Favignana, Sicily, Italy

Punta del Faro

Punta del Faro is the northern lighthouse cape of Favignana, exposed to currents and traffic between the island and the offshore Egadi seamounts. The site is a classic stepped reef descending in terraces from shallow rocky shelves at 8 metres to a sandy Posidonia plain at around 35–38 metres. The exposure attracts pelagic action: amberjack, barracuda and dentex schools cruise the drop-off; tuna and bonito are seen offshore; and the reef itself hosts dusky groupers, brown meagre, large octopus, scorpionfish and moray eels in the cracks. Yellow Eunicella cavolini fans, encrusting orange Astroides calycularis and red and yellow sponges decorate the deeper walls. Visibility regularly exceeds 25 metres in summer. Currents are typically moderate and can pick up around the cape, so the dive is best for intermediate divers comfortable with drift profiles. Egadi MPA regulations protect the site, and the surrounding waters are part of one of the Mediterranean's richest underwater archaeology zones.