The island of Levanzo is a charming and beautiful place that is not flashy or action-packed but, rather, a natural gem that makes for the perfect peaceful day trip location if you have found the perfect vacation rental in Sicily.
Levanzo is the smallest of the three Egadi Islands, located just off the western coast of Sicily. The island is home to only about 200 people, who live in the one village on the island, which is made up of a cluster of pretty buildings established around the port. Once an agricultural settlement where grains were produced, it is now mostly only used for sheep farming. Fishing, however, remains important to this day, both as an industry and an activity, and visitors are attracted to the island to try their hand at it, go boating, enjoy other water activities and to take in the peaceful nature of this sleepy and beautiful little mass of land.
Levanzo is the smallest of the three Egadi Islands, located just off the western coast of Sicily. The island is home to only about 200 people, who live in the one village on the island, which is made up of a cluster of pretty buildings established around the port. Once an agricultural settlement where grains were produced, it is now mostly only used for sheep farming. Fishing, however, remains important to this day, both as an industry and an activity, and visitors are attracted to the island to try their hand at it, go boating, enjoy other water activities and to take in the peaceful nature of this sleepy and beautiful little mass of land.
Most visitors spend their time swimming, sunbathing, and enjoying the island atmosphere and the only real tourist activity or attraction on the island is the Grotta del Genovese. Only possible to be visited on a guided tour with the official custodian, trips to the cave must be booked in advance, though this often can be arranged a day or two beforehand or, even, on the day, if you're lucky. Made up of a rocky cave-shelter with a narrow entrance leading inside, where there is a larger, dark internal cave with prehistoric wall-paintings that are possibly as much as 13,000 years old. Images of bison, deer, tuna fish, a dolphin, a donkey, implements that are probably weapons, primitive representations of men, fertility symbols for women, and a goddess figure can all be seen on the walls and it offers a rare opportunity to see such ancient works from such a close distance.
While there aren't any more traditional tourist attractions or sites, there are more things to see and do on the island including hiking routes and swimming spots. To read more about it, be sure to check out our next post on Levanzo! And, of course, start planning your trip to Sicily so you can enjoy this incredible island yourself.
While there aren't any more traditional tourist attractions or sites, there are more things to see and do on the island including hiking routes and swimming spots. To read more about it, be sure to check out our next post on Levanzo! And, of course, start planning your trip to Sicily so you can enjoy this incredible island yourself.
Photo credit: simonetta viterbi / CC BY 2.0