This Laid-Back “Santorini of Italy” Island Named a Top European Destination for 2026

While Santorini seems to be on the bucket lists of nearly every traveler, resulting in serious overtourism with thick crowds and high prices, there’s a hidden island jewel often referred to as the “Santorini of Italy” you might want to consider instead. 

When the international network editors of Time Out offered their annual recommendations, Favignana, the largest of the Egadi Islands off the west coast of Sicily, was mentioned by global film editor Phil de Selyen. It’s not a destination that comes up often, but that’s likely to change in the very near future, as it was the backdrop for “The Odyssey,” an action fantasy film based on Homer’s ancient Greek epic, scheduled for a summer release.

Once moviegoers get a look at the incredible landscapes, called “eye-rubbingly” cinematic by Semlyen with “beautiful beaches and cyan seas,” it won’t be long before the jet-setting crowds descend. For now, the tiny 14.2-square-mile, mostly undiscovered island offers a taste of laid-back Mediterranean life that’s managed to avoid the countless influencers and their Instagram feeds.

While Favignana and Santorini are different, they do share many similarities, including dramatic coastlines. The island’s volcanic geology also contributes to remarkable rock formations and quarries. While the villages aren’t strikingly white like Santorni’s whitewashed architecture, there are waterfront boutique hotels and villas housed in low-rise, off-white cubist-style buildings.

Favignana mostly has rocky shores, similar to Santorini, often tucked into small, peaceful coves ideal for swimming and snorkeling, like Cala Rossa, framed by dramatic cliffs. That said, there are some beautiful sandy stretches too.

Spending time on the beaches is one of the top things to do in Favignana. The largest sandy beach with soft, white sands and loungers is Lido Burrone, which is also the closest to Favignana Town. Cala Azzurra offers fine white sands lapped by incredibly clear aquamarine waters, ideal for a classic day at the beach. 

Favignana offers a very unique feature with tuff (soft limestone) caves that were used for centuries to carve out roads, homes, and churches. The result is a surreal landscape with geometric walls, the quarry-carved caves, and abandoned pits that have been transformed into what looks like “secret” gardens. In Favignana Town, you’ll find picturesque cafe terraces for enjoying your morning coffee or sipping wine, family-owned trattorias serving fresh Sicilian seafood and local produce, and gelato shops. You can work off that delicious fare with a walk up to the crumbling hilltop castle for a 360-view of all the Egadi Islands and beyond.