The Mediterranean island that Brits don't know about with spectacular beaches and it's loved by Italians
Places like Sicily will always be popular with British holidaymakers, though if you speak to Italians its the Aegadian Islands they will be heading for.
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In total there are five Aegadian Islands, but only three are inhabited - Favignana, Levanzo and Marettimo.
Favignana is the largest of three main islands and from above is shaped like a butterfly.
It's known for its blue and white fishing harbour and narrow streets.
It's small, too, so there's no need to hire a car - you can cycle or walk around to see the towns or go to the beach.
Another option is to take one of the many boat day trips to take a tour of the island. You'll see loads of coves and even go to the neighbouring island of Levanzo.
Some of the most popular beaches on the island are Cala Rossa, Cala Azzurra, Bue Marino and Lido Burrone.
One visitor said about Lido Burrone: "The crystal-clear water and white sand make it one of Favignana's most interesting beaches. It feels like being in the Caribbean."
white sand.
The beach is a recommended place for seeing marine life, as it's full of fish and a popular snorkelling spot.
For any history buffs, Favignana was once the tuna capital of the world because of its tuna fisheries.
'Otherworldly' Italian island just three hours from the UK that featured in two huge Hollywood franchises
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In the 15th century, the island was ruled by Giovanni de Karissima who was also known as the 'Baron of Tuna".
When it comes to where to eat on the island, you're most definitely spoilt for choice.
There's plenty of seafood dishes thanks to its island location, as well as pasta, arancini and panelle.
You don't have to eat at a restaurant either, there are plenty of markets and little takeaway shacks if you fancy something more causal.
There are bars dotted around the island so whether you seek shade in the towns or full sun on the beach, you can always find somewhere to have a refreshing drink.
When it comes to venturing there, Favignana is 10 miles from Sicily and is easily accessible by ferry.
You can travel from Trapani to Favignana all year round and in the high season there are 25 crossings a day.
The trip can take up to 1 hour and 10 minutes, with tickets starting at €10 (£8.68).
Or you can hop from Marsala to Favignana which has five daily crossings and is generally quicker taking 30 minutes per trip.
The ticket prices start at €13 (£11.29).
Here's another Italian island that's loved by celebs and the royal family - it has hidden beaches and holiday villages.
And you can visit this largely untouched Italian island with red sand beaches.
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Telegraph
23 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Russian tourists flock back to Europe
Russian tourists are returning to Europe in growing numbers, despite the war in Ukraine, with France, Italy and Spain their favoured holiday destinations. The three travel hotspots are all Nato and EU members and have imposed sanctions on Moscow. Hotel stays by Russians in Italy and France surged by more than 19 per cent in the past year, which Ukrainian diplomats branded 'disturbing' and a security risk. But France, which spearheads the 'coalition of the willing' nations supporting Ukraine with Britain, defends keeping borders open to rich Russian tourists, as does Italy. The trend was revealed by Telegraph analysis of data on hotel room stays and rentals on websites such as and Airbnb, and of visas issued to the EU's Schengen free-movement zone. Vsevolod Chentsov, Ukraine's ambassador to the EU, warned that ignoring the returning Russians would be 'short-sighted' and dangerous. He told the Telegraph: 'In the fourth year of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, it is extremely surprising to see statistics showing an increase in the number of visas issued to Russian citizens and a growth in tourist traffic from Russia to EU countries. 'We know that Russian society overwhelmingly supports the war. Moreover, it prefers to think that Russia is at war with the West and not with Ukraine, where the Russian army commits war crimes on massive scale.' He added: 'With increasing number of Russia's cyberattacks against EU member states, acts of sabotage and all sort of hybrid activities aimed at undermining European democracies, it is disturbing that Russian citizens can easily enjoy the benefits of travelling to Europe. 'Continuing to ignore this reality is short-sighted. It's a matter of European security.' Fires in warehouses known to be part of logistical supply chains have taken place across Europe, including in Britain, while there have also been reports of sabotaged train tracks. In the past, Russian spies posing as diplomats would be linked to these incidents, but since the 2018 poisoning of the Skripals, Moscow is known to also deploy agents on tourist visas. Stop EU visas for Russians Sir William Browder is an American-born English financier turned anti-Putin activist and campaigner. He urged France, Italy and Spain to stop issuing visas to Russians. 