bay and one of the most evocative places of Levanzo island. All this is due to its extraordinary beauty and natural richness. The bay is close to high and reddish rocky walls surrounded by many grottos. You can reach it through a small path. Here, the beach is rocky and pebble and the waters are crystal, clear and light blue. Cala Faraglione is among the twenty most beautiful beaches of Italy. Moreover, it is one of the most charming and typical of Levanzo, just overlooked in front of a picturesque rocky cliff (The Faraglione) that you can reach from a short paved road segment, and offers colours and unmissable nuances in the hour of the sunrise. For those who love scuba diving, Levanzo offers a very enjoyable and appealing tourist itinerary: at 27 and 30 meters of depth, between Cala Minnola and Punta Altarella, you can find the remains of a Roman relict, about fifty wine amphorae and black coloured, clay pot fragments dating back the I century B.C.
Tourist attractions
One the most important tourist attractions of Levanzo is the very famous Grotta del Genovese ( see the image), a grotto dating back the Paleolitic – Neolithic era. This grotto has stunning graffiti and pictures on the walls. Some of them depict animals that primitive men wished to hunt, while others depict people who are performing a ritual dance. These pictures are the proof that the primitive people used this place for magical and religious practices. Furthermore, it is very important to remind that in the surroundings of Levanzo , in 241 B.C. it was fought the Egadi battle, which, as challengers, had: The Carthaginians headed by Annone and the Romans headed by Caio Lutazio Catulo. The latter, hiding in the North area of the isle, managed to take by surprise the Carthaginians coming from Marettimo and defeat them.
What to do in Levanzo
Now you know enough on Levanzo, I suggest that you do the following things:
Visit the Grotta del Genovese (The Grotto of the Genovese), the most important graffiti of Italy, take a ride in the isle by boat to enjoy its wonderful landscape, take a break in the most beautiful bays, take a relaxing walk to the green pine forest, admire and take images of the typical Mediterranean landscape, swim in the stunning waters of the Faraglione bay, Cala Tramontana and Cala Fredda. Have a dinner at a restaurant with a sea sight in the sunset, have a breakfast while you admire the dawn on the Aegadian islands, eat at the restaurants in front of the other beautiful island of Marettimo.
How to get to Levanzo
To get to this island, land in Trapani airport or in Palermo airport. Take a taxi or a bus and arrive in Trapani port. Here, you must board on the hydrofoils and ferries to reach Levanzo. The boats to get to Levanzo are available in the summer only. Hence, if you want to really visit the isle, book your travel within this season.
How to find accommodations in Levanzo
As I have already said, many hospitality services don’t work in the winter, in Levanzo. Hence, if you want to find relaxing and evocative places to stay, it is better to plan your vacation for the summertime and book the accommodation in advance, because hotels, resorts, residences and B&B get occupied fast in Levanzo.
To find your favourite accommodations in this magical island, I suggest that you click here.
If you find the accommodations already booked, book among the ones which are slightly distant from the island downtown. They are very comfortable and outfitted with many amenities.
This is an updated version of the article written on February, 23, 2017.
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Rosalba Mancuso is a freelance journalist born in Sicily. Passionate about her loved island and with extensive writing experience, Rosalba worked as a contributor for the main Sicily’s newspapers and as a bilingual Italian – English writer. Thanks to her skills, she also founded four websites in English. On Sicilyonweb, Rosalba tells every corner of her beloved Sicily. Furthermore, she writes this blog thanks to your help. Rosalba, in fact, earns a small commission, with no cost for you, when you book your travel or buy products through the affiliate widgets or links you find in her posts.
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