Favignana, Sicily, Italy

Cala Rossa

Cala Rossa is a sheltered bay on the northeast coast of Favignana, the largest of the Egadi Islands off western Sicily. Its name and dramatic backdrop come from centuries of tuff stone quarrying which left high honeycomb cliffs and underwater terraces. Shallow rocky steps descend gently to a sandy and Posidonia oceanica seabed at around 15 to 25 metres, ideal for novice and recreational divers. The reef is patchy but lively, with octopus, moray eels, painted comber, salema schools, two-banded breams, ornate wrasses and occasional amberjack and barracuda passing through. Encrusting orange and yellow sponges and small Eunicella fans line the deeper rock terraces. The Egadi Islands form one of Italy's largest Marine Protected Areas, protecting Posidonia meadows and a remarkable concentration of underwater archaeology: bronze rams from the Battle of the Egadi (241 BC) and Roman amphorae have been recovered nearby. Currents are typically weak inside the bay and visibility regularly reaches 25 metres in summer.