Egadi Ultra Swim | La Gran Fondo

Setting out from the beach, swimmers push out into the open channel toward Levanzo. The Egadi Ultra Swim | La Gran Fondo is an open water sea marathon in the Egadi archipelago off the coast of western Sicily, organized by ASD Trirock. Taking place in late May, the marathon journey covers twenty demanding kilometers between two rugged islands steeped in Mediterranean lore. Having grown through its early editions into an established test, the event gathers endurance swimmers.

The Gran Fondo: crossing the strait and circling Levanzo

The twenty-kilometer course gets underway directly from the sand of Praia beach, nestled right in front of the port and town center on Favignana. Towering right above the starting sands stands the former Florio tuna factory, an imposing stone complex overlooking the sea. From the shore, swimmers dive into the sea and head straight across the open channel separating Favignana from Levanzo. Out in the deep strait, the water stretches vast and open until the rocky profile of Levanzo rises clearly ahead. Upon reaching Levanzo, the route turns into a complete circumnavigation of the island's perimeter. Swimmers push past Capo Grosso, feeling the full motion of the open sea. In the cove of Cala Tramontana, the course provides a fixed refueling station and a transition zone for relay participants.

Swimmers seeking a shorter challenge can tackle the sister distance, Il Giro dell'Isola di Levanzo, a 12 km route that starts at Levanzo's ferry pier and follows the coastline. For the ultra swimmers, the closing stretch delivers a striking natural landmark. Before steering toward the finish line, you round the Faraglione di Levanzo, an imposing stone monolith rising out of the water. Swimmers must pass three mandatory turn buoys before slipping into the protected waters of Cala Dogana. Touching the finish inside the fishermen's harbor marks the end of a long crossing between the two islands.

The Aegates channel: Punic rams and sunken Roman amphorae

The Battle of the Aegates between the Roman and Carthaginian fleets marked the end of the First Punic War. Before the battle, the Roman fleet anchored off Favignana, then known as Aegusa, while the Carthaginian ships gathered in secret at westernmost Hiera. The final engagement unfolded just to the west of Levanzo, where Roman galleys struck their adversaries across open water. Archaeologists have uncovered lead anchors near Levanzo, suggesting Roman crews may have cut them to lighten their warships before engaging the enemy. Roman merchant vessels navigated these same island waters. At a depth of 27 meters between Cala Minnola and Punta Altarella, a 1st-century BC Roman shipwreck lies on the seabed with cargo mounds of wine amphorae. On the shore of Cala Minnola, ancient Roman tanks carved into the rock remain preserved, likely used to cure fish for garum sauce.

Capo Grosso and the limestone cliffs of Levanzo

Tracing the coastline of Levanzo means swimming inside the Egadi Islands Marine Protected Area, established in 1991. The island itself is formed from white limestone rock that drops into the sea, sculpted with caves and deep cavities. These coastal cavities have sheltered humans since the Upper Paleolithic, preserving the earliest human history of the archipelago. At the Grotta del Genovese, prehistoric people left behind wall paintings and rock engravings dating back to 9680 BC. At the northernmost point of the island stands the remote Capo Grosso Lighthouse. The twelve-meter tower positions its lantern 68 meters above sea level, casting a beam visible for eleven nautical miles across the sea. Rounding this headland brings swimmers past before they begin the descent toward Cala Dogana.

Praia beach, Tonnara Florio, and the quays of Cala Dogana

On shore, the islands' heritage is deeply tied to the Mediterranean through their history as home to the largest tuna fishery in Sicily. The vast Florio industrial establishment has been preserved as a museum, keeping the island's maritime traditions alive. In the evenings, town life centers around two open squares connected by the main street, where visitors take strolls after a day in the water. Toward the western end of the island, the 38-meter tower of the Punta Sottile Lighthouse serves as a popular gathering point for sunset aperitifs by the water. Levanzo offers a quieter escape across the channel, where Cala Dogana welcomes visitors with a pebble beach right by the harbor. A scenic walk along the seafront leads to Cala Faraglione, another small pebble cove. Resting along the quiet quayside after twenty kilometers of swimming, the open sea between the islands settles into the evening calm.