Coralligenous walls, island caves, and storied wrecks across Sicily's wild western edge
Overview
Western Sicily works best as a split land trip: use San Vito Lo Capo for mainland shoals, the Kent Wreck, Zingaro, and Scopello, then cross from Trapani to the Egadi Islands for protected reefs and Marettimo's more adventurous walls. Favignana is the easiest island base for mixed groups, cycling, coves, snorkeling, and day boats. Marettimo adds current, deeper coralligenous scenery, passages, and gorgonian-covered profiles such as Punta Bassana and Scoglio Spandillo. The Egadi Marine Protected Area uses zoning, approved sites, permits, moorings, and resident guides to manage access. May to June and September to early October offer the strongest balance of warm-enough water, active schedules, and manageable crowds. July and August are fully operational but hot and busy, while winter crossings and exposed boat days are less reliable.
Mainland San Vito and Scopello, accessible Favignana and Levanzo, and expedition-like Marettimo each provide a different mix of diving, snorkeling, and topside time.
Top species linked to approved dive spots in Western Sicily and the Egadi Islands.
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Quick shortlist before you jump into the full planning page.
Clear-water Scopello stacks with easy snorkeling.
Punta Bassana is a Marettimo boat dive with walls, caves, and current.
Marettimo boat dive on a gorgonian shoal with current.
Deep San Vito Lo Capo wreck for advanced divers.
Historic boat dive off San Vito Lo Capo.
DiveJourney destination guides are living documents built from local knowledge, operator experience, and publicly available sources. Conditions, regulations, and logistics can change. Each guide shows its last update date and sources used.
Last updated: September 5, 2026 • 38 sources
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The Egadi MPA regulates approved sites, guides, moorings, and sensitive encounters across one of the Mediterranean's largest protected marine areas.
Walls, canyons, passages, sea caves, sponges, and red gorgonians create dramatic scenery beyond a simple shallow-reef itinerary.
The route spans the deep Kent Wreck, smaller island wrecks, tuna-fishing heritage, anchors, amphorae, and submerged archaeological context.
4 linked spots
Best time to go
May to June and September to early October
Active operators, increasingly warm water, comfortable hiking, and lighter pressure than peak summer.
Main caution: Cooler water, reduced island services, and less dependable exposed crossings; use flexible local plans.