'Unless the Russians can demonstrate in a visa interview that they're opposed to the Putin regime, they shouldn't be allowed to come to Europe,' he said. European capitals have hit the Kremlin with waves of sanctions since Putin launched his illegal invasion in 2022. Both Britain and the EU closed their airspace to Russian airlines, triggering a drop in tourist numbers. There are still dozens of routes to Europe through Turkey, Georgia, Serbia and other countries. In order to get to Rome, for example, a Russian tourist would have to stop over in Turkey or the UAE and switch flights. The additional costs put the trip out of the reach of most ordinary Russians, but those that do make it to Europe also face difficulties because of the sanctions, which means their bank cards don't work. However, Istanbul's Ataturk airport is brimming with currency exchanges where Russians can swap roubles for euros to sustain their visits to Europe. 'There are many Russians who support the war, and particularly the Russians who have money,' Sir William said. 'What we absolutely don't want to do is allow these Russians to enjoy the privileges and resources of Europe, while at the same time they're supporting Putin's war efforts.' 'Europe should be open for people in the Russian opposition who are being persecuted, but no visa should be issued to Russian oligarchs or mini-garchs and others who support Putin, and I think we should err on the side of non visa issuance in that respect.' He said refusing visas would put pressure on Putin's regime and lessen the security risk posed by Russia's hybrid war against the West. Sanctions undermined Sir William said EU governments had to be consistent because if one country grants a Schengen visa, the supposed tourist can travel anywhere in the passport-free zone. Western governments have been reluctant to issue outright travel bans, except in the case of sanctioned individuals such as Putin's cronies and apparatchiks. In contrast, the Baltic nations and pro-Ukraine countries bordering Ukraine and Russia stopped issuing tourist visas to Russia or heavily restricted their numbers. Jan Lipavsky, foreign minister of the Czech Republic, accused those welcoming Russian holidaymakers of undermining the EU's sanctions against Moscow in return for wealthy tourists' cash. He told The Telegraph, 'It is deeply troubling to see some EU countries returning to business as usual with Russian tourists while Ukraine continues to suffer under brutal aggression. 'Czechia has taken a principled stance – we do not process any tourist visa applications and we believe this should be the standard across the European Union.' Mr Lipavsky said the numbers of tourists coming to the EU last year was 'totally excessive' and raised serious concerns 'not only from a security standpoint, but also from a moral one'. He said, 'At such volumes, we cannot rule out the possibility that individuals complicit in war crimes are among those vacationing in our resorts. That is unacceptable.' He added, 'I also see that some countries have a self-interested motive – they want the income from Russian tourism. It's not just about visa fees; it's about money spent on hotels, shopping, tickets and so on. Russians are known to spend a lot. 'This undermines the credibility of our sanctions regime and sends a confusing message about our values.' Lifeline for dissidents Andrei Soldatov is a senior fellow with the Center for European Policy Analysis think tank and a Russian investigative journalist specialising in the activities of the Kremlin's secret services. He said the visas were valuable for dissidents and families that wanted to visit them abroad. He said, 'it is a problem which doesn't have a simple solution. These are also the countries which help people with anti-Kremlin views move out. 'To make it safe for these people one needs to hide their applications in a stream of other applications. One cannot really expect a Russian dissident to come to a foreign embassy for a 'dissident visa', given the high level of repression in the country.' Popular locations Across the EU, visitor numbers are just a tenth of what they were in 2019, before the pandemic and the invasion, but this varies substantially across the bloc. In 2024, just six EU countries saw an increase in guest nights booked by Russians via websites such as Airbnb, according to figures from Eurostat. Italy saw the largest increase of 18.9 per cent, with 321,678 guest nights across the year, the highest in Europe. France remains the third most popular location for Russian tourists with 203,072 guest nights per year, which is an increase of 7.8 per cent - the fourth highest spike in Europe. Spain is second at 259,068 guest nights, down 3.6 per cent from the previous year, according to the figures obtained from the EU's statistics agency. There was a rise of 13 per cent in the number of nights booked by Russians in Hungary, which has a government that is notoriously soft on Putin. The UK, whose data differs slightly from the EU's, would rank seventh on the list for Russia visitors after Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, Greece and Cyprus. Unlike France and Italy, Britain saw its visitor numbers fall by around 1.3 per cent year-on-year, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Other statistics, which look at nights across hotels rather than Airbnb-style websites, suggest that France is hosting 27 per cent of the level it was in 2019, compared to just 9.8 per cent in the United Kingdom. The UK has always required Russian tourists to apply for visas, including when it was part of the EU. It never joined Schengen. Schengen members also require that Russians obtain visas. There was an agreement, which made it faster and cheaper to obtain those tourist visas to enter the EU but it was suspended after Putin invaded Ukraine. Analysis of Schengen area visas also showed that Italy and France were leading the tourism rapprochement with Russia. Italy issued 152,254 Schengen area visas at its two Russian consulates last year, which was almost 19,000 more than in 2023. France issued a total of 123, 890, according to European Commission figures, 25,000 more than the year before. Spain issued 111,527, an increase of 15,000. Figures first reported by the EU Observer website showed a rebound in Schengen visas for Russians with 552,630 issued in total last year, an increase of nine per cent. Greece issued 59,703 visas and Hungary 23,382. Rome and Paris unrepentant 'Italy continues to regularly issue visas to Russian tourists who meet our requirements,' A spokesman for Antonio Tajani, the Italian minister of foreign affairs and deputy prime minister, said. 'Our opposition is to the Russian army's military operations in Ukraine, not to the Russian people.' The Elysée was presented with the statistics but did not respond to requests for comment. France has previously defended issuing visas to Russians. 'People-to-people relations and cultural ties can play a positive role in fostering mutual understanding and dialogue between populations,' the French foreign affairs ministry told EU Observer. 'We work hard at maintaining a differentiation between the regime responsible for the war and the population, its civil society, and the opposition,' it said. 'It is essential to maintain this window, to enable Russian society to get access to a plurality of reliable sources of information.' The British and Spanish government were asked for comment. The European Commission said they could not comment, despite being given 72 hours notice, because it was summer. Eurostat, the EU's statistics body, has collected data on the number of guest nights spent in 'collaborative economy platforms', which includes sites such as Airbnb and Expedia since 2018. The UK's Office for National Statistics has collected similar data since mid-2023, meaning pre-invasion figures are not available and there might be minor methodological differences between the two bodies. Data on broader hotel stays across Europe have not been updated for the entirety of Europe in 2024.
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
I'm a picky eater & eat barely any of the ‘awful' food at all-inclusive hotels – trolls slam me as ‘disrespectful'
A WOMAN has been slammed as "disrespectful" for turning her nose up at the "weird" dishes on offer at an all inclusive hotel. Simone Wilko, a self-confessed picky eater, recently went on holiday to Cyprus, and was not impressed by the food that was on offer. 2 2 Taking to TikTok, the influencer showed off the diverse array of food in the restaurant at her hotel, stating that there was "so much to choose from, but at the same time there wasn't." Showing viewers a plate of delicious looking stuffed courgettes with vegetables, she said: "I understand I'm in a different country, but what on earth are these foods? "They look absolutely awful." Showing the camera a dish of traditional black eye beans with Swiss chards, she then said: "I couldn't think of anything worse." Simone then spotted a pizza and got excited as she thought it was margherita, but after reading that the label said Quatro Formaggi (four cheese) she decided to give it a miss. The holidaymaker then decided to put some plain bread on her plate, along with a portion of chips. "If these had herbs on, I wouldn't have got them", she admitted. "I just don't like the taste of seasoning." She then placed some ribs on her plate, and a small bit of pork from a stir fry, making sure to avoid the veg as she "hates spring onions". However, she said that the pork was "horrible" anyway, as it had seasoning on it. 10 Expert Tips for Managing Picky Eaters Simone then moved on to dessert, but unfortunately said that she also found her chocolate mousse "disgusting". Her video, posted under the username (@s33immm) has quickly gone viral, racking up 772,000 views on the video sharing platform. TikTok users raced to the video's comments section to share their thoughts, with many unimpressed by Simone's attitude to the cuisine. One person said: "Picky is fine, but insulting other countries' foods is not OK." A second person said: "Fellow lowkey picky eater here but there's a difference between you and me. "I don't go around being disrespectful about food."
Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
NY beach town is quietly becoming the 'Ibiza of America'
By Paradisal beaches, raving nightlife, and endless parties with killer sunsets. It sounds like Ibiza, but what if we told you it's only a train ride away from New York City. The talk of the town in the Big Apple every summer is the wealthy flocking to their Hamptons homes to enjoy a good workout class , exclusive parties and rub elbows with the world's top one percent. But neighboring Long Island hamlet, Montauk, is where the real party has been this summer. As more music festivals and DJ parties continue to pop up along the idyllic beaches and hotspots around town, causing influencers and ravers alike to flock there, the hamlet of 4,000 is starting to be referred to by some as 'America's Ibiza.' Over Memorial Day and July Fourth weekends, party after party filled with hot young people dancing the night away to up-and-coming DJs like Beau Cruz . Plenty of huge parties take place at Surf Lodge, one of Montauk's go-to places for influencers to let lose against the gorgeous summer sunsets and fall into their expensive hotel rooms on the premises, that start at around $795 a night. Radio host and music curator Bobby Hendrickson, who has 129,000 followers, called Montauk the new Ibiza in a TikTok that has quickly gone viral. He said the New York hotspot resembled the Spanish archipelago due to its rising tourism in the summer, vibey nightlife and day parties, and the wealth of its visitors. 'Let's go, Montauk!' the 29-year-old Miami resident told Daily Mail in a phone interview. 'It's got similar vibes to Ibiza.' Both have become well-known places that are filled with celebrities, the wealthy, gorgeous beaches, crazy parties, and lots of money. 'And it's an island,' he said of both places. Hendrickson, who was in Ibiza this week, said nothing will truly compare to the Spanish vacation spot, but he does believe Montauk could develop into a rival. 'Nothing is like Ibiza,' the SiriusXM host said. 'That's its own animal.' Before the Ibiza-esque takeover, the hamlet - located on the farthest eastern point of Long Island - was a sleepy surfer town known for its quaint charm. Now, it's anything but. 'It's people with money,' Hendrickson told Daily Mail. And people who want to party. It has well-known DJs coming out, like Cheat Codes - who have a song with Demi Lovato - who will be taking over the Surf Lodge. Other beach places like Gurney's Montauk and Duryea's - which has a $97 Cobb salad on its menu - are other popular places. The Montauk Beach House is hosting a Palma Day Club, which features a party at the clubhouse every Saturday with two pools, DJs, and food and drinks. And if influencers are lucky, they'll score tickets to private parties or get to attend brand parties. Last summer, Dolce and Gabbana held a beach pop at the clubhouse and had items for sale. Hendrickson thinks social media has played a huge role in putting Montauk on the map. 'Social media has that effect,' he said. 'It created a hype culture [around Montauk].' Nightclub consultant, Jonas Young-Borra, 40, of Manhattan, said the only comparison is the wealth of those enjoying it as the New York destination is much, much smaller than the Spanish island. He also said that Ibiza, unlike Montauk, was 'built as a party community'. 'Ibiza has monster huge clubs,' he told Daily Mail while driving out to Long Island. 'I'd never call it the Ibiza of New York... As a party destination, you can call it boutique Ibiza.' But he agrees with Hendrickson that it is more of a 'destination now than ever before'. Although Hendrickson and Young-Borra don't know how long the hype will last. 'People are chasing the trend of the moment and they'll chase the next,' Young-Borra told Daily Mail. 'It's a seasonal place,' Hendrickson, who tries to visit Montauk at least once a year, said. 'In the summertime, it's a lot of fun.' A former emergency medicine and pediatrics doctor who has been going out to Montauk for 10 years agreed that the town has seen a 'complete change in culture' more recently. Dr. Fidel Garcia, 47, of Brooklyn, works with Boutique Concierge and Ring My Belle offering partygoers in Montauk at-home IV hydration. He said their services have been a huge hit especially amongst revelers preparing for a big weekend. Like their counterparts in the Hamptons, they too are ordering IV drips to their doors to ward off dreaded hangovers. 'Clients are treating it like an ultimate weekend destination,' he said. 'It's the next big party center. 'There's lots of pregaming,' he told Daily Mail. Clients will often pregame on Thursday and Friday before partying the weekend away. On Saturday and Sunday, recovery efforts begin, he explained. Nearly a third of his clientele are New Yorkers in their 20s and 30s enjoying a summer away from the hot concrete jungle, while others come from different states and countries. The hangover drip, which retails for $350 and is delivered to one's door, is in 'high demand' during the summer months, Garcia said. The NAD+ drip, which retails for $850, is also 'having its moment,' the former emergency medicine and pediatrics doctor told Daily Mail. The majority of those looking for party bender recovery are young adults, while the wealthy elite between the ages of 30 and 50 are more focused on health-related aspects, he added.
